Chapter 199: 198. Wang Guiyuan Emerges from Seclusion

Chapter 199: 198. Wang Guiyuan Emerges from Seclusion

Whether Chu Kun's Starry Saint Body was innate or cultivated, Lei Jun didn't inquire further.

The reason his junior disciple brought this up was that he had his own ideas while cultivating his magical arts, which coincidentally aligned with Lei Jun's previous contemplations on creating his own spells. Thus, aside from seeking guidance from their master, Yuan Mobai, he also sought Lei Jun's input.

"Take a look, senior brother," Chu Kun said as he offered a spirit talisman.

On the surface of the talisman, specks of starlight twinkled, resembling the Big Dipper.

Lei Jun observed intently and discovered a hidden mechanism.

Within each speck of starlight seemed to lie hidden intricacies.

"Blazing Talisman, Roaring Thunder Talisman, Demon Repelling Talisman..." Lei Jun identified each one as his gaze swept across.

He then turned to Chu Kun, "Are you attempting to amalgamate the spiritual powers of various talismans into one?"

Chu Kun explained, "They are categorized separately without any intention of fusion. However, I considered establishing a unique connection between them, like the revolving stars in the night sky."

Lei Jun nodded repeatedly, "I once had a similar idea."

He didn't inquire further about Chu Kun's level of comprehension.

However, the fact that his junior disciple had created this entirely new spirit talisman, named the Starry Talisman, piqued Lei Jun's interest.

The two brothers immediately delved into an enthusiastic discussion.

Yuan Mobai, standing by, didn't interrupt directly. He merely smiled as he watched his disciples engage in scholarly discourse.

He had his own methods of instructing his disciples.

Overall, his approach was very orthodox and proper.

Regardless of a disciple's personality or specialty, under Yuan Mobai's tutelage, their fundamental skills were invariably solid.

However, based on this foundation, Yuan Mobai also allowed and even encouraged his disciples to innovate and adapt their practices to suit their individual strengths.

As for the combat magical arts, aside from the first art, Shen Da Fu, being a signature of their sect, the remaining choices for the other two arts were left to the disciples' discretion.

Wang Guiyuan's first art was Shen Da, his second was Jin Guan, and his third was Chen Feng, which still adhered to the traditional style of the Celestial Master's Mansion.

Lei Jun's first art was also Shen Da, and his second was Chen Feng, which seemed normal, but starting from his third art, he unleashed his creativity and chose the self-created Five Thunder Talisman.

As for Chu Kun, his first art was Shen Da, and his second was Chen Feng, identical to Lei Jun.

However, starting with his third art, he, too, began to forge his path by not selecting any of the existing foundational talismans of the Mansion.

Instead, he created the Starry Talisman, inspired by his Starry Saint Body.

This talisman was crafted by Chu Kun when he was at the Three Heavens of the Law Altar realm, drawing upon the power of his Starry Saint Body.

In this world, various cultivation body types offered benefits beyond mere enhancement of cultivation realm.

For example, Lei Jun's former Hidden Dragon Spiritual Body not only aided his cultivation but also, due to its inherent potential, allowed him to effortlessly surpass the tribulations between the Qi Condensation and Foundation Establishment realms.

Back then, Li Ying's Flaming Thunder Spiritual Body provided her with extraordinary agility and speed when cultivating thunder, lightning, and fire-based magical arts.

For those who cultivated the Celestial Master's Mansion's true legacy of heavenly thunder and earthly fire, this type of spiritual body was undoubtedly advantageous in terms of root bone.

Guo Yan's Flowing Wave Spiritual Body was relatively more suited for cultivating water-attributed magical arts.

As for Chen Yi's Clear Sky Spiritual Body, aside from possessing an excellent innate constitution, it also helped cultivate a clear mind and benefited the cultivation of the divine soul.

However, comparing Chen Yi's rumored progress, Lei Jun suspected that there might be more to his root bone than met the eye.

