https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-215-A-World-as-General-Shangguan-Desired/12587011/
Chapter 216: A Second-Rank Opportunity?
Chapter 216: A Second-Rank Opportunity?
"Lin Zhe..."
Lei Jun's initial surprise was fleeting as he quickly regained his composure, his attention turning to another matter, "Is there any news of the senior disciple?"
Yuan Mobai replied slowly, "There's still no news of Senior Disciple Yuan Zhen."
This was the reason why he had said the news wasn't entirely good.
During the battle at Poyang Lake, the Lin Clan of Jiangzhou had employed secret methods and ancient rituals to distort space-time, intending to bury He Yuanzhen of the Celestial Masters' Mansion, whom they feared the most.
In the end, they had succeeded in trapping He Yuanzhen.
However, the Lin Clan had also lost their newly appointed clan head, Lin Zhe, and another elder, Lin Feng, who were both at the Eightfold Heaven realm. They were dragged into the space-time turbulence along with He Yuanzhen, and all three had gone missing.
Including the previous losses of Lin Zhen and others, the Lin Clan of Jiangzhou ultimately suffered more casualties.
He Yuanzhen even left a message saying that she had killed Lin Feng in the space-time turbulence...
But both she and Lin Zhe had gone missing since then, and there had been no news of them for years.
Now, Lin Zhe had suddenly returned.
Yet, there was still no sign of He Yuanzhen.
For the Celestial Masters' Mansion, this news was indeed somewhat troubling.
"I believe that Senior Disciple Yuan Zhen will surely overcome this crisis," Yuan Mobai said slowly. "However, we may need to wait a little longer."
Lei Jun nodded, "That's what I think as well."
However, the Celestial Masters' Mansion would now have to be on guard against the Jiangzhou clan again.
Previously, the internal strife within the Lin Clan of Jiangzhou had led to the successive losses of two clan heads, Lin Qun and Lin Zhe, within a short span of a few years.
With Lin Zhe's disappearance and the deaths of Lin Feng and Lin Zhen, the Lin Clan of Jiangzhou was not only severely weakened and leaderless, but also plunged into new internal strife.
The direct lineage had suffered heavy casualties, while a talented expert like Lin Yuwei had risen from the side branches, leading to constant disputes.
Although the Celestial Masters' Mansion had also declined to a rare low after the Li-Wai dispute, they had been able to recuperate in recent years without having to worry about their old rivals, the Lin Clan of Jiangzhou, due to the instability within their clan as well.
Now, with Lin Zhe's return to Jiangzhou, everything had become more unpredictable.
Regardless, Lin Zhe was a great scholar at the Eightfold Heaven realm with deep strength and connections, and he was still nominally the current clan head of the Lin Clan of Jiangzhou.
While others might not be able to suppress Lin Yuwei, Lin Zhe had a chance to do so.
Although the Lin Clan of Jiangzhou had been severely weakened, they had not fallen to the extent of the Xiao Clan in Longwai.
If they could regroup and unite, the Lin Clan of Jiangzhou would still be a formidable ancient clan that could not be underestimated.
The Celestial Masters' Mansion, currently in a low point, had to be especially vigilant against this old rival next door.
To be blunt, if Lei Jun or Yuan Mobai were to die in the Southern Wasteland, the only option for the others in the Celestial Masters' Mansion would be to grit their teeth and collectively rely on Tang Tianshi to stop her from coming to the Southern Wasteland for revenge.
With the possible reunification of the Lin Clan of Jiangzhou, Tang Xiaotang and the Heavenly Master Sword must remain in Longhu Mountain for the time being.
It was true that Her Majesty the Queen had personally visited Longhu Mountain to show her support for the Celestial Masters' Mansion.
But as Shangguan Peng said, times have changed. At that time, Wei Ancheng and the Sui Dynasty descendant had not yet caused such a stir.
Now, with the successive upheavals in the Southern Wasteland and the undercurrents among the Four Surnames and Six Noble Houses within the Great Tang territory, the imperial family of the Tang Dynasty also had to consider their overall strategy.
