Chapter 172: Yet Another Auspicious Sign!

Chapter 172: Yet Another Auspicious Sign!

Lei Jun stood outside the mountain, gazing towards the ancestral mountain gate of Longhu Mountain.

For a moment, the sound of thunder reverberated incessantly in his ears.

However, at the peak of Longhu Mountain, amidst the faint glow, the azure light and flames seemed to grow more intense, gradually overwhelming the violet thunder.

If not for the Thunder Palace of the Supreme Clarity in the sky above, tinting the heavens purple, the predominant color at the summit of Longhu Mountain would have turned azure.

Suddenly, a streak of divine light rose from the mountaintop.

Then, this wondrous streak of light unfolded in the air, transforming into a radiant nine-colored brilliance that spread in all directions.

Finally, the violet thunder had a chance to counter-attack, engaging the azure flames in a battle to reclaim lost ground.

As Lei Jun and the other Celestial Masters' Mansion disciples witnessed the nine-colored radiance, a realization dawned on them.

It was the radiance of the Celestial Master's robe.

Bathed in the nine-colored brilliance, a majestic purple thunder dragon emerged in the sky, its head towering above the celestial canopy.

But soon, a bright and pure golden light also illuminated the summit.

Blazing golden flames, more dazzling and fervent than the azure flames, ignited in the skies above Longhu Mountain.

Lei Jun retrieved the Divine Vision Stone to observe the phenomenon.

Through his enhanced vision, he saw two fiery tigers, one azure and the other golden, soaring above Longhu Mountain, burning fiercely.

The two tigers exuded dominance as they pounced together, forcing the violet thunder dragon back into the thunderclouds.

Most of the Celestial Masters' Mansion disciples were intrigued.

The fiery tiger formed by the golden light resembled the Yin Fire Tiger, a unique skill of their sect, yet it was also distinct.

However, Lei Jun and a few others knew that it was Tang Xiaotang's exclusive divine ability.

Derived from their sect's Yin Fire Tiger, she had combined it with her pure yang immortal body to create the Yang Fire Tiger.

Alternatively, it could be referred to as the Pure Yang Flame Ancestor's Law Image.

At this moment, she manifested both yin and yang law images, simultaneously displaying the Yang Fire Tiger and the Yin Fire Tiger.

This undoubtedly signified her successful crossing of the heavenly tribulation and her attainment of the eighth-layer boundary of the Daoist Talisman Sect!

Longhu Mountain's Celestial Masters' Mansion had gained another master at the eighth-layer boundary.

This should have been a cause for celebration, but at this moment, it was clear that the Yang Thunder Dragon, a unique skill of their sect, was being besieged by Tang Xiaotang's two law images.

A fierce civil war had erupted on Longhu Mountain.

The two sides were not engaging in a friendly spar but a life-and-death battle, unleashing their true powers.

Lei Jun used the Divine Vision Stone to observe, but due to the distance, he still couldn't discern the details.

However, he soon noticed that in addition to Tang Xiaotang's golden and azure fire tigers, there seemed to be another azure fire tiger in the sky above the summit.

At the same time, apart from the Yang Thunder Dragon fighting Tang Xiaotang, there was also a second violet thunder dragon lurking in the thunderclouds.

They had joined the battle, but instead of ganging up on Tang Xiaotang, they too were caught in the fray.

The situation began to spiral into chaos.

At least four high-achieving elders of the Longhu Mountain Celestial Masters' Mansion were engaged in a chaotic battle at the mountain's peak.

Disciples inside and outside the mountain who were unaware of the situation initially thought that Huang Tiandao had caused trouble again and was attacking the mountain.

However, to the few who knew the truth, the current scenario was...

The Celestial Masters' Mansion was plunged into another internal conflict.

A handful of survivors who had lived through the civil war over a hundred years ago felt like history was repeating itself.

While the scale of the current battle might not be as grand as the one from the past, its intensity was no less fierce.

