Chapter 247: 246. Elder Lei Chongyun, the High Achiever (Part 2)

Chapter 247: 246. Elder Lei Chongyun, the High Achiever (Part 2)

With the "Barbarians" still posing a threat and the ruins of Jiangzhou serving as a reminder, the other major clans were also cautious about making any hasty moves.

However, life is full of complexities.

With Xu Yuanzhen's significant progress, coupled with Huang Xuanpu, the head of the Pure Yang Palace, the Daoist sect now had two Ninth Heaven cultivators.

The simultaneous attacks on the Jiangzhou and Youzhou Lin Clans in the north and south had not only dealt a heavy blow to the morale of the Confucian scholars but also put pressure on the Buddhist sect...

The various holy sites and sects of the Daoist and Buddhist sects had been covertly supported by the Tang court, forming an implicit alliance against the Confucian scholars of the Five Surnames and Seven Expectations.

However, it would be naive to assume that the Daoist and Buddhist sects were harmonious.

Previously, they had a common threat and enemy in the Confucian scholars.

Now, with the Five Surnames and Seven Expectations suffering repeated setbacks and no longer exuding their once-formidable aura, the Daoist sect was gaining the upper hand.

On the other hand, the Buddhist sect lacked a Ninth Heaven cultivator, and Bodhi Temple, one of their four great holy sites, had nearly been wiped out, suffering severe losses.

Would the Buddhist sect be content to live under the shadow of the Daoist sect? Of course, their relationship with the aristocratic families was even more tense.

However, there was still a possibility of easing and repairing these relationships.

Even if it was just a temporary truce, the removal of the pressure from the Suzhou Chu Clan would give the Celestial Dragon Temple more freedom.

The Southern Branch of Bodhi Temple would also find it easier to establish themselves.

As for the Hanging Celestial Temple, the Jinzhou Ye Clan had been cultivating relationships there for a long time.

As for the Vajra Temple, their long-time adversary was the Xiao Clan outside Long Province, and among the four great holy sites of Buddhism, they had always been the most distant from the Tang court.

However, they, too, maintained a distant relationship with the aristocratic families.

Chu Xiuyuan had once discussed the Vajra Temple with Ye Mokuan, and both harbored some suspicions about the temple.

It was always low-key, as if it held some hidden secrets.

"I will personally discuss this matter with the Great Empty Temple," said the Chu Clan elder.

"I've heard that the new abbot of the Vajra Temple has been growing rapidly after his consecration," he added.

The aristocratic families eased their relationship with the Buddhist sect.

However, the Great Empty Temple was a sworn enemy of the Buddhist orthodoxy.

Fortunately, the Buddhist sect itself was not a monolithic entity.

By shifting the Great Empty Temple's attention from the Celestial Dragon Temple to the Vajra Temple, they could also uncover the secrets hidden within the Vajra Temple.

"Perhaps we can also contact the Shu Mountain's Abbot, Fu Dongsen."

Chu Zhe spoke softly, "With Great Vehicle cultivators in both the Pill and Talisman sects, Shu Mountain's stance may not be the same as before. As for the sect's rise, there's also the noble Upasan family..."

The Chu Clan elder shook his head slightly. "There are too many things in this world for our family to handle alone."

Chu Zhe replied, "Yes, Father."

"Xu Yuanzhen's talent and insight are truly remarkable."

After discussing the important matters, Chu Xiuyuan smiled and said, "As far as I know, she has only brought two people back to Dragon and Tiger Mountain—Tang Xiaotang and Lei Jun."

Chu Zhe nodded. "Yes."

"I recall that Xu Yuanzhen and Tang Xiaotang took about twelve years to progress from the Seventh Heaven to the Eighth Heaven realm." The Chu Clan elder smiled. "I wonder how long it will take for Lei Jun?"

Chu Zhe replied, "His path is somewhat similar to Xu Yuanzhen's. Compared to his unremarkable talent as a youth, I believe they are more likely to have enhanced their root bones and innate wisdom..."

While such cases were extremely rare, there had been precedents in history.

However, for so many similar cases to appear in the same sect during the same period was somewhat difficult to believe.

"It's a shame that such astonishing talents didn't join our Suzhou Chu Clan." The Chu Clan elder sighed with a hint of regret.

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

At Dragon and Tiger Mountain in Xinzhou.

Lei Jun and Tang Xiaotang returned from Jiangzhou.

Next, it was Shangguan Ning's turn to emerge from seclusion and coordinate with the court regarding the aftermath of the Jiangzhou incident.

