Chapter 246: Loot and... A Battle Pledge!

Chapter 246: Loot and... A Battle Pledge!

"Oh?" Tang Xiaotang's eyes lit up at Lei Jun's words. "Are you talking about Lin Xian?"

Lin Xian, the current head of the Lin Clan in Youzhou, was known as one of the two most accomplished Great Confucians of the Eightfold Heaven Perfection Realm, her fame surpassing even that of Lin Qun, the former head of the Lin Clan in Jiangzhou.

Compared to these two, the current head of the Lin Clan in Jiangzhou, Lin Che, who had cultivated the Three Treatises on Governing, fell somewhat short.

In the Great Tang, both within and without its borders, when it came to experts skilled in the Confucian legacy, the youngest among the Great Confucians of the Eightfold Heaven was undoubtedly Chu Yu from Suzhou.

Chu Yu was the beloved late-life daughter of Chu Xiuyuan, the head of the Chu Clan. Despite her young age, her status within the clan was high, and in terms of generational ranking, she was considered a peer to the likes of Lin Qun and Lin Che. However, in terms of age, she was still nearly a hundred years away from them, making her a true member of the younger generation in the cultivation world of the Great Tang.

As for the youngest cultivators to have reached the Eightfold Heaven Perfection Realm, there were three publicly acknowledged individuals, all of whom were under two hundred years old.

The first was Chu Yu's third brother, Chu Zhe, who was seen as the future leader of the Suzhou Chu Clan.

The second was Fang Jingsheng, the ninth young master of the Fang Clan, the current head of the Fang Clan in Jingxiang.

And the third was Lin Xian.

Most of the time, Fang Jingsheng and Lin Xian were the more renowned of the three.

It could be said that Lin Xian was the number one expert of the Lin Clan across the land.

She was just a step away from the Confucian Ninefold Heaven.

Countless people were eagerly anticipating which of the two, she or Fang Jingsheng, would be the first to ascend to the Confucian Ninefold Heaven.

But now, her path upward had been cut off by Xu Yuanzhen?

While such occurrences were rare, one could still count a few similar incidents throughout the long river of history.

There was no need to look far; the previous generation's Celestial Master, Li Qingfeng, was a prime example. During the internal strife of old, he had sustained hidden injuries, which were further aggravated by the erosion of the Age Gu and the Reincarnation Descent.

The Reincarnation Descent, in particular, continued to plague him.

In this state, regardless of whether Li Qingfeng had the potential to continue progressing on the path of cultivation, he would never dare to attempt the tribulation that stood between the Sevenfold and Eightfold Heavens.

To dare would be to court death.

In a sense, his son, Li Zhengxian, faced a similar predicament.

However, Li Zhengxian's issue wasn't hidden injuries but rather the instability of his mental state after losing the Celestial Master Sword.

If he couldn't retrieve the Celestial Master Sword before facing the tribulation between the Sevenfold and Eightfold Heavens, there would be no outcome other than immediate demise.

This time, Lin Xian had been left with a difficult-to-heal hidden injury by Xu Yuanzhen.

While it might have minimal impact on her daily life, it would undoubtedly prevent her from attempting to break through to the Confucian Ninefold Heaven.

If this situation persisted, it might even further affect Lin Xian's cultivation and mental state.

Should it come to that, even if she managed to heal her hidden injury one day, she might have lost her drive to ascend, never reaching the heights she could have otherwise attained.

"Since the senior sister said so, she must have a good grasp of the situation, at least a high degree of certainty," Lei Jun said.

"Senior sister didn't finish the job properly this time..." Tang Xiaotang said, a hint of dissatisfaction in her voice, though her face remained in a grin.

"Scheming," Lei Jun commented.

"What about the old fox from the Ye Clan in Jinzhou? What's the situation in Youzhou now that he's gone?" Tang Xiaotang asked.

"I heard that Huang Laodao from Chunyang Palace has also set out for Youzhou. However, Chu Sheren and Prince Huayang of the court have also arrived in Youzhou and are reportedly mediating the situation. We'll have to wait a bit longer for further news," Lei Jun replied.