The true disciples of the Celestial Masters' Mansion who were outside the mountain were momentarily bewildered, unsure of what to do or where to go.

Lei Jun gazed at the distant peak and exhaled deeply.

For now, he put aside the thought of Li Hongyu, who was in seclusion to break through to the eighth-layer boundary. Among the other three high-achieving elders of the Li family, Li Song, Li Ziyang, and Li Zhengxian, none cultivated the Yin Fire Tiger.

Li Song cultivated the Yang Thunder Dragon and the Life Star God.

Li Ziyang and Li Zhengxian both cultivated the Yang Thunder Dragon.

On the other hand, none of the high-achieving elders from outside the Li family cultivated the Yang Thunder Dragon.

The two violet thunder dragons on Longhu Mountain were most likely Li Song and Li Ziyang.

The question was, who was the other Yin Fire Tiger fighting alongside Tang Xiaotang? Lei Jun was well aware that his master, Yuan Mobai, cultivated the Life Star God.

So, was it Yao Yuan or Shangguan Ning?

Shangguan Ning had been severely injured in the previous battle at Poyang Lake. After returning to the mountain, she had remained in seclusion to recuperate and had even had to relinquish her duties at the High Achievement Pavilion.

Could it be Yao Yuan, then?

Lei Jun's mind conjured up the image of his fourth senior martial uncle.

Fortunately, he didn't have to speculate for long.

Soon, a message arrived from his master, Yuan Mobai: "Stay calm for now."

Upon receiving this message, Lei Jun looked up to observe the direction of Longhu Mountain.

Some of the true disciples outside the mountain hurried back towards the ancestral mountain gate, while others, like Lei Jun, remained silent, their eyes fixed on the mountain that was undergoing yet another upheaval.

After a while, Lei Jun received further news from his master, Yuan Mobai.

The information was somewhat unexpected, yet not entirely surprising.

His fourth senior martial uncle, Yao Yuan, had joined forces with Tang Xiaotang to rise against the Li family.

As soon as Tang Xiaotang returned to the mountain, Yao Yuan had revealed to everyone on the mountain Li Song and the others' previous plot to assassinate Tang Xiaotang.

Li Song and the others had been acting in secret.

Although the atmosphere on the mountain had been growing increasingly tense and oppressive, most of the younger disciples had consoled themselves, believing that while there might be a conflict between the Li family and outsiders, it wouldn't escalate into another large-scale bloody civil war.

With Yuan Mobai and Lei Jun, master and disciple, still biding their time and remaining hidden, no one was aware of Li Song's true intentions when he left the mountain before.

There were some young disciples who mourned the deceased Liang Chen and Li Zhusheng, unaware of the true circumstances.

But now, Yao Yuan had exposed everything.

Although Tang Xiaotang was strong, due to her age, experience, and personality, her words and actions lacked the persuasiveness needed to sway the prestige of Li Song, Li Ziyang, and the others by herself.

They could easily dismiss her claims as misunderstandings.

Given Tang Xiaotang's personality, she would not be satisfied with a peaceful resolution that swept everything under the rug.

If she chose to take action, even if she could overpower everyone on the mountain, it would still be difficult for her to avoid the controversy of committing treason and defying her masters and ancestors.

Yuan Mobai would certainly not stand idly by and let that happen.

Since things had progressed to this point, everyone involved would throw caution to the wind.

However, his fourth senior martial brother, Yao Yuan, had acted even faster than him.

As the elder who had overseen the affairs of the mansion for many years and a respected senior, Yao Yuan's endorsement of Tang Xiaotang carried far more weight.

At this moment, Tang Xiaotang charged forward, taking the lead.

Yao Yuan provided her with the legal basis for her actions.

Moreover, Elder Yao did not hang back but actively joined the fray.

This elder, who had been friendly with Second Master Li Hongyu in the past and had kept a low profile in recent years, finally took action, and when he did, he showed no mercy.

As Tang Xiaotang made her move, Yao Yuan also joined the battle.

