https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-23-Dodging-a-Bullet-by-Not-Choosing-the-Golden-Seal/12586145/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-25-A-Trap-that-Could-Cost-You-Your-Life/12586147/
Chapter 24: 24. Seizing Opportunities and Setting Traps
Chapter 24: 24. Seizing Opportunities and Setting Traps
Li Ming's actions were subtle, and at first glance, there didn't seem to be anything unusual about them.
If someone were to question him about it, he would likely feign confusion and claim that he hadn't done anything out of the ordinary.
If one wasn't specifically paying attention to him, they might not even notice the subtle changes in his expression.
And if they did happen to notice, just going by Li Ming's appearance, Lei Jun interpreted it as follows:
Although he verbally warned everyone about the dangers of the Upper Immortal Pool, he secretly gave his sister, Li Ying, a subtle signal.
It was as if he was hinting to Li Ying to disregard his public words and that choosing the Upper Immortal Pool was actually the best option.
As for why he didn't privately remind his sister beforehand, considering the unpredictable nature of the Cloud Sea Immortal Pools, it wouldn't be far-fetched to assume he was being overly dramatic. It could very well be that he made a new discovery about the Upper Immortal Pool when he looked up temporarily.
It all depended on how others interpreted the situation.
Anyway, Li Ming didn't say anything else and simply gave a serious reminder to everyone not to go to the Upper Immortal Pool.
But Lei Jun, with his knowledge of divination, naturally knew that the Upper Immortal Pool, which corresponded to the middle-lower lottery draw, was not a good place.
However, Li Ming didn't set a trap regarding the Lower Immortal Pool, which corresponded to the lower-lower lottery draw.
That was the most dangerous place of all.
With the Dragon Horse's Scale and the Golden Gate Talisman painted by Yuan Mo Bai in his possession, Lei Jun knew that even the lower-lower lottery draw indicated certain death and great misfortune.
Was Li Ming still holding back?
Not necessarily...
It was wise to be flexible and adaptable, rather than rigid and inflexible.
Even the most recent experiences might no longer be applicable today.
Fortune and misfortune were ever-changing.
The knowledge that Li Ming possessed might also be lacking in timely updates...
For now, Lei Jun decided to remain silent.
After Li Ming finished explaining the precautions, everyone dispersed.
Even the Middle Immortal Pool consisted of multiple small lakes that formed a large lake.
The group could easily occupy different areas, allowing for separate bathing areas for men and women without any concerns.
With the mist swirling around them, even though Lei Jun and the others had improved their eyesight through cultivation, their vision was still obstructed, allowing them to see only a short distance ahead.
However, unlike the newly initiated disciples who had recently built their foundations, Li Ming, who was in charge of leading the group, had already attained the cultivation base of the Triple Heaven Law Altar Realm.
Tian Shi's personally taught Fang Jian was no lower than his.
So, after strolling around for a while, Lei Jun took advantage of the cloud cover and took out his Wind-Riding Talisman.
Combining the Wind-Riding Talisman, which was imprinted with the spirit essence of the Night Wind Stone, with his own, Lei Jun's movements became not only agile but also seamlessly blended into the clouds, as if he had disappeared into them.
Then, he moved away from the Immortal Pools and ascended straight up.
His target was the uppermost cloud sea mentioned in the middle-upper lottery draw.
As Lei Jun ascended, he began to feel uncomfortable.
The surrounding cloud mist, though seemingly ethereal, was scorching hot, constantly assaulting his body.
Lei Jun didn't immediately take out the Dragon Horse's Scale.
While the treasure was strong in defense, it also consumed his spiritual power rapidly.
Lei Jun first took out his own Golden Gate Talisman. Although it wasn't a talisman specifically attuned to him, the Golden Gate Talisman still provided decent protection, and he wasn't likely to encounter an attack that could break through gold here.
With the Golden Gate Talisman's blessing, Lei Jun's body was enveloped in a layer of golden light, forming a protective barrier that shielded him from the cloud mist.
However, as Lei Jun continued to ascend, the barrier was rapidly burned and melted away by the invisible heat.
Lei Jun's heart stirred slightly, and he glanced toward the distant horizon.
There, a corner of an apricot-yellow Daoist robe flashed through the clouds.
Lei Jun's Wind-Riding Talisman, combined with the power of the Night Wind Stone, allowed him to move silently within the clouds, remaining undetected by the other person.
As they drew closer, Lei Jun recognized the other person's face—it was Chen Yi.
Could he also sense the presence of good fortune and auspicious signs in the upper cloud sea?
Lei Jun's interest was piqued.
He saw that Chen Yi was also enveloped in golden light, and the radiance was even more refined and substantial than his own.
The Golden Gate Talisman was most likely one of Chen Yi's attuned talismans.
In front of Li Ming and the others, when they heard about the Broken Gold Talisman, Chen Yi had remained calm and composed.
But now, as he ascended through the cloud sea, he had no choice but to reveal his true abilities.
However, the hotter the cloud mist became, the more difficult it was for Chen Yi to withstand it, even with his attuned Golden Gate Talisman.
After consecutively consuming three attuned Golden Gate Talismans, Chen Yi still hadn't found what he was looking for.
After some consideration, he finally decided to descend while protected by the fourth Golden Gate Talisman, leaving the uppermost cloud sea.