Prince Huayang, whose name was Zhang Rui, was a member of the imperial family, just like Prince Xuan'an, Zhang Mu. His cultivation and strength surpassed that of Zhang Mu, placing him in the Eightfold Heaven realm of martial arts practitioners. While he fell short of the Northern Border's Zhao Wang, he was still one of the top experts in the Tang court. However, his lineage was relatively distant, and he had never harbored any ambitions for the throne.

After the Empress ascended the throne, Prince Huayang, Zhang Rui, became one of the royal family members she trusted the most.

This time, he had been sent by imperial decree to the northern border of Youzhou, accompanying Chu Yu on her journey.

Tang Xiaotang raised her eyebrows. "Mediation? What are Chu Yu and the others trying to do now that they have such a good opportunity?"

"There might be other reasons," Lei Jun said. "Given the current emperor's attitude towards the noble clans, it's unlikely that they'll try to stretch things too far. Even if they want to maintain a balance, now isn't the time."

"In that case, I can still make it if I head north now," Tang Xiaotang said, her interest piqued.

"Our sect is rather empty at the moment," Lei Jun said, "and besides..."

He pointed to the devastated ancestral land of the Lin Clan in Jiangzhou. "Since we're already here, shall we do some cleaning up?"

This place had been the Lin Clan's ancestral land for many years, and even though it had suffered a great calamity, there were bound to be some remaining treasures.

Lei Jun had no interest in looting and pillaging.

But as the old saying went:

Since we're already here...

He certainly wouldn't consider leaving these treasures for the Lin Clan to rebuild.

As for donating them to the Tang court, that was equally unnecessary.

For the Tang court, the greatest gain was the elimination of the Lin Clan, a powerful clan that had functioned as a country within a country, nominally acknowledging the Tang Empire as the ruler of the land.

In contrast, while the Longhushan had a heavy say in the affairs of Xinzhou, the court's direct intervention ensured that they could still flex their muscles there.

Even before Lei Jun and Tang Xiaotang had headed south to Jiangzhou to liaise with Yuan Mobai and the others, the higher-ups in the Celestial Master's Mansion had already reached a consensus.

After crushing Jiangzhou, the Celestial Master's Mansion wouldn't seize territory and replace the Lin Clan as the rulers of Jiangzhou.

In terms of earthly lands, Jiangzhou would be incorporated into the direct control of the Tang court in the future.

Longhushan only needed to establish its influence and presence among the common folk.

Without the Lin Clan as an obstacle, the southern regions of the middle reaches of the Great River would naturally fall under the influence of Longhushan, ensuring the Celestial Master's Mansion's ability to recruit talents and facilitate trade in the future.

At the same time, the Celestial Master's Mansion had its eyes on some of the special blessed lands and caves that were under the control of the Lin Clan.

Of course, there was no need to rush into that for the time being.

First, they would clean up the Lin Clan's ancestral land right in front of them.

In the end, Elder Lei was quite satisfied.

But Celestial Master Tang was very dissatisfied.

"I didn't find much that was useful to her."

"It's to be expected, given the current situation, that the Lin Clan in Jiangzhou would be lacking in both their environmental and cultural heritage." Lei Jun consoled her.

Tang Xiaotang responded by playfully smacking him on the back of his head. "Don't act so innocent after getting your way!"

Lei Jun smiled.

He had indeed made some personal gains.

The most valuable items retrieved from the Lin Clan's ancestral land included:

- Xuanwu Heavy Iron: A rare divine metal that is difficult to find anywhere under the heavens, its value is immeasurable.

- Xingluo Frost: A treasured possession of the Confucianists, this item is often used in important sacrificial rituals, but its quantity is scarce.

- Galaxy Condensed Crystals: Derived not from the celestial river in the heavens but from the Kuanglu Waterfall, these crystals are a rarity, requiring a thousand years to accumulate even a small amount.

- Mountain Spirit Jade: Also originating from the spiritual mountain Kuanglu, this jade is abundant in spiritual energy and is nourishing to cultivators. It is a renowned treasure in the cultivation world, and the Lin Clan of Jiangzhou had barely enough for their own use, rarely selling or lending it out.

- Mysterious Light Refined Metal: Similar to Xuanwu Heavy Iron, this is an extremely rare and exquisite treasure. In its raw form, it is already worth a fortune, and here in the Lin Clan's ancestral land, there was a large amount of it that could be measured in lengths.