As for saint body-level root bones, Lei Jun's Yin-Yang Saint Body not only accelerated his cultivation speed but also allowed him to balance and transform the yin and yang energies within him. Consequently, regardless of whether a magical art leaned more towards yin or yang, Lei Jun could adapt and cultivate it with ease. The dance of black and white qi around his body also enhanced his perception.

By now, he couldn't claim to have experienced a hundred battles, but his combat experience was nonetheless abundant.

Aside from his failure to detect Ye Chi Feng, hidden beneath the coiled snake bone, most of the time, when facing opponents of similar cultivation realms, Lei Jun was the one delivering sneaky attacks, and few could ambush him. This was due to his keen perception, a result of his Yin-Yang Saint Body.

Lei Jun excelled at concealing his tracks, and his sharp senses often allowed him to detect enemies who were also hiding their presence.

The ability to recover consumed spiritual power faster during battles was yet another benefit of the Yin-Yang Saint Body.

As for Chu Kun's Starry Saint Body, its most significant advantage, apart from those common to other root bones, was that it aided him in multitasking.

As cultivators advanced and their divine souls strengthened, multitasking became a common ability.

However, the Starry Saint Body gave Chu Kun an edge, allowing him to surpass others at similar cultivation realms.

For example, Lei Jun's previous research into the consecutive use of talismans in combat, which was limited to one talisman at a time, had led to the creation of the Linked Blazing Talisman, the Flying Fire Talisman, and the Five Thunder Talisman.

On the other hand, Chu Kun, aided by his Starry Saint Body, could simultaneously wield more than one talisman even when he was at the Lower Three Heavens realm.

It was upon this foundation that he created and continuously improved the Starry Talisman.

"The mysteries within the gathering of stars are boundless, and there's still much room for improvement," Lei Jun nodded repeatedly as he discussed with Chu Kun.

"I've recently cultivated a new primordial talisman. Aside from the first primordial art, I plan to enhance the next three primordial arts," Chu Kun said excitedly, but he soon shook his head slightly. "However, this Starry Talisman isn't always applicable. It consumes too much spiritual power, so I still need to proceed with caution and act accordingly."

"Regardless, it's a good start," Lei Jun commented.

Chu Kun asked, "Senior brother, you've already reached the Six Heavens of the Dao Seal realm. It's time for you to choose your third primordial art. What are your plans?"

Lei Jun didn't hide his thoughts from Chu Kun and Yuan Mobai. He took out a talisman paper and waved it gently. "I'm considering this one."

Chu Kun successfully reached the middle tier of the Three Heavens realm after receiving his ordination, and with the guidance of his master, he gained access to advanced spirit talismans. Thus, he quickly recognized the spirit talisman in Lei Jun's hand.

However, precisely because he recognized it, he exclaimed in surprise, "Senior brother, is that... the Thousand-Mile Sound Transmission Talisman?"

Yuan Mobai stood by with a smile, saying nothing.

Lei Jun had shared some of his thoughts on this with him before.

"Indeed, it's the Thousand-Mile Sound Transmission Talisman," Lei Jun acknowledged, seeing Chu Kun's astonishment. "I've always had some ideas about this spirit talisman and wanted to experiment with it. Of course, for now, many of these thoughts are immature and can only remain in the conceptual stage."

Chu Kun couldn't help but be curious.

Was the Thousand-Mile Sound Transmission Talisman good or not?

Of course, it was good.

Any Taoist monk in the middle and upper tiers of the Talisman sect who had reached a certain level of cultivation would know how to use it.

Regardless of everything else, when traveling abroad and encountering danger, one might be able to call upon friends for help! Disciples below the Three Heavens realm couldn't wield advanced spirit talismans, and seeing the Thousand-Mile Sound Transmission Talisman would only make them envious.

However, on the flip side, almost no one would choose the Thousand-Mile Sound Transmission Talisman as their primary spell.

After all, the number of choices was limited.

"Many of my ideas are still immature, and I'll share more thoughts with you when I have more insights. Let's discuss this together," Lei Jun said.