Although Shangguan Ning hadn't opposed Xu Yuanzhen and Tang Xiaotang's decision, she also hadn't anticipated that the battle would turn out this way.

Later, Xu Yuanzhen also returned to the sect's headquarters.

Distant from when she left the mountain years ago, seven or eight years had passed.

Xu Yuanzhen herself didn't mind at all and walked through the mountains without any awareness.

"That scoundrel has appeared again?" She was more interested in the mysterious person who had come to Dragon and Tiger Mountain again.

Yuan Mobai nodded slightly.

Then, he furrowed his brows gently: "However, it seems a little different from before, making it hard for me to be completely sure."

He piqued the interest of Xu Yuanzhen and Tang Xiaotang, who was standing beside him. "Oh? How so?"

Yuan Mobai: "This person did not truly step into our sect's mountain-guarding formation, nor did I confront them directly. Hence, I cannot be certain, but according to Yao Xiong's statement, there is no doubt that this is the same person who provided him with the Yin Moon Soul Stone."

Tang Xiaotang drummed her cheeks upon hearing this.

It was obvious who the Yin Moon Soul Stone was meant to be used against.

After Yuan Mobai and Lei Jun, master and disciple, briefly explained the cause and effect to Xu Yuanzhen, she asked indifferently, "Where is the Fourth Master now?"

Yuan Mobai: "Yao Xiong is confining himself and waiting for the return of the Sect Leader to mete out punishment."

Tang Xiaotang, with her fingers supporting her chin, said, "What was that saying? Yao Elder also considered changing his ways, but regarding this matter..."

Yao Yuan had once tried to further intensify the conflict between the Li family and the outsiders by assassinating a Li family descendant.

Although the descendant was from the Li family, they were still a disciple of the Celestial Master's Mansion at that time.

There were rituals and regulations within the Mansion that disciples should respect their elders, and elders should, in turn, care for their disciples.

It was extremely malicious for an elder to secretly kill a younger disciple, especially considering that his initial intention was to create discord.

However, Yao Yuan had a timely change of heart and decided to cooperate with Yuan Mobai and others to uncover the identity of the mysterious person.

He himself was currently very calm and had a clear attitude:

"I must be punished, and no matter the outcome, I will gladly accept it."

Although few people knew the inside story at the moment, a bad example should not be set.

Knowing one's mistake and correcting it, and further, being punished for it, was necessary; otherwise, it would encourage people to make mistakes.

While small mistakes could be rectified, if one made an irreparable, huge mistake, it would be too late to regret it then.

"Since that's the case, Elder Yao should be punished by being confined to the forbidden area of the ancestral tomb in the back mountain." Tang Xiaotang made the decision, sounding a little emotional.

Xu Yuanzhen and Yuan Mobai did not object.

After some discussion, they also decided not to publicly announce the detailed reason for Yao Yuan's punishment.

"If there's any news of that scoundrel next time, remember to inform me." Xu Yuanzhen casually said.

Tang Xiaotang: "Sister, you should focus on preparing for the battle appointment with that old fox from Jinzhou. Leave the rest to me."

Judging by the content of her words, she seemed concerned about the other person.

However, her tone sounded like a child who didn't want others to take away her toy.

"I'm quite looking forward to seeing what new tricks that old fox from Jinzhou can come up with." Xu Yuanzhen remained calm.

Tang Xiaotang stared at her for a while and suddenly said, "Sister, after you fight that old fox from Jinzhou, shall we have a spar too?"

Although her words sounded a little horrifying, Lei Jun, who was standing beside them, was not surprised at all.

When Tang Xiaotang was a child, she had three wishes:

To become a personal disciple of the Celestial Master.

To become the strongest personal disciple of the Celestial Master.

To become the new Celestial Master.

Due to unforeseen circumstances, she skipped the first two wishes and jumped straight to the third one, which was also fulfilled for her.

She no longer cared about the first wish.

However, she had never forgotten about the second one.

In other words, her target was the person standing in front of her—Xu Yuanzhen!

"I don't mind, but you should work harder." Xu Yuanzhen's tone was indifferent. "Even if I suppress my cultivation to the Eighth Heaven and fight you, I have walked down some paths that you haven't, so we are still different."

Tang Xiaotang hummed: "We'll see!"

Xu Yuanzhen turned her head to look at Lei Jun: "I heard that you obtained quite a lot of Xuanwu heavy iron from Jiangzhou?"

Lei Jun: "Yes, it was probably accumulated by the Lin Clan over many years in Jiangzhou."