"What a pity. The most precious spiritual objects are probably at the very top, but my cultivation is still too low, and I lack protective treasures. I'll have to come back another time if I get the chance..." Chen Yi looked back at the upper cloud layer and shook his head repeatedly.
A sense of loss suddenly welled up within Chen Yi, as if he had missed out on something.
Fortunately, there were also treasures in the Upper and Lower Immortal Pools, so he wouldn't leave the treasure mountain empty-handed today... Chen Yi took a breath, and his figure continued to descend.
First, he would take a look at the Upper Immortal Pool. Li Ming had openly warned everyone about the dangers of the Upper Immortal Pool but had also secretly hinted to his sister, Li Ying, that the Upper Immortal Pool must hold opportunities.
That crazy woman with the surname Tang was arrogant, overbearing, and annoying, but the Li family, who liked to scheme behind the scenes, was equally detestable. Using me and Tang Xiaotang to boost Li Zhengxian's reputation and expecting me to be grateful to the Li family? In your dreams!
Chen Yi looked around and, seeing no one, descended into the Upper Immortal Pool.
As Chen Yi struggled to withstand the scorching cloud mist with the Golden Gate Talisman, Lei Jun also faced immense pressure.
Since Yuan Mo Bai's Golden Gate Talisman was a consumable item, Lei Jun first chose to reveal the Dragon Horse's Scale.
Infusing it with his spiritual power, the Dragon Horse's Scale shone brilliantly, forming a massive light shield around him.
Lei Jun's thoughts stirred, and the one-sided light shield immediately expanded into a full-fledged protective canopy.
The scorching heat vanished.
However, Lei Jun could feel his spiritual power being rapidly depleted.
He steadied his mind and began searching intently.
As he ascended further, Lei Jun suddenly felt the cloud mist slow down, as if it had become stagnant.
It was like moving from air into water.
Lei Jun's heart stirred, and he temporarily retracted the Dragon Horse's Scale's protection.
In addition to the scorching cloud mist surrounding him, he now felt a cool and moist sensation.
... The six-grade opportunity mentioned in the middle-upper draw.
Lei Jun immediately took out a Spirit-Gathering Talisman, a true heirloom of the Tian Shi Manor.
The Spirit-Gathering Talisman shone brilliantly, collecting the surrounding spiritual energy and even temporarily sealing some spiritual objects.
Streams of clear energy were drawn towards the talisman, and a layer of frost seemed to condense on the yellow paper with red talismans.
But as the frost condensed, the cool feeling around Lei Jun disappeared, and the extreme heat enveloped him once more.
He immediately put away the talisman and brought out the Dragon Horse's Scale again, quickly descending from the cloud sea under the protection of the treasure.
As he fell from the sky, Lei Jun hurriedly put away the Dragon Horse's Scale, feeling that his spiritual power was almost drained.
Fortunately, he had come prepared, and he directly consumed the three Qi Spirit Pills and a small bottle of Pei Yuan Jelly that he carried with him.
Then, Lei Jun gently landed in a small lake within the range of the Middle Immortal Pool.
Upon entering the pool, nourished from within and without, Lei Jun felt his spiritual power and his essence, energy, and spirit quickly recovering.
He quietly breathed and turned his attention inward, and the spiritual power of the pool water seemed to transform into liquid Celestial Spring water within his body, irrigating and nurturing his Dao foundation.
His Dao foundation became even more solid under the nourishment of the Immortal Spring water.
"As expected of the Cloud Sea Immortal Pools."
Lei Jun nodded repeatedly. Master Yuan Mo Bai's words were true; without even considering the upper cloud sea and the frost mist, just bathing in the Immortal Pool's water was enough to smooth his path towards the mid-stage of the Foundation Establishment.
Hmm?
Lei Jun's heart stirred again.
By frequently refining the spiritual power of the Night Wind Stone, he had not only gained the ability to move lightly and stealthily with the wind but had also become more sensitive to similar subtle movements, surpassing his current realm.
He vaguely sensed that someone had stopped in the distance and was secretly observing him.
The person was none other than Li Ming.
The Immortal Pools were vast, and the cloud mist provided cover, so it wasn't easy for Li Ming to find him.
First, he went to the Upper Immortal Pool but found no trace of Chen Yi or the others.
Returning to the Middle Immortal Pool, he first located Shangguan Hong.
Upon discovering that Lei Jun was also in the Middle Immortal Pool, Li Ming's disappointment deepened.
This guy is really a disaster... Lei Jun's expression remained calm.
Then...
Li Ming sat for a while longer, then pretended to discover something and rose from the water.
Li Ming initially thought that Lei Jun had discovered him, but Lei Jun's direction was off.
Lei Jun came to the edge of the Middle Immortal Pool and looked down, "Chen Yi? Are you there, Chen Yi?"
Lei Jun stood by the lake, looking towards the direction of the Lower Immortal Pool below, but he could only see the boundless clouds and mist.
He turned back and reentered the lake, his expression uncertain as he muttered to himself, "Did I see wrong?"
Then he continued to stay in the Middle Immortal Pool, quietly cultivating.
From afar, Li Ming quietly made his way to the edge of the Middle Immortal Pool and looked down, his brow furrowed in thought.
(End of Chapter)
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