https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-213-A-Quadruple-Opportunity-Heavenly-Eye-Scorching/12587009/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-215-A-World-as-General-Shangguan-Desired/12587011/
Chapter 214: Lei Daochang was Almost in Tears
Chapter 214: Lei Daochang was Almost in Tears
Lei Jun twisted the neck of the middle-aged Camp Commander, snapping it easily. He then casually tossed the corpse into the deep abyss, where it was instantly shredded by the violent astral winds.
With a swift kick, he sent the young Imperial Guard plummeting into the same fate.
The greatest advantage of a Daoist cultivator from the Talisman Sect was their ability to prepare talismans in advance. With a variety of spiritual talismans, they could handle numerous complex situations. Moreover, by drawing upon the power of the heavens and the earth during the creation of these talismans, they could achieve greater power with minimal consumption, attaining a level of versatility that was close to perfection.
At least, that was the case most of the time.
Only in the face of extremely challenging situations and formidable opponents would their versatility fall short.
For example, when confronted by a close-quarters martial artist of a higher cultivation realm, or when facing long-range attacks like the flying swords of Daoist cultivators or the divine archery of Confucianists.
Lei Daochang, in his daily practice and exploration of new techniques, sought to avoid such predicaments.
Take, for instance, the ease with which he dealt with these two members of the Shangguan family—it was so effortless that one might question who between them was the true martial artist.
It was only when facing someone as uniquely powerful as Shen Quibing that Lei Jun felt pressured in close-quarters combat.
Shen Quibing's Thunder Immortal Body was extraordinarily powerful, whether cultivated through thunder techniques or refined through martial arts.
The Thunder Divine Body, enhanced by thunderous immortal energy, further amplified his already superior speed and destructive power, pushing the boundaries of his strengths even further.
Not only was he faster than most cultivators of the Three Heavens, but even some of those at the Seventh Heaven found it challenging to match his pace.
Lei Jun, with all his might—employing the Wind and Thunder Talisman, the Heavenly General Talisman, and the Five Ding Mountain-Opening Talisman—still couldn't guarantee victory in a pure speed contest against Shen Quibing, who possessed the Thunder Immortal Body.
It would take a considerable amount of time for Lei Jun to reach the peak state of his astral stepping technique to barely keep up with Shen Quibing.
However, in the heat of a life-and-death battle, Lei Jun wouldn't have the luxury of time to slowly build up his astral stepping technique.
Of course, aside from accelerating himself, Lei Jun also possessed means to slow down his opponents, but that was another story. He wouldn't simply rely on speed to face Shen Quibing.
As the middle-aged Camp Commander had said, people like Shen Quibing were rare and exceptional.
At that moment, Shen Quibing was focusing all his attention on healing his injuries, causing his perception of the outside world to diminish. This gave Lei Jun the perfect opportunity to silently dispose of the middle-aged Camp Commander without a trace.
Most of the time, Lei Jun preferred to mind his own business and not get involved in others' affairs.
However, considering that he had identified a Huo Yao among them, which might be beneficial for future plans, and that Shen Quibing's presence could potentially cause trouble for the Shangguan family, Lei Jun decided to make an exception this time.
After all, he didn't dislike Shen Quibing, and they had gotten along well so far.
For the time being, Lei Jun chose to ignore the other members of the Shangguan family scattered elsewhere. After taking care of the two men, he once again disappeared as if he had never been there.
The middle-aged Camp Commander and the young Imperial Guard, both from the Shangguan family, seemed to have vanished into thin air without a trace.
It wasn't until Shen Quibing had stabilized his injuries and stood up again that he noticed something amiss.
Only when the astral winds caused by the disturbance in the earth veins gradually subsided and the others regrouped did they realize that two of their companions were missing.
They searched left and right but found no trace of them.
The chaos in the earth veins' spiritual energy also interfered with their attempts at communication.
As there were no signs of a counterattack from the Sui Dynasty descendants, Shen Quibing and the others were perplexed but didn't immediately suspect that the two had met with an accident.