Among these items, Lei Jun found three or four that suited him.

Both Xuanwu Heavy Iron and Mysterious Light Refined Metal could be used to refine sword pellets.

In the previous battle in Jiangzhou, although he had consecutively shot down Lin Lang and other Lin Clan experts, Lei Jun had felt that his previous sword pellets were no longer as suitable.

After all, with his improved cultivation and law power, his Yuan magnetic force had surged accordingly, requiring more appropriate materials to contain it.

As for Xingluo Frost, what interested Lei Jun the most about this treasure was that, aside from being used as a sacrificial ritual ingredient for Confucians, it was also one of the carrier materials for the Confucianists' 'seeing words as a face' technique.

It inherently possessed the function of diffusing and transmitting spiritual energy and principles.

Lei Jun's mind was clear and bright, and sparks of inspiration flashed one after another, instantly giving him numerous ideas on how to improve his Heaven-Seeing and Earth-Hearing Talisman using this Xingluo Frost.

As for the specifics of how to do it and which plan was better, he could wait until he returned to Longhushan to ponder and compare them in detail.

Moreover, Xingluo Frost could also be of use to his fellow disciple, Chu Kun.

As for the Galaxy Condensed Crystals, they might be of use to his master, Yuan Mobai, in his research.

As he studied the transformations of yin and yang and the five elements, these crystals were indeed a helpful spiritual object.

As for the Mountain Spirit Jade, its use was more versatile, as it could benefit all the disciples of the Celestial Master's Mansion in their cultivation.

For Lei Jun, this jade, derived from the essence of the great mountain, contained abundant earth-attribute spiritual energy and life force, capable of nourishing all things.

Aside from his daily cultivation, it could also be used to refine spiritual treasures.

Lei Jun had been considering refining the Upper Clarity Golden Bamboo into a spiritual treasure after he reached the Three Heavens of cultivation.

Nurtured by the blood of the Qiu Niu, the Upper Clarity Golden Bamboo already had a good foundation.

If he were to further nurture it with the Mountain Spirit Jade, the quality of the spiritual treasure after the refinement would be even more remarkable.

In addition to the Mountain Spirit Jade and Xingluo Frost, there were also other precious items in the Lin Clan's ancestral land, such as the Mountain and River Crystals, the Yuan Absorbing Stones, the Black Pine Dust, and the Cloud-Tied Hemp.

Among these, the Mountain and River Crystals and the Yuan Absorbing Stones could be used by cultivators for their cultivation, and there were quite a few of them, enough to benefit all the disciples of the Celestial Master's Mansion.

Black Pine Dust and Cloud-Tied Hemp, on the other hand, were high-quality raw materials for ink and paper production used by the Lin Clan of Jiangzhou.

Confucian ink and paper were quite different from those used by Taoists.

However, Black Pine Dust and Cloud-Tied Hemp were common main ingredients.

They could be used by the Lin Clan to produce Confucian ink and paper.

By adding different auxiliary materials and using different techniques and methods, they could also create equally excellent Taoist ink and paper.

There had been precedents for this in the past.

However, as the production areas of Black Pine Dust and Cloud-Tied Hemp were mostly under the control of the Lin Clan of Jiangzhou, who strictly controlled their outflow, the Celestial Master's Mansion had not considered it much before.

Now, it was indeed a significant gain.

As for the follow-up, since the Lin Clan was no longer allowed to stand in Jiangzhou, without the obstruction of an opposing force, the circulation of materials would no longer be as troublesome.

This trip had truly been a case of 'when the guns blazed, gold poured in'... Lei Jun sighed inwardly.

"Oh?" A slight stir arose in his heart. "There's news from Youzhou."

Tang Xiaotang's eyes immediately turned to him.

The battle in Youzhou did not escalate further.

With the mediation of Prince Huayang Zhang Rui and Chu Yu, the two sides temporarily ceased hostilities.

"Ye Yan, the clan head of the Ye Clan in Qingzhou, has also arrived in Youzhou," Lei Jun said softly. "Moreover, it is said that Huang Laozhenren of Chunyang Palace is still unwell."

Tang Xiaotang was somewhat surprised. "Is that so?"