He forcibly severed the connection between Li Song and the Thunder Palace of the Supreme Clarity, thwarting the elder's plan to fully recover from his injuries there.

Li Song was already advanced in years, and with his wounds not yet healed, he found it challenging to hold his ground against Tang Xiaotang, who had just reached the eighth layer.

Fortunately, the Celestial Master's robe came to the rescue, or Elder Li would have had his face rubbed in the dirt by a mere apprentice who was not even a fraction of his age.

Meanwhile, Li Ziyang and Yao Yuan, this pair of master and disciple, fought each other in a dragon and tiger battle.

The new internal strife within the Celestial Masters' Mansion had officially begun.

...The only slightly black humor in this situation was that Yuan Mobai found himself temporarily sidelined.

As always, he seemed to be strictly neutral.

Of course, he had no intention of sitting back and letting the tigers fight it out.

As he had said himself, due to personal reasons, he had no strong desire for the position of Celestial Master and basically no chance of succeeding to it.

The reason he had not acted yet was that while the crew of the great ship of Longhu Mountain fought over the position of captain, there needed to be a ballast to ensure that the ship itself did not sink.

"Although there are no masters from the Bloody River Sect in the sky for three days, Qi Shuo is nearby." Yuan Mobai's vigilance was not without cause.

Qi Shuo was a high-achieving elder of the Huang Tian Dao.

In the previous battle, the Huang Tian Dao had suffered heavy casualties, and their leader, Taiping Dao Ren, was recuperating and had not been heard from since. In recent years, it had been Qi Shuo and a few others who had been holding up the fort for the Huang Tian Dao.

As expected, when a major battle broke out in the Celestial Masters' Mansion on Longhu Mountain, the Huang Tian Dao could not resist coming to stir up trouble.

Perhaps there were also some others hiding in the shadows.

"Now that the mountain is no longer a peaceful paradise, whether or not to return is your own decision," Yuan Mobai instructed. "It's not peaceful outside the mountain either, so be extra careful."

Lei Jun was indeed considering these issues.

However, at that moment, the light ball in his mind suddenly flashed, and words appeared:

[Longhu loses blood, a crowd of sharks gathers. It seems dangerous but is actually safe, and good fortune hides within the peril.]



Lei Jun's eyebrows raised slightly as he read these sixteen words.

He then carefully read the three fortunes that appeared next:

[Top-grade fortune: Before sunset, go to Dayu Ridge, where you will obtain a third-grade opportunity. This can be further expanded upon, and although there will be waves, it will be safe and sound without any hidden worries. Great fortune!]



[Medium-grade fortune: Return to Longhu Mountain, where you will obtain a sixth-grade opportunity at the foot of the mountain. However, you will encounter danger, so be cautious. Average fortune.]



[Medium-grade fortune: Wander outside the mountain, keep your movements secret, act low-key, neither gain nor loss. Average fortune.]



There was actually a top-grade fortune?

Lei Jun was surprised.

Moreover, it was a third-grade opportunity that could be further expanded upon.

Dayu Ridge...

Lei Jun looked north.

It was one of the mountain ranges on the outskirts of Longhu Mountain, located to the north.

Lei Jun was currently south of Longhu Mountain, and if he wanted to get to Dayu Ridge without passing through Longhu Mountain, he would have to take a detour.

However, if he hurried, he should be able to make it before sunset.

But what would he find there?

Lei Jun pondered this, his face expressionless.

By his side, there were also some younger disciples whom he had been leading, and most of them turned their gazes towards him.

Some looked lost, while others hesitated.

Among them were members of the Li family as well as outsiders.

The looks they gave each other were extremely complex, but the underlying tone of distrust was clear for all to see.

"Lei Shidi?"

In the distance, more fellow disciples gathered.

Lei Jun looked up and saw many familiar faces.

At the forefront were two red-robed disciples, one as gentle as a scholar, and the other with a stern expression.

The former was Fang Jian, the fourth disciple personally taught by the previous Celestial Master, Li Qingfeng.

