Chapter 205: 204. Enhanced Intuitive Understanding, the Realm of Serenity!

Chapter 205: 204. Enhanced Intuitive Understanding, the Realm of Serenity!

"General Shen, it's an honor to meet you."

Lei Jun's expression remained calm as he gave a Taoist salute to his counterpart.

Shen Quibi returned the salute with a fist, then eagerly asked, "Elder Lei, have you come here to lift the seal on the Jiuli Realm?"

Lei Jun replied, "I am here to search for my master, who I've heard is within this realm. That is why I have come to find him."

Shen Quibi asked, "Is your sect's Grand Elder also here?"

Lei Jun nodded. As he stood by the lake, which was as smooth as a mirror, he looked down and examined it carefully, getting a sense of its nature.

The entrance to this mysterious realm of Jiushan Lake held profound and ancient mystical secrets of shamanism, encompassing various aspects. Even the current South Wasteland shamanic cultivators, due to their scattered inheritances, had little hope of unraveling its mysteries.

Both Lei Jun and Shen Quibi possessed extremely strong individual strengths, with few rivals among Sixth Heaven realm cultivators. However, their combined efforts were still insufficient to forcefully break through the lake's surface.

To forcibly enter from the outside, one would need a sufficient quantity of Shaman Suppressing Stones or Countercurrent Essences.

Changing tactics and going with the flow might be a viable option.

Lei Jun placed one hand on the surface of Jiushan Lake; the water beneath his palm was icy cold.

As his thoughts turned, a black shadow overflowed from his palm, not the shadow related to the heavenly book, but the strange power that had caused the Heavenly Master Seal to fall dormant when it had entangled with it before.

When Lei Jun had reawakened the Heavenly Master Seal, he had diverted a portion of this power for future contemplation and research, and now it proved to be just what he needed.

The shadow expanded and gradually transformed into a gigantic ancient character, shrouded in mystery. A primeval and vast aura emanated from it, not evil but a symbol of ancient civilization.

With limited time, Lei Jun's understanding of its principles could only be described as superficial at best.

However, when applied to the surface of Jiushan Lake, it caused the previously stable and frozen lake to ripple.

Shen Quibi stood beside him, marveling at the sight.

Nevertheless, what Lei Jun currently possessed was still insufficient to directly open the passage to this secret realm; it only served to destabilize the entrance.

Fortunately, with him creating an opening from the outside, it would be easier for those inside who wanted to get out to coordinate with him.

Soon, beneath the undulating Jiushan Lake, points of starlight began to shine, as if the stars were reflecting on the water.

As the starlight rose, it finally broke the water's surface. Lei Jun and Shen Quibi stepped aside as the lake water surged upwards, reaching for the sky.

Lei Jun looked up, and his eyes first landed on the young Taoist priest dressed in a purple robe. Seeing that he appeared unharmed, as usual, the worry that had been weighing on Lei Jun's mind dissipated.

The purple-robed youth maintained his usual gentle demeanor, but his eyes were sharp, indicating that he was on guard against the unknown outside world, having just emerged from the secret realm.

Upon seeing that there were only his disciple Lei Jun and another young warrior present, Yuan Mobai's expression softened.

"Sister Xiao!" Shen Quibi greeted with a smile.

Accompanying Yuan Mobai were a young woman and an old Taoist priest. Like Shen Quibi, the woman wore a martial artist's attire instead of armor, while the old Taoist priest wore the coarse cloth robe typical of Shu Mountain cultivators.

Lei Jun recognized both of them. The young woman was Xiao Xuting, a trusted aide of the Empress from the Xiao family, and the old Taoist priest was He Dongxing, an elder of Shu Mountain.

Both of their weapons of choice were swords.

Even without drawing their blades, their styles were markedly different.

Xiao Xuting also maintained her guard, but her sword remained sheathed. Instead, she held the sheath silently behind her arm, her eyes as alert as Yuan Mobai's as she scanned their surroundings.

He Dongxing's flying sword was already swirling in the air, its sword light constantly flowing.

Seeing that there were no other enemies besides Lei Jun and Shen Quibi, the three who had emerged from the secret realm finally relaxed.

"Master," Lei Jun stepped forward and greeted Yuan Mobai, He Dongxing, and Xiao Xuting.

Yuan Mobai smiled and said, "You've come, Zhongyun."

Xiao Xuting also smiled and said, "Lei Daochang, it's been a while."

She then turned to Shen Quibi and asked, "Little Shen, are you alone?"

Shen Quibi nodded, "I parted ways with General Shangguan and the others."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Xuting nodded slightly and did not ask further questions. Instead, she introduced Shen Quibi to Lei Jun, Yuan Mobai, and He Dongxing, "Little Shen's full name is Shen Quibi. He grew up in the military from a young age and had little contact with the outside world. Please forgive him if he has been impolite or offensive in any way."