Previously, the Empress had decisively issued an edict, inviting the former head of Chunyang Palace, Huang Xuanpu, to emerge from seclusion, thereby deterring Ye Moquan, the clan head of the Ye Clan in Jinzhou.

Ye Moquan had intended to visit Huang Xuanpu himself.

While they restrained each other, he also wanted to gauge Huang Xuanpu's strength.

Unexpectedly, he received news that Xu Yuanzhen had pursued Lin Xuan back to the ancestral land of the Lin Clan in Youzhou.

The former clan head of the Ye Clan in Jinzhou immediately changed his course and headed north.

Huang Laozhenren of Chunyang Palace, entrusted by the Empress, did not shirk his duty either and hurried to Youzhou.

However, the outcome once again exceeded their expectations.

Xu Yuanzhen had actually broken through the Lin Clan's ancestral land, which had been established for many years, in a short period of time.

Ye Moquan rushed to catch up, barely making it in time.

However, Lin Xuan was still injured by Xu Yuanzhen.

Afterward, Huang Xuanpu, the head of Chunyang Palace, and Ye Yan, the clan head of the Ye Clan in Qingzhou, both arrived in Youzhou.

With Chu Yu and Zhang Rui mediating, a super-scale war, which might have exceeded the scale of the previous South Wilderness Rebellion, finally did not break out.

On the surface, Huang Laozhenren of Chunyang Palace seemed unaffected, but it was said that he was still unwell internally.

If he were to engage in a battle, his condition might be exposed, leading to an aggravation of his injury, or even an unforeseen danger.

Similarly, the clan heads of the two Ye Clans from the east and the west, though they had both arrived, did not have full confidence in engaging in a battle, even with their Nine Heavens realm cultivation.

Xu Yuanzhen's bizarre means of quickly destroying the Lin Clan's ancestral land made Ye Moquan and Ye Yan wary.

Although the "Barbarians" were aimed at fixed Confucian sites like the ancestral homeland, rather than mobile Confucian cultivators, the people of the prestigious families couldn't help but be vigilant, wondering if Xu Yuanzhen had other tricks up her sleeve.

They were also unsure how many "Barbarians" Xu Yuanzhen possessed.

"The imperial family of the Tang Court mediated. Senior Sister injured Lin Xian but didn't continue to make things difficult for the Lin Clan in Youzhou."

Lei Jun raised his eyebrows slightly. "But she didn't just let it go at that..."

Xu Yuanzhen turned her attention to another family and another person.

Ye Moquan, the former clan head of the Ye Clan in Jinzhou.

The four surnames and six expectations had already formed an alliance.

Although it was the Lin Clan members from the two branches who went to block the "door" at Da Hei Mountain in the North Border, the undercurrents beneath the heavens were surging, and the other major families were not idle either.

Moreover, she had her eyes on that old fox from the Ye Clan in Jinzhou for a long time.

So, she invited a respected elder to "instruct" him.

A Daoist of the Nine Heavens Great Vehicle against a Confucian of the Nine Heavens Pacifying the World.

Ye Moquan hadn't fought anyone in many years, and Xu Yuanzhen was even younger.

He could refuse to fight.

But in the current situation, such a choice would undoubtedly deal a severe blow to morale.

Moreover, if Ye Moquan stubbornly refused, Xu Yuanzhen would surely send a "Barbarian" to the ancestral land of the Ye Clan in Jinzhou.

"Now that we know the effect of the 'Barbarians,' that old fox from Jinzhou will definitely not fight Senior Sister at his own lair," Tang Xiaotang commented fairly.

Rushing back to Jiangzhou with Lin Che and then coordinating with Xu Yuanzhen in Youzhou to strike simultaneously was intended to catch the two Lin Clans off guard.

If Lin Che and Lin Xian had known the function and effect of the "Barbarians" earlier, even if they struggled to make a decision, they would ultimately have chosen to save the people and lose their land. They would rather give up their heritage of ten thousand years than face Xu Yuanzhen and Tang Xiaotang in their ancestral land.

At the very least, they would never activate the grand sacrificial ritual of their ancestral land and place themselves within it to preside over it.

Having their ancestral land broken was heartbreaking, but even worse, the traction of qi would also implicate them personally.

If not for this, the elders of the Lin Clan in Jiangzhou wouldn't have been so easily singled out by Lei Jun one by one.

