Chapter 247: 246. Elder Lei Chongyun, the High Achiever (Part 1)

Chapter 247: 246. Elder Lei Chongyun, the High Achiever (Part 1)



The remnants of the Lin Clan from the Southern Sect, after escaping Jiangzhou separately, finally slowed their pace, contacted each other, and planned to regroup. However, they were still shaken and unsettled.

By gathering these people and piecing together various messages from Youzhou and Xinzhou, as well as information from other external forces, the full picture of the Battle of Jiangzhou gradually emerged.

"The Celestial Master Sword did go to Jiangzhou, but Yuan Mo Bai of the Eightfold Heaven Realm did not leave Dragon and Tiger Mountain. He remains guarding the altar of the Wanfa Zongtan."

Jing Xiang Fangzu's elder, Fang Du, and Suzhou Chu Clan's elder, Chu Peng, sighed together, "Dragon and Tiger Mountain's Celestial Master Mansion has a new high-achieving master."

Fang Du's gaze turned towards Jiangzhou, "It's not Zhang Jingzhen, but Lei Jun. He's only been cultivating for over twenty years, right?"

Chu Peng nodded silently.

"A genius!" Fang Du sighed.

Chu Peng did not disagree; he deeply agreed.

He knew that Fang Du had a special understanding of this matter.

The younger generation of the Jingxiang Fang Clan could also be considered full of talented individuals.

And the most eye-catching one among them was Fang Yue Fang Duanfeng.

His real age was probably slightly younger than Lei Jun of the Celestial Master's Mansion, and it was said that he had the potential to enter the Divine Realm and achieve the Seventh Heaven of the Confucian Recitation lineage before the age of forty.

However, the problem was that Fang Yue had the reputation of being a child prodigy since he was young and was hailed as a Qilin child. By the time he was twenty, his reputation as Yongshan Sir had already spread throughout the world, not just limited to the Jingxiang region.

Counting from the time he officially started his cultivation, more than twenty years had passed, and his progress was actually slower than that of Lei Jun of the Celestial Master's Mansion.

This was not the most frustrating aspect for the Jingxiang Fang Clan.

What made Fang Du sigh was that Fang Yue went to the capital and entered the academic palace.

The best crop in their field was taken away by that foolish emperor, Zhang Wantong.

And then, looking at the continuous good crops in the Tian Shi Mansion in Xinzhou, one could imagine Fang Du's mood.

He shook his head slightly, "With Lei Chongyun's previous rate of progress, his achievement of the Upper Three Heavens this time is indeed a bit faster than expected."

Chu Peng said, "This child not only has a fast rate of progress, but his actual combat skills are also quite extraordinary. Although Lin Fengxing was greatly affected by the fall of the Jiangzhou ancestral land, he has still been famous for many years, and his accumulation of literary energy is profound. Yet, he ultimately perished under the Dou Mu Star God's law..."

Fengxing was the courtesy name of Lin Clan's elder, Lin Chi, from Jiangzhou.

The Battle of Jiangzhou ended much faster than Fang Du and Chu Peng had expected.

In fact, even the Lin Clan themselves had not anticipated it, and in an instant, their side had collapsed like a mountain.

Most people were buried under the rubble before they even realized what was happening.

The small number of survivors, still shaken and bewildered, recalled the course of events, feeling not only shock but also bewilderment and disbelief.

The battle was chaotic, and it was difficult to distinguish reality from illusion.

Apart from Tang Xiaotang and the Celestial Master Sword, who caused a great disturbance in the sky, the Lin Clan survivors even felt unclear about the enemy who had invaded the Celestial Master's Mansion.

The only two who left a deep impression were the mysterious long-range attacks and the Dou Mu Xing Shen Fa Xiang that appeared in the distant mountains.

With their formation broken, the morale of the Lin Clan members gradually collapsed after Lin Chi fell in the mountains.

Without an order from the clan leader, Lin Che, most of them would probably also consider withdrawing first.

At that time, the Lin Clan did not even know who the Dou Mu Xing Shen Fa Xiang was; they thought it was Yuan Mo Bai or even Xu Yuanzhen.

After all, in their fixed impression, among the current high-achieving elders of the Celestial Master's Mansion, Yao Yuan and Shangguan Ning both cultivated Yin Fire Tigers, and only Xu Yuanzhen or Yuan Mo Bai cultivated the Life Star God.

"Combining the news from Xinzhou that Lei Chongyun sent the Celestial Master Sword, that Dou Mu Xing Shen Fa Xiang should be Lei Chongyun." Fang Du said slowly.

