https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-200-Yet-Another-Auspicious-Sign-Part-1-/12586995/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-201-From-Daoist-Priest-Knock-on-the-Head-to-Daoist-Priest-Head-Blaster/12586997/
Chapter 200: Yet Another Auspicious Sign (Part 2)
Chapter 200: Yet Another Auspicious Sign (Part 2)
Back then, when Li Cangting interacted with the people of the South Wilderness, he must have also exchanged insights about the Dao.
In the following days, Lei Jun continued to ponder his own Daoist techniques and study the changes in the Heavenly Master Seal.
With the help of the Heavenly Master Seal and the Immortal Spirit Seed, Lei Jun's cultivation in the Sixth Heaven progressed rapidly.
Then, one day in early autumn, he suddenly received a message from his master, Yuan Mobai.
Yuan Mobai had left the mountain again to search for the lost Heavenly Master's Robe in the South Wilderness, but he had not made any further progress.
However, every cloud has a silver lining, and on this trip to the South Wilderness, Yuan Mobai had obtained some information about the Heavenly Master Seal.
The Heavenly Master Seal had fallen dormant due to the people of the South Wilderness in the past, and now it seemed that the solution lay with them as well.
Could the recent activity in his Heavenly Master Seal be due to his master Yuan Mobai's new discovery in the South Wilderness? Lei Jun wondered.
"Hmm, should I make another trip to the South Wilderness?" Lei Jun pondered, and just then, the light sphere in his mind flashed.
The light sphere flashed and displayed the following words:
【The National Treasure Shines Again, the South Wilderness Sacrifice, Fortune and Misfortune Depend on a Single Moment.】
Then, four fortunes were revealed:
【Top-notch fortune: After midnight on August 15th, go to Niushou Mountain in the lower reaches of the Rain River in the South Wilderness. There is an opportunity to obtain a third-rate opportunity that can be expanded. There are no risks or worries, great fortune!】
【Medium fortune: Do not go south, stay in the mountain gate, no extra gains or losses, neutral.】
【Medium fortune: Before midnight on August 15th, go to Niushou Mountain in the lower reaches of the Rain River in the South Wilderness. There is an opportunity to obtain a fifth-rate opportunity, but there are hidden dangers that require caution, neutral.】
【Medium-low fortune: On the morning of August 15th, at sunrise, go to Niushou Mountain in the lower reaches of the Rain River in the South Wilderness. It is dangerous and requires extreme caution, ominous.】
After reading the fortunes, Lei Jun was initially pleased.
A new top-notch fortune! He calmed himself and read through it twice more, deep in thought.
Fortune and misfortune depend on a single moment... This probably refers to the specific fortunes regarding the time before and after midnight and the early morning hours before sunrise.
Depending on the time, the situation may vary greatly.
The third-rate expandable opportunity mentioned in the top-notch fortune was most likely referring to the Heavenly Master Seal... Lei Jun thought to himself.
Lei Jun calculated the time and found that he had enough time. First, he went to the Edict Pavilion, which he was in charge of, to look up information about the lower reaches of the Rain River and Niushou Mountain.
Compared to the Great Southern Mountain Range, the lower reaches of the Rain River were even further south.
Information about the South Wilderness was scarce, and the local environment and population were constantly changing.
The records in the Heavenly Master's Mansion only briefly mentioned that the lower reaches of the Rain River were mostly under the influence of the Niushou Dong and Yu Dong clans of the South Wilderness, and most of the time, the two clans used the Rain River as a boundary.
Among them, the Niushou Dong clan revered the shamanic Chanting Sect's holy site, the Reincarnation Abyss.
Meanwhile, the Yu Dong clan followed the orders of the shamanic Dance Sect's holy site, the Song Mountain.
The Rain River area was also a customary boundary between these two major shamanic sects of the South Wilderness.
Another point that caught Lei Jun's attention was some records about the Jiuli people.
They were an even more ancient tribe than the current tribes of the South Wilderness, almost like a legend in the present day.