Lin Zhe's sudden return and the reunification of the Lin Clan of Jiangzhou was a move that changed the situation.
"It's just like the saying, 'One move affects the whole game'," Yuan Mobai said, looking at Lei Jun, and suddenly smiled, "Now it seems that everyone in our sect should thank General Shangguan Peng."
To be precise, they should thank Lei Jun.
But there were some things that Yuan Mobai would not say so explicitly.
"Master's words are true. Thanks to General Shangguan's righteousness and selflessness," Lei Jun smiled and nodded, "The world is ever-changing, and I really didn't expect... that General Shangguan's righteous act would be so crucial."
Shangguan Peng had died, possibly due to the ghost cultivators of Jincheng Stockade.
Whether it was to give an explanation to the imperial family of the Tang Dynasty, the Great Tang Godly Strategy Army, or the Shangguan clan, General Shangguan Yunbo had no choice but to leave the capital and head south, bringing the 'Dang Kou Jin' with him to the Southern Wasteland.
With his arrival, Tang Xiaotang naturally didn't need to bring the Heavenly Master Sword south, and could stay in Longhu Mountain to prevent any moves from the Lin Clan of Jiangzhou.
Lei Jun had indeed not expected that this unintentional action would have such additional benefits.
As Master Yuan Mobai said, everyone should indeed thank Shangguan Peng.
Sacrificing one for the happiness of many.
"Although that is true, during this time of turmoil, we still need to be cautious and not put the Sect Leader in a difficult position," Yuan Mobai said.
"We should settle things in the Southern Wasteland as soon as possible and strive to return to the mountain as early as possible."
Lei Jun said, "The civil war among the Wu clans in the Southern Wasteland is as intricate as their relationships. It's difficult to predict the final outcome of the battle... However, I think that with the involvement of the direct descendants of the Sui Dynasty, Wei Ancheng may be more inclined to cut the Gordian knot."
Yuan Mobai nodded, "That's a possibility, but the outcome is hard to predict."
Lei Jun silently nodded in response.
Master and disciple stood amidst the green mountains, Lei Jun gazing into the distance at the Zhu'an River. "Master, what's the story behind Zhu'an Gorge in the Zhu'an River basin?"
He was new to the area, but Yuan Mobai had been there for some time and was familiar with the surroundings.
"For the past few hundred years, Zhu'an Gorge has been under the jurisdiction of the Shendan Sect, one of the sacred sites of the Nanhuang Witch Clan's Shenwu lineage. The current gorge master is a direct disciple of Yuan Shanji, an elder of Song Mountain." Yuan Mobai explained, pausing briefly before continuing, "Although Zhu'an Gorge is not Yuan Shanji's hometown, it is where he rose to prominence. He once served as the gorge master of Zhu'an Gorge, and for the past hundred years, it has been controlled by his lineage."
"I see," Lei Jun said, understanding. "He might not see eye to eye with Song Lu, the master of Song Mountain."
Song Lu, the current Saint Master of Song Mountain, had been in control of the sacred site for over a hundred years.
While this might not seem like a long time, in the ever-changing landscape of the Nanhuang Witch Clan's major sacred sites, it meant that Song Lu had established deep roots and held considerable influence.
As for how chaotic the major sacred sites of the Witch Clan were, well, aside from Song Mountain, the leaders of the other four major sites—the Blood River Sect, Reincarnation Abyss, Yanshan Gorge, and Jincheng Stockade—had all risen to power within the last few decades.
However, the Nanhuang region was notoriously unpredictable. Even within the relatively stable Song Mountain, the most peaceful of the Witch Clan's five major sites, there were numerous factions vying for power.
Although Song Lu had firmly held the position of Saint Master for many years, there were other powerful figures within Song Mountain, including Yuan Shanji. Despite possibly having lower cultivation than Song Lu, Yuan Shanji was still a formidable figure, an eightfold heaven realm grand witch of the Shenwu lineage.
Usually, Yuan Shanji followed Song Lu's orders.
But it seemed that he had been making his own moves behind the scenes.