Their first thought was that the middle-aged Camp Commander had taken some people out to scout the surroundings or pursue the fleeing Sui Dynasty descendants.
However, even after further searching, they still couldn't find any trace of the two men.
An ominous feeling began to creep into their hearts.
They tried to establish long-range communication after moving away from the area of chaotic earth vein spiritual energy, but there was no response.
A more thorough search in the vicinity also yielded no signs of tracking marks or clues left behind by the missing duo.
The group gathered above the deep valley, where the astral winds had calmed but the spiritual energy veins remained turbulent. They looked down, then at each other, their faces filled with worry.
Could the two have fallen into the valley? Shen Quibing, despite his injuries, spoke up, "We should go down and look. We can't just leave them missing, with neither a living person nor a dead body to be found!"
The others, all members of the Shangguan family, couldn't bear the thought of their kin disappearing so mysteriously. They immediately organized a search party and ventured down into the dangerous valley.
When Lei Jun had thrown the two men into the abyss, the astral winds had been raging fiercely, tearing their bodies to pieces. Now, finding even a trace of their flesh and blood would be a challenge.
However, with careful and diligent searching, Shen Quibing and the others eventually discovered some shattered remnants of clothing.
As they climbed out of the valley, holding those tattered pieces of cloth, a heavy silence fell upon the group.
No one suspected Shen Quibing, for two reasons. Firstly, the young man had been severely injured earlier, and secondly, he was straightforward and honest to a fault, making it impossible for him to feign nonchalance without leaving a trace.
...Many of those present also didn't expect that the middle-aged Camp Commander would make a move after Shen Quibing had helped them.
In the end, after much speculation, most people concluded that it was most likely an accident.
A few had their doubts, but they lacked sufficient evidence to support their suspicions.
The group of Shangguan descendants could only accept their losses and leave the desolate Kongliu Mountain with their heads hung low.
Well, from the outcome, although things didn't go exactly as planned and they suffered some casualties, they had still successfully captured a camp of the Sui Dynasty descendants, destroying a critical node in their plan to alter the earth veins and establish a new country.
They could still hold their heads high and report their achievements to their superiors.
"This..." The person attempting to contact General Shangguan Peng exclaimed in surprise.
Shen Quibing and the others turned to look at him from a distance. "What's wrong?"
The young descendant of the Shangguan family wore an expression that looked even worse than crying. "...I can't get in touch with the General."
Everyone immediately gathered around him. "Don't panic. General Peng might be occupied with something at the moment, or he could be facing a similar situation with chaotic earth vein spiritual energy, which is hindering our communication. Try again later."
The young warrior nodded repeatedly. "That makes sense!"
However...
"Still no response."
The young warrior looked a little dazed. "I still can't reach the General."
Someone suggested, "Maybe the talisman from the Daoist Sect is not working. Do we have a Confucianist's 'see-word-as-person' spell?"
The young warrior replied, "It's with the Camp Commander..."
Who was now buried at the bottom of the valley, along with the violent astral winds.
Hearing this, everyone exchanged glances and bitter smiles, consoling each other and deciding to try again after some time had passed.
Unfortunately, they still couldn't get in touch with General Shangguan Peng.
They looked at each other, their eyes growing wider with apprehension.
................
After dealing with the situation at Kongliu Mountain, Lei Jun left the area of chaotic earth veins and turbulent spiritual energy. He found a quiet place to settle down and finally had the opportunity to unfold his Yuan Magnetic Coiling Dragon Flag, releasing the middle-aged man who had been trapped within it, looking dazed and confused.
Lei Jun checked on the man's condition.
Unlike Zhang Yuan before, this middle-aged man did not have the shadow of the heavenly book attached to him.
However, the reason for his suppressed soul was the same as Zhang Yuan's.
The difference lay in the fact that Zhang Yuan had been directly tainted by the shadow of the heavenly book, while this middle-aged man had only come into contact with a similar existence in the past.
Lei Jun used his own Heavenly Book·Three to help the man regain consciousness and then proceeded to interrogate him.