Lei Jun gathered his thoughts and refocused on the fortunes at hand.
Top-notch fortune, but it has to be after midnight and before sunrise on the 15th of August.
Lei Jun made the necessary preparations and informed Tang Xiaotang, Yao Yuan, and Shangguan Ning that he would be temporarily leaving the mountain. Like the last time, he did not disclose his specific destination, so as to prevent any potential interception by enemies along the way. Keeping his movements confidential was often more effective than many protective measures.
Lei Jun entrusted the Edict Pavilion to several disciples before bidding farewell to his junior disciple, Chu Kun, and descending from Dragon Tiger Mountain.
Lei Jun concealed his whereabouts and traveled inconspicuously towards the Southern Wilderness.
As he crossed the Great Southern Mountain Range, Lei Jun reminisced about the past. Back then, he had used the location to issue an ill-fated divination slip to the Jinzhou Ye Clan and the people of Jincheng Village, but he had never expected that the place would be the hiding spot of Wei Ancheng, the master of the Blood River Sect, who had already reached the Ninth Heaven realm.
And Wei Ancheng's emergence had triggered a series of bloody storms.
The good news was that the Blood River Sect was currently engaged in a fierce battle with the Yinshan Cave, shifting the focus away from the lower reaches of the Rain River.
The bad news was that the war situation was unpredictable, and no one knew when it would spread to the Rain River basin.
Lei Jun shook his head slightly and continued on his way.
On the night of August 10th, Lei Jun arrived at the lower reaches of the Rain River.
In terms of time, he still had ample leeway.
However, Lei Jun found that he had temporarily lost contact with Yuan Mobai.
Lei Jun frowned and looked up at the distant mountains across the river.
That was Niushou Mountain, the place mentioned in the divination slip.
According to the divination slip, it was specifically referring to the midnight hours between the evenings of August 14th and the early morning of the 15th.
Arriving early would not pose any significant danger.
However, since it was only August 10th, he couldn't be completely certain.
In addition to using his Wind and Thunder Talisman to enhance his concealment, Lei Jun also took out the Viper Bone.
With the bone chain wrapped around his arm, his figure became even more stealthy, as if he had disappeared from the world.
Lei Jun also took out the Soil Banner and made all the necessary preparations before setting off to cross the river and head towards Niushou Mountain on the opposite bank of the Rain River.
The situation on both banks of the river was far from peaceful.
People from Niushou Dong and Yu Dong were patrolling back and forth, clearly on guard against each other, creating a tense standoff.
Lei Jun raised his eyebrows slightly at the sight.
Previously, he had heard rumors that the two major sacred sites, the Reincarnation Abyss and the Song Mountain, had reached an agreement to temporarily set aside their past grievances and join forces to support the Yinshan Cave in resisting the Blood River Sect.
But here on the Rain River, both sides seemed worried about trouble from within.
Lei Jun approached Niushou Mountain quietly and discreetly, only to discover that in addition to the shamans from the Reincarnation Abyss, there were also disciples from the Taoist School present.
They were from the Shushan School, an external alchemy sacred site.
There was a middle-aged woman and a young woman, who appeared to be a master and her apprentice.
Lei Jun recalled that during the ceremony when his junior sister, Tang Xiaotang, had taken over as Celestial Master, He Dongxing and Ye Dongming, elders of the Shushan School, had led a delegation to offer their congratulations. At that time, he seemed to have seen the middle-aged woman, Jiang Dongyu, among the crowd. She was a Shushan elder with Middle Three Heavens cultivation.
At that moment, Jiang Dongyu was observing her apprentice, "Cheng Jun, what's wrong with you these days? You seem distracted."
The young woman named Yang Chengjun lowered her head, "Master, don't worry. I'm fine. It's probably because the curse in my body hasn't been completely removed, so my mind is sometimes unfocused."
Jiang Dongyu frowned, "This has been going on for too long. We should return to Shushan and ask the sect leader and the others to help remove the curse."