The fact that the Sui Dynasty descendant was able to set up a ritual that could disturb the earth veins here indicated a deep connection between Yuan Shanji and them.
The relationship between the Sui Dynasty descendant and Wei Ancheng was delicate, but it was unclear how Yuan Shanji was connected to Wei Ancheng and the Blood River Sect.
With Song Mountain currently allying with Yanshan Gorge and Reincarnation Abyss to wage war against the Blood River Sect, Yuan Shanji's actions seemed to be setting Song Mountain up for trouble from within.
................
As Lei Jun and his master gazed into the distance at Zhu'an Gorge, a group of people quietly approached the Zhu'an River basin from another direction.
The man at the forefront wore fine brocade clothing, bearing a resemblance to the second prince of the Sui Dynasty, Yang Fei, but with a more mature countenance. He appeared to be in his thirties, sporting a short beard, and his eyes were calm and focused.
"Young Master," one of his attendants said, "We have made contact with Zhu'an Gorge, and they are ready to take action at any moment."
This bearded man in fine clothing was none other than Yang Tai, the eldest son of Yang Yuqi, the current Crown Prince of the Sui Dynasty.
His gaze fixed on Zhu'an Gorge in the distance, Yang Tai remained silent for a long moment before finally speaking. "Civil wars among the top experts of the Shenwu lineage are not as common as in other Witch Clan lineages, and we can only take advantage of our geographical advantage once. Failure is not an option."
"I understand, Young Master. Please rest assured," the attendant replied, bowing his head.
Yang Tai's eyes remained fixed on the rushing waters of the Zhu'an River as he fell silent once more.
If possible, both he and his father, Yang Yuqi, would have preferred to disturb the earth veins of Nanhuang and establish a new foundation for their nation, thereby challenging the Northern Tang Dynasty once again.
However, their grand endeavor had been intercepted, and one by one, the critical nodes for disturbing the earth veins had been destroyed, thwarting their ritual.
The ritual vessels required for the ceremony were all precious and rare, and it would take years to procure them again.
For now, they had no choice but to settle for their second-best option.
The Shenwu lineage of the Witch Clan practiced ritual dances, deployed spirit arrays, and manipulated the void and even spacetime itself.
The civil war between the top experts of Song Mountain would further distort the void in this area.
With the ritual performed here, Yang Tai planned to use another type of ritual to attempt to refine a different type of ritual vessel by manipulating the earth veins and channeling the spiritual energy of the land.
If successful, it would provide his father with a new opportunity to strengthen his foundation and prepare for the future, even if he couldn't immediately attain the ninefold heaven realm... Yang Tai's expression remained as still as water.
Thinking of Wei Ancheng, the master of the Blood River Sect, who had already reached the ninefold heaven realm, Yang Tai, a direct descendant of the Sui Dynasty, felt a mix of complex emotions.
However, he quickly composed himself and calmed his mind.
Yang Tai's eyes remained fixed on Zhu'an Gorge in the distance as he awaited the moment he had been anticipating.
As Lei Jun and his master quietly waited, Yuan Mobai suddenly zoned out, a thoughtful expression on his face.
Raising his hand, he signaled for Lei Jun to wait there temporarily, then stepped onto a thundercloud and flew off into the distance.
Lei Jun was curious about his master's actions but didn't pry, quietly remaining where he was.
Some time later, a young man in purple clothes, who resembled Yuan Mobai, returned.
"There will indeed be some movement here, but it's uncertain if Yang Tai will come or not. It seems that Sang Lu herself is on her way." Yuan Mobai explained.
Lei Jun was aware that his master had his own connections and sources of information.
Without prying further, Lei Jun contemplated, "Sang Lu?"
Even if they knew about the node that the Sui descendant was using to disturb the earth veins, it wouldn't normally warrant a personal visit from the Saint Master of Gebo Mountain, Sang Lu.
If Sang Lu was indeed coming in person, it implied something...
Yuan Shanji, the Elder of Gebo Mountain, was likely already in Zhu'an Gorge.
Lei Jun and his master exchanged a glance, both thinking the same thing.