If Ye Moquan hadn't arrived in time, the casualties in Youzhou would have been much heavier.

In that case, Lin Xian might not have just been injured.

If they had known the effect of the "Barbarians" earlier, Ye Moquan and the others would never have allowed their home field advantage to turn into a trap.

However, even if they evacuated their clansmen in advance, the destruction of their ancestral land and the severing of their lineage would still be enough to break the hearts of the prestigious families who had passed down their legacy for ten thousand years.

How difficult would it be to reconnect and repair their lineage and heritage afterward? Unless absolutely necessary, who would willingly accept such a fate?

"That old fox from Jinzhou accepted Senior Sister's battle pledge." Lei Jun's expression was somewhat strange. "But, the time was set for next summer."

He couldn't help but remember some of the novels he had read on Blue Star before his transmigration, where the protagonist and the villain would set a date years in the future to battle again.

And now... well, who was the villain in this scenario?

"He wants time to figure out how to crack the 'Barbarians,' right?"

Tang Xiaotang snorted, "Why doesn't he consider that Senior Sister has just stepped into the Nine Heavens Great Vehicle realm? The more time he gives her, the more likely that next summer's Senior Sister will be even more formidable than she is today."

Lei Jun: "Senior Sister has already agreed."

He paused before continuing, "As for the aftermath, we can leave it to the court."

The battle in Jiangzhou had been decided, with victory and defeat clearly distinguished.

There was no need to say more; Lin Che, Lin Chou, and the others could obediently shoulder the blame.

The accusations were readily available.

Colluding with the rebels of Dakuang Temple, colluding with the great demon of the East China Sea, and causing chaos with demonic beings.

The Longhushan Celestial Master's Mansion was acting righteously under the emperor's orders.

"Since it's a mediation, it's impossible to completely exterminate them. Youzhou has paid the price for being misled by Jiangzhou, and they won't be pursued any further. They just need to reflect and take it as a warning..."

Lei Jun read the message: "As for the Jiangzhou Lin Clan, Lin Yuwei and the others have the merit of restoring order, so the Lin Clan lineage will continue, but they will have to find another place to settle."

Most of the Lin Clan descendants who had previously escaped from Jiangzhou were from the peripheral branches close to Lin Yuwei.

Now, they were truly establishing a new family, and there was no need to mention peripheral branches.

Tang Xiaotang immediately puffed out her cheeks: "That mother fox, Chu Yu, is really..."

Lei Jun: "Let's go back to the mountain first, and we can ask Senior Sister about the rest in person."

Regardless, they had gained a lot from this trip to Jiangzhou.

There were numerous and chaotic spoils of war, overflowing with spiritual energy, which was not conducive to the function of the Shrinking Pouch and the Dimensional Box, and their volume was relatively exaggerated.

"It's a pity that only two of the Three Great Treasures of the Celestial Master can be transmitted between the True One Law Altar and the Myriad Laws Sect Altar." Lei Jun shook his head slightly.

After he reached the Upper Three Heavens realm and the Celestial Master Seal officially separated from his soul, he was finally able to preliminarily control this treasure.

One of its functions was to receive the Celestial Master Sword transmitted by Yuan Mobai.

However, he had to rely on the Myriad Laws Sect Altar of the sect and the True One Law Altar of the Celestial Master Seal, and the Celestial Master Seal had to have an owner.

Therefore, he couldn't search for it when the Celestial Master Seal was lost before, and it was also inconvenient to look for the Celestial Master Robe now.

But with Yuan Mobai staying at Longhushan, he could send the Celestial Master Sword to Jiangzhou.

Of course, the publicly announced explanation would not be like this.

Lei Jun temporarily did not plan to publicly announce that the Celestial Master Seal had returned to Longhushan.

So, Elder Lei had no choice but to take the blame himself.

Subsequently, more inside information spread within and outside the Celestial Master's Mansion.

One of them was that Lei Jun had broken through to the Seven Heavens realm after his seclusion, becoming another Elder of the Talisman Sect in the Upper Three Heavens realm.

Then, he secretly brought the Celestial Master Sword down the mountain and went to Jiangzhou to join Celestial Master Tang Xiaotang, and together they defeated Jiangzhou.

 PS: 5k chapter

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end