Lei Jun and the others said, "Don't mention it, don't mention it."

He Dongxing looked at Lei Jun and Shen Quibi, stroking his beard and laughing, "The younger generation is full of talent, truly remarkable!"

Xiao Xuting asked curiously, "How did you manage to activate the entrance to the secret realm from the outside?"

Shen Quibi shook his head, "I couldn't have done it. It wasn't my idea."

Lei Jun remained composed and said, "I've been searching far and wide to meet up with my master. Along the way, I encountered several suspicious-looking South Wasteland shamanic cultivators. After interrogating them, I not only obtained some information but also acquired some chaotic and mysterious items. I decided to give it a try, thinking that we might share the same origin. It's truly fortunate that it worked."

He temporarily withheld the information about the battle between Shangguan Peng, Tu Dong, and others.

From his brief words, it was easy to deduce that Shen Quibi didn't get along well with Shangguan's descendants, which wasn't surprising considering the latter's previous views of him.

Their reunion presented both advantages and disadvantages, and Lei Jun preferred to avoid creating more complications for now.

"Sister Xiao, what kind of place is beneath this lake?" Shen Quibi asked curiously.

Xiao Xuting explained, "The secret realm itself isn't very large, and it's currently in a state of disrepair, with few valuable resources. On the contrary, it's extremely dangerous. Cultivators below the Upper Third Heaven realm will face significant risks if they venture in."

If it weren't for this, they wouldn't have been trapped there for so long.

"The reason why the Shengkon lineage and some of the South Wasteland shamanic cultivators still value this place is not only because it can be used for tempering one's cultivation but also because this secret realm may lead to other places besides Jiushan Lake.

"Xiao Xuting briefly explained, "It's called the Jiuli Secret Realm."

Shen Quibi's curiosity was piqued. "Jiuli? I've heard that name mentioned by some people."

Xiao Xuting replied, "It's possible, but not certain. Unfortunately, the current timing, geographical advantage, and human resources are not favorable for us to explore this place thoroughly."

She turned to Yuan Mobai and He Dongxing, seeking their opinions. "I intend to destroy this place. May I trouble the two of you to assist?"

By 'destroy', she didn't mean the secret realm itself.

After spending a considerable amount of time inside, they naturally understood the strength of the secret realm.

What Xiao Xuting suggested was to destroy the entrance to the Jiuli Secret Realm at Jiushan Lake and sever the passage connecting the current world to the secret realm.

As the Tang Court Imperial Family had no plans to intervene in the South Wasteland turmoil on a large scale for the time being, they couldn't spare more manpower to come to the South Wasteland and explore the deeper secrets of the Jiuli Secret Realm.

Even if Xiao Xuting contacted Shangguan Peng and the others, it wouldn't be feasible to keep guarding Jiushan Lake.

If this place truly held significant importance and attracted powerhouses like Wei Ancheng, who would be willing to abandon Yinshan Canyon and rush back, then it would be impossible to keep this place under their control.

Thus, it was better to destroy it and be done with it.

Even if it angered Wei Ancheng and the others, Xiao Xuting and her companions could disperse and hide, making it difficult for their opponents to corner them within the vicinity of Jiushan Lake.

If it was that important, it would be enough to inflict losses on their rivals without necessarily gaining anything for themselves, and that was Xiao Xuting's line of thinking.

"I am willing to lend a hand, General Xiao." Yuan Mobai smiled and nodded.

He Dongxing also agreed. "I concur with General Xiao's suggestion."

Lei Jun and Shen Quibi immediately withdrew from the mountains surrounding Jiushan Lake. Next, the area would endure the full force of the combined might of these three Upper Heaven realm cultivators.

Brilliant sword light illuminated the area first, dazzling even in broad daylight. It resembled a falling rainbow, descending from the heavens and landing amidst the nine mountains.

Then came violent undulations.

Immediately after, countless golden talismans lifted a figure into the air, transforming him into a giant spirit god. Together with the earlier sword light, they plummeted towards Jiushan Lake.

He Dongxing and Yuan Mobai took action one after the other, but curiously, there was no sign of movement from Xiao Xuting, who had initially proposed this course of action.

However, a series of intense tremors emanated from the mountains, indicating that the young female swordswoman from the Xiao Clan of Longwai had unsheathed her sword as well.

The only difference was that she cultivated the martial art of soldier strike, similar to the body-refining martial art cultivators. All her prowess was concentrated on herself or, to be more precise, the tip of her sword.

When such experts made a move, they usually didn't affect a wide area. Often, they only attacked a single point, and the range of their attacks was limited to the length of their limbs or weapons. They had to rely on the rapid movement of their bodies to close in on their targets.