Judging from this, the time he rushed to the Seventh Heaven Realm was even earlier.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have had time to cultivate the Tian Shi Mansion's Life-Preserving Human Law Code and cultivate the Shen Tong Fa Xiang Life Star God.

Chu Peng said, "We only knew that his cultivation had improved by leaps and bounds, but we rarely saw him in combat. It's only now that we see his true colors.

Although we have been paying attention to his existence, it seems that we still underestimated him."

Fang Du said, "Yes, Yuan Mo Bai and Lei Jun, master and disciple, are both quiet achievers who surprise everyone when they make a move. It's just a pity that we don't have more details about the Battle of Jiangzhou."

"The people of Jiangzhou were in disarray and lost their minds. They didn't even grasp the enemy's situation clearly. But it's understandable that they were panic-stricken by the strange and clever means used to break through Jiangzhou's ancestral land."

Chu Peng frowned, "Now we know about Lei Chongyun and the Dou Mu Xing Shen Fa Xiang, but apart from that, what about the mysterious cold arrows and magical treasures?"

He looked at Fang Du and added, "We've received news from Youzhou that Shu Yin is in the north."

If Chu Yu had also come to Jiangzhou, then everything would be easy to explain.

After all, she was an Eightfold Heaven Realm Divine Archer from the Confucian lineage.

But Chu Yu and Tang Xiaotang had split up to pursue Lin Yuwei and Lin Che, and then they had joined up with King Huayang, Zhang Rui, and gone to Youzhou. They had not headed south.

"Or it could be the royal family of the court." Fang Du slowly shook his head.

This time, the four surnames and six expectations were united, and there was no intention to undermine each other.

Currently, there were no Upper Three Heavens level Divine Archers from the Confucian lineage in the Xiao Clan outside Long Province.

However, there were Upper Three Heavens level Confucian scholars in the royal family.

But even so, Fang Du did not dare to completely affirm this in his heart.

Regardless of the Celestial Master's Mansion, the court's response this time was extremely quick and decisive, as if they had been prepared for a long time.

It was possible that someone from the upper echelons of the four surnames and six expectations had leaked information...

"I'll go and investigate the news from the court." Chu Peng said, "As for Shu Mountain, I'll trouble Brother Kuanze."

"I've already sent a message to my eldest brother." Fang Du originally thought that with Fang Huansheng and other high-level Fang Clan members watching, Shu Mountain would not have the spare capacity to send more people to Jiangzhou.

But now, he was no longer sure.

Not only Lin Chou, but also Lin Che, the current news indicated that even Lin Che, who possessed the Dragon and Snake Brush, had perished.

There must be other experts helping the Celestial Master's Mansion in the siege of Jiangzhou.

Shu Mountain, the court, or someone else?

............

Youzhou.

The former ancestral land of the Northern Sect Lin Clan had also turned into a ruin at this moment.

The once cloud-piercing, ever-burning light of culture and splendor had disappeared, signifying the end of the Lin Clan's lineage in Youzhou.

The better aspect compared to Jiangzhou was that the casualties among the Lin Clan members in Youzhou were not as severe.

However, they had still lost Lin Litao, Lin Likong, and other elders of the clan.

The contemporary patriarchs of the Ye clans of Jinzhou and Qingzhou, Ye Mokuan and Ye Yan, stood side by side, their expressions solemn as they gazed upon the ruins before them.

"In recent years, it will be difficult for Yujing to take that step towards the Nine Heavens and pacify the world," said Ye Mokuan, the elder, in a slow and measured tone.

Ye Yan, the middle-aged scholar from Qingzhou, sighed silently.

Lin Xian possessed extraordinary talent and was still young. With the surge of spiritual energy between heaven and earth, it was an opportune time for cultivators to improve their craft. Almost everyone in Youzhou and beyond was convinced that she would make further progress soon. Who would have thought that she would encounter such a calamity?

If given a choice, she would naturally focus on her cultivation first and emerge only after attaining enlightenment.

Unfortunately, the world rarely grants our wishes. From a certain perspective, Lin Xian and the Youzhou Lin Clan had been implicated by Lin Che and the Jiangzhou Lin Clan.

However, the experiences of the two Lin clans proved that the strange and exotic world was indeed extremely crucial to the four surnames and six expectations of the Confucian lineage.

Now, with a slight misstep, the consequences were grave.

"When I went to Da Hei Mountain, I sensed something amiss, but I underestimated the situation and failed to discover the violent and treacherous power hidden within," Ye Yan sighed softly.