Xu Yuanzhen nodded: "Give it to me. I want to refine something."

Lei Jun had no objection and even looked forward to it.

Although Xu Yuanzhen didn't refine artifacts and treasures as often as Tang Xiaotang, she rarely took action in this area, and it seemed that she had some ideas this time.

"I'm not interested in those things!" Tang Xiaotang pouted.

Lei Jun: "Later, I'll take a look at the Heavenly Book Universe Starry Sky and try to use what we have to trade for the spiritual objects that you need."

Tang Xiaotang didn't have high hopes, but she still waved her hand: "It's worth trying our luck."

Yuan Mobai smiled: "It's a joyous occasion that Chongyun has successfully reached the Upper Three Heavens."

Lei Jun: "It's all thanks to Master's guidance in the past and also to Master's good luck this time."

Previously, Lei Jun had considered that if he went to the Northern Border, he might return late and miss the initiation ceremony on the 15th of January next year.

However, due to the sudden changes in the situation, with the help of Xu Yuanzhen and Tang Xiaotang, the two 'Barbarians,' the battle ended much faster than anyone had expected.

Now that Lei Jun and the others had returned to the mountain, it was still before the New Year.

There would also be a grand ceremony on the first day of the New Year at the Celestial Master's Mansion.

And with Lei Jun's achievement of the Seventh Heaven cultivation base, it also marked the addition of a new high-achieving master to the Dragon and Tiger Mountain Celestial Master's Mansion.

The title of 'High-Achieving' would be added before his title of Elder.

From then on, Elder Lei would also become one of the core high-level members of the Dragon and Tiger Mountain Celestial Master's Mansion.

The inauguration ceremony would also be held in the New Year.

After that, on the 15th of January, he would attend the initiation ceremony.

Thanks to his master's efforts, the little one would officially become a disciple of the Celestial Master's Mansion, changing from an elder's personal disciple to a high-achieving elder's personal disciple.

After leaving the Hall of the Celestial Master and returning to his residence, Lei Jun looked at the familiar place and couldn't help but feel emotional.

More than two decades had passed in a flash.

He had also walked a path that he had never expected before his transmigration.

And on the long path of cultivation, this was just the beginning.

Lei Jun smiled slightly and sat cross-legged in his residence, breathing and calming his mind.

Since he had already publicly participated in the Battle of Jiangzhou, he no longer held back at this moment.

As he sat cross-legged, a majestic pillar of light soared into the sky, piercing through the roof and merging with the majestic thunderclouds above Dragon and Tiger Mountain without any obstruction.

News of the Battle of Jiangzhou spread throughout the Tian Shi Mansion, and with Lei Jun's public display of his cultivation, his current realm was no longer a secret.

Reaching the Seventh Heaven of the Daoist Talisman sect, Lei Jun had become a high-achieving master.

Most of the disciples in the mansion were filled with admiration and awe, witnessing the addition of another powerful cultivator to their ranks.

A minority felt their emotions were slightly more complex, but most had anticipated this development.

No one doubted that Lei Jun would one day attain the Seventh Heaven, and some even believed it would happen sooner rather than later.

However, the speed of his progress still shocked everyone in and outside the Tian Shi Mansion.

Many wondered if Zhang Jingzhen, who was in seclusion, would be the first to reach this milestone.

But it was Lei Jun who achieved it first.

Those who knew him well were filled with mixed emotions.

When Lei Jun first came to Dragon and Tiger Mountain with Xu Yuanzhen years ago, Zhang Jingzhen had already attained the Sixth Heaven.

Who would have thought that Zhang Jingzhen would still be at the Sixth Heaven, while Lei Jun had surpassed her and reached the Seventh?

It wasn't that Zhang Jingzhen was slow in her cultivation.

It was just that Lei Jun's progress was astonishingly fast!

In the path of cultivation, the gap between ordinary people and geniuses was vast.

But even among geniuses, there were those who were exceptionally gifted, so much so that others could barely feel jealousy, only awe and admiration.

After a moment of reflection on these thoughts, Lei Jun regained his usual calm.

By publicly revealing his cultivation, he made it easier to handle the aftermath of the Battle of Jiangzhou.

The pillar of light that signaled his attainment gradually faded away.

Lei Jun's life returned to its usual routine.

He had not yet relinquished his duties as the guardian elder of the Chishu Pavilion.

During the day, he continued his inspections as usual.

The disciples on duty in the pavilion, after their initial nervousness, were calmed by Lei Jun's composure, and everyone settled back into their regular duties.