Chu Kun was also intrigued. "That would be wonderful. I'm just afraid I won't be much help to you, senior brother."

"Exchanging ideas is a way to gather diverse perspectives," Lei Jun replied.

Speaking of gathering diverse perspectives, aside from Yuan Mobai and Chu Kun, he also wanted to discuss with Tang Xiaotang and Wang Guiyuan.

However, Tang Xiaotang was currently focused on cultivating her own thunder-based divine art.

The Upper Clarity Thunder Palace Cave, shrouded in purple lightning for many years, now occasionally flashed with golden lightning, becoming a new attraction in Longhushan.

And as for Wang Guiyuan...

"Master, during my seclusion, I gained insights into the Dao of Heaven and Earth, and I feel the urge to go out and travel the world," Wang Guiyuan reported to his master, Yuan Mobai, after ending his seclusion.

Yuan Mobai was fine with this.

However, Lei Jun and Chu Kun looked at their senior disciple as if they were seeing him for the first time, their eyes scanning him up and down.

"Explain yourself! Who are you?" Lei Jun demanded.

"Why are you impersonating my senior disciple? Where is the real Wang Guiyuan?"

"..." Wang Guiyuan's body shook, and he nearly fell off his chair.

Chu Kun took a step forward. "You're feeling guilty! You're feeling guilty! You're obviously not the real Wang Guiyuan!"

"You two are going too far," Wang Guiyuan protested. "All you think about is playing pranks on me."

Yuan Mobai shook his head with a smile. "I don't blame them for their surprise. Since you joined the sect, I've only seen you leave the mountain twice, including this time, which makes it a grand total of three times."

Wang Guiyuan forced a laugh. "I just prefer quietude over activity."

"Senior disciple, you're not just inactive; sometimes, I wonder if you're a vegetable planted on Longhushan, that's why you never leave your spot," Lei Jun teased.

Wang Guiyuan defended himself. "That's not true. Master just mentioned that I used to go out frequently."

"Twice," Lei Jun interjected.

Chu Kun, standing beside them, lowered his head to look at the ground, his shoulders shaking uncontrollably.

Wang Guiyuan spoke with a solemn tone. "As cultivators, we should follow the flow of the heavens and act when the time is right. If the opportunity hasn't presented itself, there's no need to force it. When the time comes, it will happen naturally."

After some lighthearted banter, the senior disciples regained their composure. Chu Kun took out a specially reserved fairy spirit seed and gave it to Wang Guiyuan.

However, Wang Guiyuan refused. "Thank you for your kind intentions, junior disciple. But who knows when I'll be able to use it. It's better to give this fairy spirit seed to the Treasure Pavilion to further accumulate merit."

"Let me tell you, merit is something that may seem abundant at times, but it's not always useful. It accumulates slowly and is quickly depleted when needed. Don't look at Senior Disciple Zhongyun, who never seems to be lacking. He earned his merit by risking his life on countless occasions," Wang Guiyuan advised.

"Establishing merit for the sect is a good thing, but it often involves great dangers!"

"Senior disciple's teachings are invaluable, and I will keep them in mind," Chu Kun acknowledged. "However, I still want to give this fairy spirit seed to you, senior disciple. You can decide what to do with it, whether you use it yourself or give it to the Treasure Pavilion to accumulate merit."

Hearing this, Wang Guiyuan stopped refusing. "In that case, thank you, junior disciple."

Lei Jun added, "Since senior disciple is rarely leaving the mountain, let me prepare some things for you to take with you, just in case."

Wang Guiyuan smiled. "That's not necessary. I've already made my preparations."

Chu Kun blinked. "...Five sets?"

"That's too much," Wang Guiyuan said.

Lei Jun remained calm, not believing a word of what he just heard.

In truth, he was very curious as to why Wang Guiyuan had suddenly decided to leave the mountain.

However, since Wang Guiyuan didn't offer any explanation, Lei Jun didn't pry further.