Yang Chengjun said, "Master, there's no need. Sect Leader Liu said that I've reached a critical stage in my cultivation, and I must not move, or all my efforts will be in vain."
Her master looked at her deeply, "You seem to trust that shaman from the Reincarnation Abyss quite a bit."
Yang Chengjun said softly, "Master, it was Sect Leader Liu who saved me."
Jiang Dongyu said, "He has also harmed countless others. I've heard some things about him in the area. His reputation isn't very good."
Yang Chengjun quickly said, "Master, Sect Leader Liu said that he deeply regrets the killings he committed in the past, and he will do his best to make amends during his lifetime."
Jiang Dongyu looked at her apprentice, "Things are not peaceful around the Rain River recently. Let's not cause any more trouble. Once the curse in your body is removed, we will leave this place immediately."
Yang Chengjun lowered her head, "Yes, Master."
She seemed to remember something and raised her head, "Master, right now, Niushou Dong and Yu Dong are at odds with each other. It's said that Yu Dong recently got a new leader, who is supposed to be a local, but I once saw him from a distance, and he didn't look like someone from the Southern Wilderness. Instead, he seemed to be from the Great Tang."
Jiang Dongyu, "Oh?"
Yang Chengjun, "Do you remember Master Lu's disciple, Yu?"
Jiang Dongyu, "Of course I do. A few years ago, when the previous Emperor assembled the Demon Suppression Guard, our sect also sent Lu with his disciples to join. It was quite an event."
Yang Chengjun, "A few years ago, I once met Yu by chance when he was on a mission with other members of the Demon Suppression Guard. There was a person named Chen Yi among them, who was said to be an expelled disciple of Dragon Tiger Mountain."
Lei Jun quietly listened from the side, but he never expected to suddenly hear the name of a "familiar" person.
Jiang Dongyu was also surprised, "Oh? That's strange. Although Yu Dong is not a core area controlled by Song Mountain, their leaders have always been disciples of Song Mountain. Now, an outsider has become their leader. How unusual."
Yang Chengjun, "I also find it puzzling, but I don't think I mistook his identity."
"After the previous Emperor passed away and the current Emperor ascended the throne, the Demon Suppression Guard gradually became marginalized, especially after the turmoil caused by King Wu."
"Jiang Dongyu fell into deep thought. 'It's not entirely impossible for Chen Yi to have left the Demon Suppression Guard and ended up in the Southern Wilderness.'
Yang Chengjun asked, "Master, should we notify the Dragon Tiger Mountain Heavenly Master's Mansion about this?"
Jiang Dongyu replied, "Although we are fellow practitioners, we are still different sects. Let's not overstep our bounds. We'll inform the Heavenly Master's Mansion, and they can decide how to handle the situation."
"Yes, Master," Yang Chengjun agreed.
The middle-aged female crown from Shushan Mountain looked at her disciple, hesitating to speak.
Master and disciple bid farewell and descended the mountain.
Lei Jun remained where he was, temporarily unmoving.
The seemingly peaceful Rain River area was far from tranquil, contrary to its appearance. Lei Jun found this intriguing but was more concerned about his fortuitous divination slips.
The internal affairs of the Southern Wilderness sects were merely gossip to him. The only exception was his master, Yuan Mobai, with whom he had lost contact, which caused him some worry.
Lei Jun didn't rush back and forth but continued to inspect Niushou Mountain. He kept an eye out for the patrolling Reincarnation Abyss disciples while searching the mountain up and down.
On his first pass, he found nothing unusual, which made him doubt if he had overthought things. However, on the second pass, Lei Jun, with the help of his black and white qi, finally found some clues.
It wasn't significant, but someone was secretly setting up magical arrays centered around Niushou Mountain.
The arrays were quite different from those of the Central Plains Daoists but had some similarities.
Due to the relationship between the Heavenly Master's Mansion and the Southern Wilderness sects, as well as the dormant Heavenly Master Seal, Lei Jun had some understanding of their shamanic techniques.
The arrays on Niushou Mountain belonged to the Reincarnation Abyss lineage.