In the evenings, Lei Jun continued his personal cultivation.

His current focus was on reorganizing and improving his understanding of what he had learned before.

With Lei Jun's advancement to the Seventh Heaven, his three innate techniques and three laws underwent further transformation.

His former spirit talismans had now become law talismans.

The Heaven-Commanding Talisman evolved into the Spirit Official Talisman, and there was no need to elaborate further on its power.

The Heaven-Seeing Earth-Hearing Talisman transformed into the Heaven-Communicating Earth-Penetrating Law Talisman.

As he reorganized this innate law, Lei Jun made some personal adjustments.

Previously, his forehead, which had been injured and then healed, now showed a faint mark.

Lei Jun calmly combined his former artifact, the Heaven-Seeing Mirror, with the Heaven-Communicating Earth-Penetrating Law Talisman, and with the help of the newly acquired Xingluo Liushuang from the Lin Clan's ancestral land in Jiangzhou, he slowly refined them together.

Finally, a gleam of light appeared between his brows, flickering for a moment before disappearing, leaving his skin smooth and unmarked once more.

However, within the depths of Lei Jun's eyes, a radiant light flickered, revealing traces of talismans.

"Not bad. I'll continue to improve it slowly in the future." Lei Jun smiled, and the light in his eyes flickered and disappeared, returning his gaze to normal.

With the new year approaching, Lei Jun paused in his endeavors.

He focused his mind on the true and unique law platform derived from the Tian Shi Seal, immersing himself in the starry universe born from the dark side of the heavenly book.

Within, the darkness resembled ink stains, and the "stars" were denser than before.

And with Lei Jun's advancement in cultivation, there was a significant change.

In addition to the former pitch-black "sun," there was now a similarly styled yet distinct "moon."

Opposite the sun, there was Rahu.

And opposite the moon, there was Ketu.

"So, I now have two hidden dark star moons at my disposal?" Lei Jun was intrigued.

Previously, due to his cultivation being only at the Middle Three Heavens, although he possessed the pitch-black "sun," Lei Jun had restrained himself from experimenting with it, choosing to wait until his cultivation improved.

Now that he had reached the Seventh Heaven, in addition to the pitch-black "sun," there was also a pitch-black "moon."

Since that was the case, it was time to give it a try... Lei Jun made up his mind.

Under his control, the two hidden dark star moons transformed into shadows and detached themselves from the dark side of the heavenly book.

However, as he sensed, they would not combine with just anyone.

"Waiting for the right person," Lei Jun murmured.

Then, he cast the two shadows into the river of earth vein spiritual energy, letting them flow away with the current, as he patiently awaited a response.

Returning to his residence on Dragon and Tiger Mountain, Lei Jun made his final preparations.

The new year arrived on the first day of the first month.

The celebration on the mountain officially commenced.

One important part of the ceremony was to congratulate Elder Lei on his achievement and bestow upon him the title of high-achieving master.

In the Daoist Talisman sect, attaining the Seventh Heaven allowed one to undergo the fourth talisman bestowal, receiving the "Three Cave Five Thunder Talismans" derived from the "Upper Clarity Three Cave Classics," and one could be bestowed with a second-rank law position.

From this point on, one would officially become a high-achieving elder of Dragon and Tiger Mountain.

The most noticeable change in appearance was the exchange of the deep red Daoist robe for a purple one.

This talisman bestowal ceremony was not held in the usual Bestowal Pavilion but in the Wanfa Zongtan.

Lei Jun, along with Tang Xiaotang, entered the Wanfa Zongtan, and a pillar of radiant light emerged, soaring into the sky.

Countless talismans and Daoist essences appeared around the Zongtan, floating in the air.

The disciples of the Tian Shi Mansion who were witnessing the ceremony gazed upon the towering pillar of light with awe and admiration.

After the tribulations faced by the Tian Shi Mansion in recent years, this was a sign of a new beginning.

Around the Zongtan, forty-nine ever-burning law lamps and nine Daoist banners fluttered in the wind.

Within the pillar of light, the figures of Lei Jun and Tang Xiaotang appeared.

Lei Jun, now clad in a purple robe, received the talismans from Tang Xiaotang.

The disciples and elders of the Tian Shi Mansion outside the Zongtan bowed with a Daoist salute, offering their congratulations to Lei Jun within the pillar of light:

"Congratulations, Elder Lei, on your attainment of the Dao and the perfection of your cultivation."

PS: 9k words per chapter

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end