He simply glanced at his master, Yuan Mobai.

Yuan Mobai's smile didn't waver, and his gaze remained steady.

Lei Jun's worries dissipated.

After Wang Guiyuan left the mountain, there didn't seem to be any major news about him in the outside world.

However, there were other developments that caught the attention of the Celestial Master's Mansion in Longhushan.

First and foremost, their old rivals, the Lin Clan of Jiangzhou, had recently become lively again.

Ever since the battle of Poyang Lake, where the former clan head, Lin Zhe, went missing, the Lin Clan of Jiangzhou had once again fallen into a state of leaderless chaos.

The Lin Clan suffered heavy losses in the battle, although not as devastating as the Xiao Clan beyond the borders, but it was still a painful blow from which they struggled to recover.

Especially with the loss of many powerful members of the Lin Clan's direct line, as well as the death of Lin Zhen, one of the most promising young talents, the impact was not just a talent gap but also a detrimental blow to their short-term recovery.

In this situation, the biggest problem facing the Lin Clan of Jiangzhou was the weakness of their core compared to their branches.

The direct lineage suffered heavy casualties, with a shortage of talent in a short period.

Meanwhile, outstanding figures continued to emerge from the collateral lines.

Especially about four years ago, the leader of the collateral line, Lin Yuwei, killed Li Zhengxuan, the former Young Celestial Master of the Heavenly Master's Mansion, on the Great River, causing his fame to soar and his prestige in Jiangzhou to rise abruptly.

Although the conflict between the Li family and the outsiders of Dragon Tiger Mountain was intense, regardless of the argument, out of the four high-achieving masters of the Li family, the Heavenly Master's Mansion only officially expelled Li Song and Li Ziyang from the sect, while Li Zhengxuan and Li Hongyu were not dealt with publicly.

Li Zhengxuan was still considered a high-achieving elder of the Heavenly Master's Mansion and the only son of the previous Celestial Master, Li Qingfeng.

Lin Qun, the previous head of the Lin Clan, perished on the Great River alongside Li Qingfeng.

Lin Qun's son, Lin Zhen, was killed by Li Qingfeng's personal disciple, Xu Yuanzhen.

Xu Yuanzhen is currently missing and his fate is unknown, but the Lin Clan suffered greater losses.

Thus, the Lin Clan of Jiangzhou could be said to have never regained their footing in this regard.

Now that Lin Yuwei has killed Li Zhengxuan, although the situation is complex, it can be said that Jiangzhou has finally made a substantial amends to its superiors and subordinates.

However, this was followed by a new power vacuum within the Lin Clan due to the disappearance or death of the previous two clan heads, once again triggering a new round of competition.

Earlier, the master of the Ye Clan of Qingzhou, Ye Heng, mediated the situation.

But as the Ye Clan of Qingzhou shifted their focus to the Imperial College in the capital and the Xiao Clan beyond the borders, the situation in the Lin Clan of Jiangzhou became increasingly chaotic.

The current empress is indeed someone who doesn't like to be at a disadvantage.

Celestial Master Len Shan from the Heavenly Master's Mansion and Abbot Fasheen of the Heavenly Dragon Temple were attacked one after the other, with one injured and the other dead.

In addition to issuing an edict to wipe out the rebels of the Yellow Sky Dao and the Great Empty Temple, the Tang imperial family also announced that they would appoint new instructors for the Imperial College to ensure that enrollment and teaching would not be affected.

In addition to coordinating with the Heavenly Master's Mansion and the Heavenly Dragon Temple to arrange suitable personnel, the Imperial College also recruited from other sources.

Leaving that aside for now, they recruited a new teacher for Confucian studies this time, which caused a strong reaction.

"Him?"

Lei Jun raised his eyebrows slightly as he looked at the portrait sent back by his fellow disciples from the Heavenly Master's Mansion in the capital.

The portrait depicted a man in his thirties or forties with a mature appearance.