"So, my fortuitous slips are related to your actions?" Lei Jun frowned slightly.
The Southern Wilderness sects had many peculiar and strange techniques, and even though Lei Jun wouldn't be harmed by them, they could expose his whereabouts.
Considering this, he didn't directly infiltrate Niushou Dong but continued to familiarize himself with the mountain's environment.
One day, someone quietly climbed the mountain.
Lei Jun observed them thoughtfully.
One of them was the young Shushan disciple, Yang Chengjun.
The other was a young-looking Southern Wilderness man with profound eyes. His clothing was ornate yet exuded a primitive air, fitting with the local custom of the more ornate the clothing, the higher the status.
"Chengjun, how have you been feeling these days?" the man asked.
Yang Chengjun smiled and replied, "I'm almost fully recovered. Brother Liu, you don't have to worry."
Hearing her address him so intimately, Lei Jun felt there was something unusual about their relationship.
The leader of Niushou Dong, Liu Dongzhu, said, "After all, it was our people who injured you with our curses, and my followers... almost offended you. We owe you."
Yang Chengjun fell silent for a moment before softly speaking, "It's in the past. In a few days, I'll return to Shushan with my master."
Liu Dongzhu said, "The memories you have of this place aren't pleasant, so I can't invite you to visit again. But I hope that one day, when I go to the Central Plains, we can meet again."
Yang Chengjun smiled. "Definitely. If you wish, Brother Liu, you're welcome to visit Bashu. I'll show you around."
"Then I won't be polite," Liu Dongzhu smiled.
He smiled as he looked at Yang Chengjun.
She lowered her head and said, "I... my master is waiting for me. I should go back."
Liu Dongzhu continued to smile as he watched her leave.
After Yang Chengjun descended the mountain, he turned his gaze to Niushou Mountain, overlooking the opposite bank of the river.
Then, under Lei Jun's watchful eye, he continued to set up various shamanic arrays.
Lei Jun silently observed without interfering.
Until the 15th of August arrived.
As evening fell, the sky gradually darkened.
The seemingly peaceful lower reaches of the Rain River suddenly underwent a drastic change in wind direction.
Numerous shamanic disciples from the Song Mountain sect of the God-Dance lineage quickly crossed the river from the direction of Yudu, attacking Niushou Dong!
Niushou Dong seemed caught off guard, and soon flames soared into the sky.
Under the leadership of Liu Dongzhu, the people of Niushou Dong fought while retreating, using Niushou Mountain as a stronghold to regain their footing and plan a counterattack.
Lei Jun scanned the area and couldn't find Jiang Dongyu, but he spotted Yang Chengjun among the Reincarnation Abyss disciples, wielding a magic treasure in battle.
The Song Mountain disciples pursued them all the way to the foot of Niushou Mountain, continuing their siege.
Lei Jun's figure was like a shadow, unnoticed by anyone.
Soon, he spotted the leader of Yudu.
...It was actually Chen Yi? Lei Jun was slightly surprised.
"Dongzhu, we've surrounded Niushou Mountain. Next, we'll set up the sacrificial array, and we'll soon break through these hex masters' mountain stronghold!" said a Song Mountain disciple whose cultivation was clearly higher than Chen Yi's.
The shamanic God-Dance lineage specialized in dancing to summon ghosts and setting up sacrificial arrays, excelling in formation battles. Multiple people working together would enhance each other's abilities, making them formidable in both offense and defense during siege battles.
Chen Yi remained calm and said, "Go ahead, but be careful. We need to obtain evidence of their collusion with the Blood River Sect, or it will be difficult to deal with the aftermath."
The surrounding Song Mountain disciples acknowledged his instructions.
However, Lei Jun, who was hiding nearby, found this situation rather odd.
Chen Yi wanted evidence of collusion with the Blood River Sect?
PS: An 8k-character chapter. After editing and revising, this chapter took much longer to write than I expected. I'll try to write another one later tonight and strive to update twice. Don't stay up late waiting for it, everyone.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