The latter was Li Kong, the grandson and apprentice of Elder Li Song.

After exchanging greetings with Lei Jun, Li Kong remained silent, his expression stern but his eyes full of complex emotions.

Fang Jian spoke up, "Lei Shidi, we're preparing to return to the mountain. Would you like to come with us?"

Lei Jun shook his head. "For now, I'll remain outside the mountain."

He looked at Fang Jian and Li Kong, and said with emotion, "I received a message from my master. Aside from the Blood River Cult, there are signs of activity from Huang Tian Dao disciples outside the mountain. It seems they all want to take advantage of our internal strife.

Indeed, unpleasant things have occurred on the mountain, but those are internal matters that we can resolve behind closed doors.

However, we must not allow heretical cultists to take advantage of our situation. We cannot give them any opportunity to think that the Celestial Masters' Mansion is undefended!"

Upon hearing this, some of the Celestial Masters' Mansion disciples around them were greatly encouraged.

"Lei Shidi, you truly embody Master Yuan's demeanor. Your face is calm as a still lake, but your heart holds thunder, ready to strike. No matter how turbulent the outside world may be, we have you as our pillars, and it is a great fortune for our sect."

Fang Jian slowly said, "Fang Mou is unworthy, but I will strive to emulate you."

Lei Jun's words resonated with those around him.

However, when they heard Fang Jian's response, some were surprised.

After all, there were times when Fang Jian did not speak for himself alone.

Li Kong, who had been silent, spoke up, "Senior Brother Zhongjian and Senior Brother Zhongyun are right. We will do our best outside the mountain, but we must also be cautious. The sect is currently vulnerable, and I shall return to await Master Yuan's instructions."

With Yuan Mobai, Lei Jun, and others remaining uninvolved, the Li family could breathe a sigh of relief.

Li Kong looked deeply at Lei Jun and Fang Jian, "I hope... that after the storm, we can still gather together as we do now."

Over the years, Li Kong and Lei Jun had maintained a relatively peaceful relationship.

...Although, Li Kong felt that Lei Jun's amicable demeanor was just an act for outsiders.

Most of the Li family disciples present left with Li Kong, heading towards the ancestral mountain gate of Longhu Mountain.

Some of the outsiders also returned to the mountain, deliberately avoiding Li Kong and the others. They planned to take a different route back.

During this special time, Lei Jun and Fang Jian did not force anyone to stay.

They simply reorganized those who chose to remain and gave them instructions.

With no other elders present, Lei Jun and Fang Jian were free to take charge.

"Shangguan Shidi, are you not returning to the mountain?" Lei Jun looked at another familiar face.

Shangguan Hong, who entered the Mansion at the same time as Lei Jun.

Shangguan Hong bowed to Lei Jun, "Lei Shixiong's words are exactly what I was thinking. As disciples of the Celestial Masters' Mansion, we must put the sect first and not give outsiders any opportunity."

Meeting Lei Jun's calm gaze, Shangguan Hong said softly, "My master has emerged from seclusion, but his health is still not good. For now, he is appealing to the three grand uncles, three grand uncles, and Tang Shijie to cease their conflict temporarily. Any issues can be resolved through discussion, and we must not let outsiders laugh at us."

Upon hearing this, Lei Jun nodded silently.

Shangguan Ning, or rather, the attitude of the Tang Dynasty Imperial Family, was becoming ambiguous.

This was partly because they were temporarily unable to intervene.

Including the Empress, the Tang Dynasty Imperial Family's immediate priority was to quell the unrest caused by the King of Wu, especially the landing of the East Sea Demon Tribe!

Thus, they had no time to spare for the south.

Shangguan Ning herself was also injured, and her wounds were no lighter than Li Song's.

Their temporary inability to act did not mean they could not express their stance to deter others or settle scores later.

However, their complete silence at this moment was indeed thought-provoking.

Maintaining strict neutrality and not taking sides was understandable.

But previously, the Li family, especially the Li Ziyang branch, had been actively trying to curry favor with the Tang Dynasty Imperial Family.