Ye Mokuan said, "The world is ever-changing, and it is impossible for us to understand everything. If we must speak of regret, it would be that our initial plan to target Bodhi Temple before the Celestial Master's Mansion was a serious miscalculation. But discussing this now is of little benefit. All we can do is strive to rectify our mistakes."

Ye Yan spoke softly, "Big brother, next summer, you and the Celestial Master's Mansion's Xu Yuanzhen..."

Ye Mokuan smiled, "An old bone like me can naturally avoid competing with the young if I can, but some things cannot be avoided."

Ye Yan continued, "Later, we will also need to pay a visit to Jiangzhou."

In the past, there were five surnames and seven expectations, but now there are only four surnames and six expectations.

With Lin Yuwei, an octuple heaven grand scholar, still surviving, the Jiangzhou Lin Clan could barely maintain their status. However, they could never return to Jiangzhou and would need to find another place to settle and prosper.

The Youzhou Lin Clan had lost their land but retained their people. Their next step would be to rebuild their ancestral land in Youzhou and attempt to restore their cultural legacy.

The other aristocratic families and influential clans would also lend their support during this difficult time.

But the matter was not entirely over.

Ye Mokuan and Xu Yuanzhen had already set a battle appointment, and it was only half a year away.

During this period, the joint effort of the major clans would be to unravel the mysteries and threats posed by the "Barbarians."

Additionally, news from the south revealed that during the Battle of Jiangzhou, apart from the "Barbarians" targeting the ancestral land, there was also a personal target—a restraint that directly imprisoned Lin Chou, an octuple heaven grand scholar.

Although this had not been witnessed in the north, it was still a cause for concern.

Furthermore, they had to be vigilant against any new strategies their opponents might employ in the future.

"Big brother, there is another matter..." Ye Yan spoke slowly, "...apart from our failure to recognize the enemy, there is also the issue of internal instability!"

Ye Mokuan nodded.

Ye Yan continued, "I will trouble you with the matters in the north, big brother. As for me, I will accompany King Huayang and the others to the capital to meet the emperor, while also investigating the leak of information."

Ye Mokuan cautioned, "Be careful, Chi Yuan."

After seeing off the patriarch of the Qingzhou Ye Clan, the elder turned his gaze back to the snowy landscape.

His grandson, Ye Feishan, approached from a distance, carrying a large cloak to shield his grandfather from the cold.

"The Celestial Master's Mansion has a new high-achieving master in the Seventh Heaven Realm, and he is not even forty years old yet," Ye Mokuan remarked.

"Yes, his name is Lei Jun. Although he has not cultivated for long, his progress is astonishing, surpassing Li Zhenxian and rivaling Xu Yuanzhen. He is only slightly slower than Tang Xiaotang. Moreover, his momentum seems to be accelerating," Ye Feishan replied.

Ye Mokuan smiled, "With the surge of spiritual energy between heaven and earth, it is now the era of the youth. Feishan, the future depends on you."

"Yes, Grandfather," Ye Feishan replied solemnly.

Ye Mokuan's gaze shifted to the distant south, his smile fading, "This should have been the best of times, but within the good, danger lurks."

Ye Feishan lowered his head.

His grandfather faced south, towards Dragon and Tiger Mountain, but his thoughts extended beyond that single location.

Aristocratic families and influential clans might produce wayward scions, but more often than not, they diligently nurtured exceptional talents to carry on their legacy.

With the surge of spiritual energy, it was a favorable time for cultivators, including those of the Confucian lineage.

Recently, the Jinzhou Ye Clan had produced an outstanding young disciple in the Sixth Heaven Realm, who was preparing to challenge the tribulation that stood between him and the Seventh Heaven.

As far as Ye Feishan knew, the other major clans had similar prospects.

Reaching the Upper Three Heavens within a hundred years was generally considered a sign of exceptional talent.

However, even when accounting for the potential candidates currently preparing for the Sixth Heaven, each family only had a mere two or three individuals at this juncture.

And as for Dragon and Tiger Mountain...

After Xu Yuanzhen came Tang Xiaotang, and after Tang Xiaotang, there were now Lei Jun and Lei Zhongyun.

If one included the earlier Li Zhenxian, then Dragon and Tiger Mountain had produced a total of four Upper Three Heavens cultivators under the age of a hundred!

Among them, Xu Yuanzhen and Tang Xiaotang had even reached the Ninth and Eighth Heavens, respectively.

Now, Lei Jun was also displaying remarkable momentum.

This didn't even include Zhang Jingzhen, who was currently in seclusion, awaiting her final breakthrough.