The man had only a vague understanding of his own situation, but based on his description, Lei Jun believed that his contact with the shadow of the heavenly book had likely occurred during the preparations for the earth vein ritual.
However, there hadn't been any unusual signs at that time.
It was only when the Tang Army attacked Kongliu Mountain that the middle-aged man started feeling something amiss with his mental state, and the abnormality gradually worsened.
This should be related to Shen Quibing... Lei Jun thought to himself, understanding the cause.
Previously, Zhang Yuan's soul had also been suppressed, and it had happened when he approached Dragon-Tiger Mountain. The root cause was Lei Jun's own Heavenly Book·Three.
And the reason this middle-aged man was affected was due to Shen Quibing's Heavenly Book·Six.
However, Shen Quibing had been focused on the battle at that time and hadn't paid attention to his opponent's abnormality, allowing Lei Jun to capture the man first.
"However, there's one problem..." Lei Jun raised his eyebrows slightly.
In terms of cultivation realm, this middle-aged man was far superior to Zhang Yuan at the time.
When comparing their contact with the shadow of the heavenly book, Zhang Yuan had been directly attached by a shadow, while this middle-aged man had only come into contact with it previously and hadn't been directly possessed.
Yet, the final result was that the middle-aged man's soul was suppressed, just like Zhang Yuan's had been.
Given that there were no signs indicating that Shen Quibing's Heavenly Book·Six was stronger than Lei Jun's own Heavenly Book·Three, it could be inferred that the power of the heavenly book shadow that this middle-aged man had come into contact with was likely far superior to the shadow that had attached itself to Zhang Yuan?
This was worth paying attention to. Lei Jun recalled the lucky draw regarding the shadow of the heavenly book, which mentioned that related opportunities could be expanded...
He made a mental note of this information but didn't dwell on it further. On the surface, he remained calm and continued to interrogate the middle-aged man.
It wasn't easy to extract all the information the man knew and to discern the truth from it. Lei Jun had to employ a variety of methods.
However, he obtained a piece of intelligence that greatly boosted his spirits.
The eldest grandson, Yang Tai, might arrive at the Zhu'an River area in the near future, but the exact time and purpose of his visit were unknown.
Yang Tai was the official eldest son of this generation's Prince Sikong, Yang Yuqi. He was also his most accomplished son, holding a high position within the direct lineage of the Sui Dynasty descendants. Although he was young, his cultivation was remarkable, and he had already proven his capability to handle important tasks independently, moving secretly and leaving few traces.
If nothing unexpected happened, this eldest grandson, Yang Tai, would very likely be the next crown prince or even the future King of Sheng Kang after Yang Yuqi.
Lei Jun paid attention to this person because he might possess or have access to clues related to the Heavenly Master's Robe.
However, the whereabouts of this Grand Prince Yang Tai were even more mysterious than those of his younger brother, Second Prince Yang Fei.
Neither the Tang Imperial Family nor Master Yuan Mo and his disciple Lei Jun had been able to gather any information on his location recently.
Now, Lei Jun finally had some leads.
A rough map of the southern wilderness and related information immediately appeared in his mind:
"Zhu'an River is another waterway in the southern wilderness, located further south than the Yu and Zhao Rivers, deep into the heart of the region."
It is worth mentioning that, according to the distribution of power in recent years, that area falls under the influence of the Holy Land of the Godwa Clan, one of the five clans of the Nan'an Shamanistic Sect.
Most of the time, the inheritance of the five clans of the Nan'an Shamanistic Sect is chaotic and bloody. There are frequent battles between the various Holy Lands, their branch clans, and even within the major Holy Lands themselves.
However, there are some slight differences when compared to each other.
The Blood River Clan and the Ghost Clan, with their Holy Lands being Blood River Peak and Golden City Village respectively, have the worst reputations, and their disciples are the most bloodthirsty.
To some extent, they are not only considered demonic cultivators by the Northern Zhongyuan Dynasty but are also public enemies within the Nan'an Wilderness, despised by all.