Now, it seemed that at least on this matter, the Empress' thoughts differed from those of the previous Emperor Zhang Qilong...

With the sudden turn of events and the Empress preoccupied with the demon tribe on the eastern coastal frontier, communication was difficult.

Shangguan Ning's swift decision to remain neutral might have been made on her own, or perhaps she had already discussed it with the Empress.

Of course, the Li family still had hope and had not shown any signs of defeat.

Li Hongyu and Li Zhengxian, two high-achieving elders, were not on Longhu Mountain.

Once they returned to the mountain, the situation might change drastically.

Perhaps then, the true intentions of Shangguan Ning and the Tang Dynasty Imperial Family would become clear...

"Fifth Senior Uncle's words are wise and thoughtful, and he has considered the situation more thoroughly than us." Lei Jun's mind raced with thoughts, but his expression remained unchanged as he spoke empty words of courtesy.

His gaze shifted from Shangguan Hong's face to another person in the distance.

He was a young Taoist priest in his twenties, silent and inconspicuous, standing beside Fang Jian.

At first glance, he seemed rather unremarkable.

However, aside from Lei Jun, many others glanced at the young Taoist priest from time to time, observing him discreetly.

The young Taoist priest's surname was not Li, but Xu, and his name was Xu Rui.

However, his lineage was unique.

His master was the son of the previous Celestial Master, Li Qingfeng – Li Zhengxian.

In the past, the young Celestial Master had intended to accept his nephew, Li Fenghhe, as his first disciple. However, due to various reasons, he ultimately chose an outsider instead.

That outsider was Xu Rui.

Back then, Xu Rui was the envy of his peers.

As the first disciple of the young Celestial Master, and strictly speaking, due to Yu Yuanzhen, Zhang Jingzhen, and Fang Jian not having disciples of their own, Xu Rui was also the only third-generation descendant of Celestial Master Li Qingfeng's lineage at that time.

Xu Rui kept a low profile, but his status was undeniably illustrious.

However, the good times didn't last long. With the demise of the former Celestial Master, Li Qingfeng, and the loss of the Celestial Master's Sword by Li Zhengxian, who was forced to reflect on his mistakes in the ancestral tomb, even Li Fenghhe could no longer be accepted as a disciple by his uncle.

Xu Rui didn't fall from grace, but the halo around him undoubtedly faded significantly along with Li Zhengxian's departure.

Fortunately, Xu Rui maintained a calm demeanor, continuing his low-key lifestyle.

However, as the undercurrents of the conflict between the Li family and outsiders within the Celestial Masters' Mansion grew increasingly turbulent, Xu Rui's identity and situation became more and more delicate.

Now, the last layer of pretense was pierced.

Although the disciples gathered here were all outsiders, some of them looked at Xu Rui with curious gazes.

"Alright, everyone be careful on your own. Let's assemble regularly and summarize what we see and hear." Fang Jian calmly instructed.

Lei Jun added from the side, "If you make any special discoveries, don't act alone. As the saying goes, 'Be both brave and strategic, plan against your enemies, and plan for yourself as well.'"

Shangguan Hong, Xu Rui, and the others nodded in agreement and then dispersed, following the agreed-upon routes to patrol the areas outside Longhu Mountain. Their tasks were to search for enemies and calm the anxious populace.

The huge commotion on the mountain also caused unease in the towns at the foot of Longhu Mountain, which relied on its presence for stability.

"Brother Fang..." Lei Jun turned to Fang Jian at this point.

Among the Five Surnames and Seven Hopes, the Jingxiang Fang family had a relatively amicable relationship with the Longhu Mountain Celestial Masters' Mansion.

However, it was a matter of perspective whether this amicability was with the Celestial Masters' Mansion or the Li family of Xinzhou.

Moreover, the representative figures of the Li family who were close to the Fang family were mainly Li Zhengxian, Li Ziyang, Li Xuan, and others.