At present, the Celestial Master's Mansion was the only power with such a dominant showing.

But what about the future? With the surge of spiritual energy, cultivators were thriving.

And in this environment, places like the Celestial Master's Mansion, which were considered sacred grounds for cultivation, had an inherent advantage over aristocratic families in terms of their foundation...

Although clans like the Jinzhou Ye Clan continued to expand and absorb new blood through marriage and other means, their scope for selecting talent was relatively narrower compared to sects like the Celestial Master's Mansion, given the current backdrop.

If this environmental trend continued, this disparity might become even more pronounced...

"Has His Highness, the Prince of Zhao, received the news?" Ye Mokuan suddenly broke the silence.

"Yes, after the Youzhou Lin Clan stabilized their situation, they immediately sent someone to the Prince of Zhao's mansion," Ye Feishan replied.

Ye Mokuan nodded, "Go and deliver my regards to His Highness on my behalf. I will pay a visit to the Prince's mansion in due time."

"Yes, Grandfather," Ye Feishan bowed and retreated.

................

Suzhou.

The former patriarch, Chu Xiuyuan, along with the other high-ranking members of the Chu Clan, had returned to their ancestral land in Suzhou.

Upon his return, Chu Xiuyuan entered the inner quarters with only his third son, Chu Zhe, following closely behind. The rest of the Chu Clan members remained in the courtyard.

"The defeat in Jiangzhou was too swift!" someone sighed.

The person next to him said softly, "We, together with the Jingxiang Fang Clan, have been oppressing the Lin Clan of Jiangzhou too much in the past..."

The former smiled bitterly.

The three great clans of the Southern Dynasties, the Jingxiang Fang Clan, and the Suzhou Chu Clan, often joined forces and intermarried, collectively suppressing the Lin Clan of Jiangzhou, which was located in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River.

Moreover, they had frequent interactions with Dragon and Tiger Mountain's Celestial Master's Mansion, and were happy to see another thorn in the side of the Lin Clan.

In the context of the Celestial Master's Mansion's successive internal strife, if there were also powerful external enemies, the situation would only get worse than it already was.

However, neither the Jingxiang Fang Clan nor the Suzhou Chu Clan anticipated that the Battle of Jiangzhou would turn out this way.

It was said that the younger generation of Dragon and Tiger Mountain had incredible potential, but their performance far exceeded everyone's expectations.

Given the current situation, one couldn't help but wonder what Dragon and Tiger Mountain would look like if it hadn't been plagued by so much internal strife over the past century or two.

However, life is unpredictable, and people's hearts are fickle.

If the Celestial Master's Mansion had truly been united, and their rapid ascent continued, it might have been the three clans of Fang, Lin, and Chu joining forces to besiege Dragon and Tiger Mountain, rather than the previous encirclement of the Lin Clan of Jiangzhou...

The reason Huang Tian was able to hold on until now was partly due to the covert assistance he received from someone who wanted him to survive and thrive.

"The Lin Clan of Youzhou is stronger than the Lin Clan of Jiangzhou, but their outcome isn't much better."

An elder of the Chu Clan shook his head. "Even if Lin Yujing had already reached the Ninth Heaven realm and was aware of the situation beforehand, she would still have suffered a loss this time!"

Under normal circumstances, guarding their ancestral land, performing the grand sacrificial ritual, and possessing the clan's treasure, the Frost Sword, Lin Xian, despite not having crossed the Eighth Heaven to the Ninth Heaven realm, would not have feared an enemy of the Ninth Heaven.

Moreover, the Lin Clan of Youzhou had more high-level cultivators than the Lin Clan of Jiangzhou.

With Lin Xian holding the Frost Sword and withstanding the pressure head-on, the others could have influenced the battle from the sides with the help of their ancestral land.

Who would have thought that the Youzhou ancestral land, which was supposed to be their strongest defense, would not only fail to serve as a shield but also end up trapping Lin Xian and everyone else?

"You will go to the Celestial Dragon Temple in my stead." The elder of the Chu Clan remained calm despite the situation.

Chu Zhe replied, "Yes, Father."

Xu Yuanzhen surpassed his master, former Celestial Master Li Qingfeng, and reached the Ninth Heaven realm, causing the Daoist Talisman sect to flourish once again with a Great Vehicle cultivator.

The influence of the entire Dragon and Tiger Mountain Celestial Master's Mansion would rise along with this development.

While the Celestial Master's Mansion was short on personnel at the moment, the emergence of Xu Yuanzhen, Tang Xiaotang, and Lei Jun one after another signaled a true revival.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end