The Blood River Clan, adept at slaughter and even deliberately instigating massacres, rarely finds a stable place to stand in the Nan'an Wilderness. They are often besieged by other sects, and their aggressive nature doesn't help their cause. As a result, they have had no fixed sect headquarters for many years, and their ancestral halls were destroyed and abandoned long ago.
If not for this, when everyone in the world was searching for Wei Ancheng while he was in seclusion, would it have been so difficult to find him?
Golden City Village is in a slightly better situation than the Blood River Clan, but the Ghost Clan's cultivation methods are also notoriously infamous, making them a prime target for enmity. As a result, they are often attacked, and their sect headquarters has been conquered countless times.
The Holy Land mountain gate that was previously attacked by the Blood River Clan was newly built a few years ago.
The current Holy Master of Golden City Village, "Ghost King" Zong Han, can also be regarded as a heroic figure. Under his leadership, the once scattered and divided Golden City Village has shown signs of unity and revival in recent years. Many powerful figures, including Gao Pu and Cao Chu, have been subdued by Zong Han.
However, their luck has been less than favorable. Just as they were starting to gain some momentum, they ran into the more powerful Wei Ancheng and the Blood River Clan, who aimed to unify the Nan'an Wilderness, and became the first target of Wei Ancheng's campaign.
Rumor has it that Zong Han submitted to Wei Ancheng, and Golden City Village is now allied with the Blood River Clan.
It is worth mentioning that Zong Han's lineage, when traced back, has a significant grudge with the Heavenly Master's Mansion.
Zong Han's unification of Golden City Village has also made them new enemies of the Heavenly Master's Mansion, which explains why Gao Pu and Cao Chu previously caused trouble for the Heavenly Master's Mansion.
Compared to the Blood River Clan and Golden City Village, which have the worst reputations and are the most bloodthirsty, the Godwa Clan's Holy Land, Ge Po Mountain, is the most peaceful among the Nan'an Shamanistic Sect's five clans.
The Godwa Clan has the most stable foundation and the most united members among the Nan'an Wilderness sects.
However, all of this is relatively speaking, and it's a case of being the tallest dwarf.
Otherwise, there wouldn't be traitors like Gu Ying, the lord of Yu Dong, secretly colluding with the Blood River Clan.
And now, there is news that the Grand Prince of the Sui Dynasty, Yang Tai, will be heading to Zhu'an River, which is under the jurisdiction of Ge Po Mountain.
"The timing is uncertain, which is a bit of a headache," Lei Jun said, but he remained relaxed.
He could go to the Zhu'an River first and see if the glowing sphere in his mind would give him any hints.
Even if the information turned out to be false, and Yang Tai never showed up, it wouldn't be a problem. After all, it was a gamble, and having a lead was better than having none.
Lei Jun sought a place where the spiritual energy of heaven and earth was calm and used the Thousand-Mile Sound Transmission Talisman to contact his master, Yuan Mo Bai. They exchanged news and shared intelligence.
From Yuan Mo Bai, Lei Jun learned about the recent events in the Zhao River Basin.
"Shangguan Peng, the general, has encountered trouble," Yuan Mo Bai said in his first sentence, conveying the latest news: "According to what I've heard, he faced two formidable opponents, Sheng Kang Wang Yang Yuqi and Golden City Village Elder Gao Pu, both at the Eighth Heaven Realm."
Lei Jun gently rubbed his cheeks with his hands, controlling his expression: "This is truly... most unfortunate and saddening."
Yuan Mo Bai didn't mention whether Shangguan Peng was dead or alive.
He also didn't mention Shangguan Peng escaping unscathed.
But his opponents...
Sheng Kang Wang Yang Yuqi, an Eighth Heaven Realm scholar, was indeed powerful, but that was to be expected.
Gao Pu, an elder of Golden City Village, now that was a problem.
An Eighth Heaven Realm expert from the Nan'an Shamanistic Sect's Ghost Clan, skilled in controlling ghosts and corpses...
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