Speaking of his real age, Lei Jun estimated that he was indeed in his thirties.

The problem was that he already looked like this when Lei Jun met him more than a decade ago.

"Now, can I say that his real age has finally caught up with his apparent age?" Lei Jun sighed.

Chu Kun, standing next to him, was speechless: "Brother, the key point of the matter obviously doesn't lie there."

Lei Jun looked at the portrait and said, "Alright..."

The man in the portrait had a mature appearance, a gentle and elegant demeanor, and even on paper, his eyes seemed sharp and piercing.

He was Fang Yue, a scion of the Fang Clan from Jingxiang, with whom Lei Jun had interacted before.

Indeed, as Chu Kun said, the man's appearance was not the main issue.

The surprising thing was that Fang Yue had joined the newly established Imperial College under the Tang imperial family.

Fang Yue looked mature, but his real age was actually a few years younger than Lei Jun.

Due to his outstanding talent and exceptional strength, he had earned the reputation of being the Kirin of the Fang Clan as early as a decade ago.

Among the younger generation of the Fang Clan, he was one of the few who received the most attention and focused cultivation, being specially groomed and nurtured for greatness.

To be blunt, Fang Jian, who practiced the Taoist tradition of the Heavenly Master's Mansion, could not compare to Fang Yue in terms of personal talent or the level of importance within the clan.

"If I remember correctly, this Fang gentleman's cultivation has reached the Sixth Heaven realm, hasn't it?" Lei Jun shifted his gaze from the portrait to Chu Kun.

There were often intermarriages between aristocratic families.

The relationship between the Fang Clan of Jingxiang and the Chu Clan of Suzhou was delicate, but there were quite a few intermarriages between them.

Chu Kun nodded: "Yes, it's been a while. The Jingxiang side is very optimistic about this Mr. Yongshan becoming the newest Upper Three Heavens Confucian scholar."

Lei Jun turned back to the portrait: "So now, this is..."

Chu Kun frowned: "I haven't heard of the Fang Clan changing their stance and supporting the imperial family."

Especially with the Empress establishing a new Imperial College, the Xiao Clan beyond the borders attaching themselves, recruiting disciples from the Han family, and openly teaching Confucian classics, it was tantamount to blatantly digging into the roots of these aristocratic families.

The fact that the aristocratic families did not openly rebel was already a relatively mild response.

"So, like the owner of the Moon Studio in Suzhou, it's an individual decision?" Lei Jun mused.

Chu Kun was also curious: "I'm not sure, but... from what I've heard about Mr. Yongshan's words and deeds in the past, it doesn't seem entirely impossible."

Lei Jun said, "It's still too early to tell. Let's observe for a while longer."

The Fang Clan of Jingxiang didn't take long to give Lei Jun and the world an answer.

They didn't publicly announce the expulsion of Fang Yue from the clan.

But soon, a Fang Clan expert went to the capital.

According to rumors, a great battle broke out in the new Imperial College, and the Fang Clan expert intended to bring Fang Yue back to Jingxiang.

However, they ultimately failed.

In addition to the Xiao Clan's teaching of their clan's classics in the Imperial College, some Fang Clan classics were also added.

However, before people could even marvel at the Empress successfully digging into another aristocratic family's walls, even more astonishing news came from the south.

The internal strife within the Nanman Witch Gate, which seemed to have nothing to do with many people, brought a piece of news that stirred up a storm: Wei Ancheng, the leader of the Blood River Sect, who intended to unify the Nanman, was a descendant of the former Sheng Kang queen!

This news might not have been surprising to others on Dragon Tiger Mountain, but it sent a jolt through Lei Jun's mind.

Suddenly, he recalled some old events from the starry sky in the heavenly book.

The sun shone brightly, emitting a dazzling light, and a voice that was impossible to discern emotion from asked:

"My question is, does anyone know the specific whereabouts of Wei Ancheng, the leader of the Blood River Sect?"

A coincidence?

PS: 5k chapter

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end