But in return, they possessed one of the most formidable single-point killing power and burst damage among all the cultivation traditions.

A prime example was the previous battle between Shangguan Peng and Tu Dong.

Tu Dong cultivated the Blood River Secret Art. While his defensive capabilities were unremarkable, his recovery power was astonishing. It wasn't just anyone who could force him to use his trump card, the Blood Sea Nirvana, which allowed him to be reborn after death. However, if he took a hit from Shangguan Peng's Thousand Armies Move, Tu Dong would either be directly impaled on the spot or lose half his life force, rendering him incapable of continuing the fight, even without resorting to Blood Sea Nirvana.

On Shen Quibi's journey to Jiushan Lake, he hadn't encountered many fleeing Shengkon cultivators who could withstand his frontal assault.

Such formidable single-point killing power and burst damage were characteristics typically seen in martial art cultivators.

The reason Shen Quibi said 'typically' was that if the Daoist flying swords or Confucian divine archery had sufficient time for preparation and accumulation, they might also possess such formidable destructive power or even surpass it. However, their instantaneous burst damage couldn't compare.

Buddhist Zen martial arts could achieve a similar level, but their attacks were slower, and they lacked suddenness.

Just like now, Xiao Xuting joined Yuan Mobai and He Dongxing's assault without a sound. With the combined might of these three powerhouses, the earth shook and the mountains trembled in an instant.

From a distance, Lei Jun and Shen Quibi witnessed the mountains surrounding Jiushan Lake begin to collapse and crumble.

A black aura soared into the sky from above the lake surface.

The black aura wasn't evil, and it did bear similarities to the principles and intent of the ancient shamanistic character.

The surging black aura was soon completely dispersed, signaling that the passage to the Jiuli Secret Realm had been blocked and sealed.

When the dust and smoke cleared, the broad and smooth lake surface was gone, and the entire Jiushan Lake had been filled in by Yuan Mobai and the others. The surrounding nine mountains no longer existed.

"Let's go. It's time to leave this place." The flashing giant surrounded by starlight disappeared, and in its place stood the purple-robed youth, signaling to Lei Jun and Shen Quibi.

The group of five departed from that place.

After traveling a considerable distance, they finally came to a halt.

Yuan Mobai, Xiao Xuting, and He Dongxing began to adjust their breaths and recuperate.

After entering the secret realm earlier, they had faced treacherous conditions and constantly challenged and assaulted the seal. Now, after destroying the entrance to the secret realm, they needed to recuperate and restore their peak condition to prepare for any new opponents they might encounter next.

Lei Jun and Shen Quibi, on the other hand, were relatively unscathed.

However, Shen Quibi suddenly came to a realization.

Later, Lei Jun felt the page of the heavenly book in his possession tremble slightly.

Upon inspection, he discovered that Huoyao had left him another message:

"The matter of the Jiuli Secret Realm has been resolved. Apologies for the previous disturbance!"

Even this additional note could potentially leak some information... Lei Jun was speechless.

No doubt, the other five Yao—Ri, Yue, Mu, Shui, and Tu—had also received similar 'private messages' before and after.

Lei Jun wondered if any of them had contacted Shen Quibi beforehand... He paused for a moment.

If Riyao was indeed Empress Zhang Wantong, did she know that Huoyao was the rising star in her military? Lei Jun pondered.

He shook his head slightly and walked towards the mountains and forests.

Amidst the dancing spirit talismans that resembled a dazzling galaxy, Lei Jun entered, his eyes drawn to the radiant light. However, the spiritual energy was subdued, hidden from external view, ensuring secrecy without attracting attention. The starlight, obscured by the mountain foliage, remained hidden unless one drew near.

Within this galaxy of starlight, a three-tiered altar, also composed of starlight, shone brilliantly.

Yuan Mobai sat atop the altar with his legs crossed, a faint smile on his face as he addressed Lei Jun, "Previously, I thought that this trip might lead you, Zhongyun, into danger. But now, not only are you unharmed, but you've also restored the Heavenly Master Seal to its former glory."

Lei Jun bowed respectfully and replied, "It is all thanks to your guidance, Master. During my journey to the South Wasteland, by chance, I was able to restore the Heavenly Master Seal. However, the seal remains fused with my soul, and we cannot be separated."

Yuan Mobai's smile remained as he responded, "It's of no consequence. Since such an opportunity has presented itself, we should embrace it."

Lei Jun continued, "Although the Heavenly Master's Robe is still missing, with the restoration of the Heavenly Master Seal, our sect's Three Realms True Classic and the Divine Registers have finally returned to their rightful place."

Yuan Mobai's smile faded slightly, and a hint of emotion flashed in his eyes as he said, "The ways of the world are ever-changing..."

"Master..." Lei Jun looked up at Yuan Mobai, sensing something amiss, "Are you unwell?"