There had even been talks of a marriage alliance between the Fang and Li families in the past, but it never materialized.

After that, the relationship between the Fang and Li families remained close.

However, as Li Zhengxian reflected on his mistakes in the ancestral tomb and Li Ziyang actively curried favor with the Tang imperial family, the relationship between the Fang family and the Li family cooled down a little.

But overall, in the conflict between the Li family and outsiders within the Celestial Masters' Mansion, the Jingxiang Fang family was still more likely to side with the Li family.

"Previously, the Lin family of Jiangzhou suffered heavy losses, and Jingxiang was busy dealing with that. They probably don't have the spare capacity to monitor the Xinzhou situation at the moment."

Fang Jian looked calmly at Lei Jun, "Of course, it's possible that the Jingxiang side has made arrangements without informing me."

Lei Jun nodded slightly, not asking about Fang Jian's plans. After bidding farewell to Fang Jian, he left.

Fang Jian watched Lei Jun leave, then turned his gaze to the northwest.

Although he couldn't see it, that was the direction of his hometown, Jingxiang.

He glanced in that direction before turning his eyes back to Longhu Mountain, where a earth-shattering battle was taking place, and lost himself in thought.

...

After bidding farewell to Fang Jian and the others, Lei Jun acted alone.

He first headed west and then detoured to the north, making his way towards his destination, Dayu Ridge.

Along the way, he encountered a Blood River Sect disciple secretly setting up a Blood River Formation.

Lei Jun killed the Blood River disciple, destroyed the formation, purified the tainted blood, and continued on his way.

With a little time to spare before sunset, Lei Jun arrived at the foot of Dayu Ridge.

He carefully concealed his tracks, moving silently like the night wind, blending into the mountains.

Although he didn't use the Spirit Concealing Curtain, the spiritual power of the Soil Creation Banner hid him, making him seem like a part of the mountain itself.

He reached the highest peak of Dayu Ridge, hiding himself while observing the surroundings with the Divine Vision Stone.

"Hmm?"

After searching the mountain ridge for a moment, Lei Jun's eyes narrowed slightly as he noticed something amiss.

On the surface, everything seemed normal.

However, there were faint fluctuations of spiritual energy.

Someone must have used a secret technique to conceal this place.

Lei Jun remained calm and quietly approached.

After some contemplation, he realized that the method used to hide this place seemed to originate from a spirit talisman.

It should be a high-level spirit talisman.

But it wasn't one that was currently taught in the Longhu Mountain Celestial Masters' Mansion.

However, they all stemmed from the same source.

So...

Huang Tian Dao? Lei Jun had a guess.

After breaking away from the Longhu Mountain Celestial Masters' Mansion, Huang Tian Dao had developed their own techniques over the years.

Given their daily circumstances and needs, it was not surprising that they had further created high-level spirit talismans for concealment and deception.

If not for the faint spiritual energy fluctuations, even Lei Jun wouldn't have discovered this place so quickly.

And the fact that the spiritual energy was noticeably fluctuating indicated that the Huang Tian Dao disciples were preparing to do something, and they were about to make their move.

No wonder the top-grade fortune mentioned that he had to arrive at Dayu Ridge before sunset.

It seemed that this top-grade fortune was referring to these Huang Tian Dao disciples.

There would be waves, but no real danger, and the person here was probably not a high-achieving elder like Qi Shuo from Huang Tian Dao.

Or perhaps it should be said that Qi Shuo was acting as bait to distract the high-level experts from the Celestial Masters' Mansion.

The additional arrangements at Dayu Ridge were the true critical plans of Huang Tian Dao.

Lei Jun used the Soil Creation Banner, taking some precautions to quietly pass through the high-level spirit talisman that concealed the valley.

It was as if he had passed through a curtain of light.

Indeed, there was a hidden wonder behind the curtain.

Several Huang Tian Dao disciples were busy at work.

In the valley, a towering three-story altar had been erected, and its top was shimmering with light.

PS: 6k chapter.

(End of Chapter)

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