Yuan Mobai had chosen a spot far from Zhu'an Gorge, so they weren't worried about alerting Yuan Shanji, who was currently in the gorge.
However, a major battle was likely to break out here soon.
What concerned Lei Jun and his master was whether this would affect Yang Tai's plans from the Sui side.
"What will be will be. For now, we have no further clues about Yang Tai's whereabouts, so it won't hurt to wait a little longer here." Lei Jun was calm and open-minded. "If an internal conflict breaks out in Gebo Mountain, it will surely have an impact on the South Wilds."
Yuan Mobai smiled. "Your calmness brings me peace of mind."
Not long after Yuan Mobai received the news, a cloud of rain appeared in the distance.
Though it seemed light and airy, it quickly reached the skies above the Zhu'an River.
Lei Jun and his master, hiding their presence, turned their gazes to the side, avoiding direct eye contact with the cloud to prevent their gaze from attracting attention.
Within the rain cloud, they could vaguely make out the dancing silhouettes of ghosts and spirits, accompanied by an ancient and elegant melody.
While Yuan Mobai seemed unaffected, Lei Jun felt his thoughts shaken by the ancient music.
Fortunately, the jade light revolving around the Heavenly Master Seal in the depths of his soul quickly stabilized his thoughts.
The Heavenly Master Seal only calmed his mind without any intention to counterattack, avoiding drawing attention.
The owner of the rain cloud seemed to be mainly focused on Zhu'an Gorge as well.
As the rain cloud drew closer, a grand and elegant ancient melody echoed from within Zhu'an Gorge, harmonizing with the music from the cloud.
The rain cloud belonged to Sang Lu, the current Saint Master of Gebo Mountain.
And the one capable of harmonizing with her magical powers in Zhu'an Gorge was none other than Yuan Shanji, the Elder of Gebo Mountain.
He was indeed in Zhu'an Gorge.
At first, the atmosphere seemed harmonious.
But Lei Jun and his master both guessed that this meeting would not end well.
As the rain cloud descended into the stockade below, Yuan Mobai finally spoke, "Later, if something happens, Heavy Cloud, stay in the outskirts and observe. Be careful and act as you see fit."
Lei Jun asked, "Master, do you intend to intervene in the internal strife of Gebo Mountain?"
Yuan Mobai replied, "Of course not. However, if a friend needs help, I will also act accordingly."
Lei Jun understood that the person who had informed his master earlier was also in Zhu'an Gorge.
Just then, a light bulb flashed in Lei Jun's mind, and words appeared in his consciousness:
【Internal strife in Gebo Mountain, chaos and disorder, hidden currents surging, fortune and misfortune intertwined, the way of heaven, opposites coexist.】
Lei Jun's heart stirred, and three fortunes appeared in the light bulb:
【Upper-middle fortune: Go upstream of the Zhu'an River to Qinxin Mountain. There is an opportunity for a second-rank opportunity. There is no risk at present, but subsequent cause and effect entanglements must be treated with extreme caution. Auspicious.】
【Medium fortune: Sneak into the bottom of Zhu'an River. There is an opportunity for a fifth-rank opportunity, but there may be dangers. Proceed with caution. Neutral.】
【Lower-middle fortune: Enter Zhu'an Gorge. There is an opportunity for a fifth-rank opportunity, but the dangers are profound and deadly. Be extremely cautious. Inauspicious.】
Oh? Lei Jun's eyes lit up.
A second-rank opportunity?
That was indeed rare. As far as he could remember, he had only encountered two second-rank opportunities before.
However, this second-rank opportunity corresponded to an upper-middle fortune.
There was no danger at present, but subsequent cause and effect entanglements could lead to future troubles.
The way of heaven, opposites coexist... Lei Jun was deep in thought.
Connecting this to his previous experience at Kongliu Mountain, Lei Jun wondered if this opportunity was somehow related to the shadow of the heavenly book.
Indeed, this second-rank opportunity far exceeded the previous fourth-rank opportunity involving the heavenly book's shadow.
Could this be where the heavenly book's shadow led to?
(End of Chapter)
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