Yuan Mobai shook his head, "I'm fine. I'm just feeling a bit nostalgic. To be honest, I'm doing well. Despite the many twists and turns on this journey, I've gained a lot from it."

After a brief pause, he continued, "There's another lead related to the Heavenly Master's Robe here in the South Wasteland that needs to be investigated. If everything goes well and we can put this matter to rest, I plan to go into seclusion when we return to the mountain."

Lei Jun understood that his master was hinting at preparing for the breakthrough to the Eighth Heaven realm, and he asked, "Is it because of the Jiuli Secret Realm?"

"Indeed, this trip has turned out to be a blessing in disguise," replied Yuan Mobai.

Lei Jun inquired, "Master, will you choose the Thunder Law or the Fire Law and Earth Law this time?"

One of the greatest benefits of the Heavenly Master Seal's restoration lay in this decision.

"Neither of those is a priority for now," Yuan Mobai said with a renewed smile, "I've gained something else."

Lei Jun remained silent, but his gaze at his master became a little unnatural...

"You rebellious disciple," Yuan Mobai chided, not taking offense.

"I'm just happy for you, Master," Lei Jun replied.

After exchanging a few more pleasantries, Lei Jun took out a pair of glittering jade-like treasures emitting a faint blue light, and said, "Things have been chaotic lately, but now we can finally take a break. Please, Master, protect me while I attempt this."

"Of course," Yuan Mobai's smile widened, "Our sect is about to gain another legendary genius who will leave their mark in the annals of history."

With his reunion with Yuan Mobai, Lei Jun had no other pressing matters. So, with the Heavenly Enlightenment Jade in hand, he made his way to the True One Altar's cave heaven.

He headed straight for the second layer of the altar.

Ever since Lei Jun obtained the Heavenly Enlightenment Jade and realized that it might help enhance his understanding, he had been eagerly awaiting this day, knowing that he would need the assistance of the second layer of the True One Altar.

The level of understanding akin to the serenity of nature.

Throughout the nearly ten thousand years of the Longhu Mountain Heavenly Master's Mansion's history, the number of disciples who had achieved this level of understanding was extremely limited, and each of them had left a profound mark on the sect's annals.

Most of the improvements and innovations in the sect's various Taoist techniques, spells, and registers could be attributed to these individuals.

Currently, within the Heavenly Master's Mansion, aside from the enigmatic Xu Yuanzhen, there was only one person known to the outside world to possess this level of understanding—the current Heavenly Master, Tang Xiaotang.

No one else had achieved this feat.

Going further back in history, one would find the second Heavenly Master, Li, who was their master's grand-shifu.

For the Heavenly Master's Mansion to produce a genius with this level of understanding every few hundred years could be considered good fortune.

Now, Elder Lei was determined to add another name to this illustrious list.

Although it was a case of making up for innate deficiencies through hard work.

Surrounded by starlight, Lei Jun sat cross-legged.

The pair of Heavenly Enlightenment Jade separated, transforming into two streams of light that circled around him.

In the next moment, the two jade treasures shattered simultaneously, and the fragments intertwined to form a radiant display of purple, gold, and cyan light, resembling both a three-layered world and a three-tiered pagoda, enveloping Lei Jun.

Lei Jun felt a gentle breeze caress his body.

His soul detached from his physical form and hovered above his body, embracing the awakening clarity that seemed to emanate from the distant past, from the dawn of civilization, carried by the river of time.

The True One Altar trembled, and its ancient history and profound foundation caused the awakening clarity to solidify, ultimately settling upon Lei Jun's soul instead of vanishing like a fleeting mist.

Lei Jun felt that his spiritual consciousness was not being cleansed but was undergoing an internal transformation.

During this process, many of his previous doubts found new answers, his existing ideas sparked new inspirations, and his thoughts took on new directions.

For example, the Thousand-Mile Voice Transmission Talisman that had always been on his mind.

For example, his ongoing refinement of the Two Primordial Magnetic Spell.

For example, the potential for further improvement in his existing Heaven General, Wind and Thunder, and Negative Five Thunders Righteous Spells.

For example, he could further optimize his time and accelerate his progress toward the Sixth Heaven realm.

The list went on.

His mind was brimming with unprecedentedly sharp insights.

As his soul descended and returned to his physical body, the awakening clarity that originated from his soul permeated his entire being.

At that moment, Lei Jun felt his mind flooded with countless inspirations related to Taoist techniques, and his thoughts became as clear as a mirror, reflecting everything without omission.

The term "understanding" referred to the exceptional individuals above the fifth grade.

First, there was "exceptional."

Then came "enlightenment."

And above enlightenment was "serenity."

Today, Lei Jun successfully elevated his understanding to the level of serenity.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end