https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-254-253-The-Battle-Unveiled-Part-1-/12587092/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-255-A-Single-Slap-Decides-All-Part-1-/12587094/
Chapter 254: 253. The Battle Unveiled (Part 2)
Chapter 254: 253. The Battle Unveiled (Part 2)
Since her entry into the sect, Chunyang Palace had kept a low profile regarding her, and very few people outside knew that Chunyang Palace had gained such a talented disciple.
It was only in the last two years that news gradually spread, and Jiang Yu quickly rose to prominence, becoming a household name.
By now, her fame had spread throughout the Great Tang, both within and beyond its borders.
The general consensus among the public was that after missing out on Tang Xiaotang, Chunyang Palace finally got lucky with Jiang Yu's entry, making up for their previous regret.
However, a certain Celestial Master disagreed with this comparison.
"What about the others?" Lei Jun deftly changed the subject.
"Kongjing from Xuantian Temple and Miaokong from Tianlong Temple are here," Tang Xiaotang replied.
Kongo Temple was located in the Western Regions and was always shrouded in mystery.
Although they had welcomed a new abbot earlier, they suffered heavy losses when they were besieged and attacked by the White Lotus Sect and Dakuang Temple, so they had no choice but to seal off the mountain and minimize contact with the outside world.
Their absence from the Jinzhou battle was not entirely unexpected.
Xuantian Temple, on the other hand, was located in Yunzhou, not far from Jinzhou.
Although this orthodox Buddhist sect of the Precepts School usually kept a low profile, the upcoming battle in Jinzhou, which might sweep across the entire Great Tang, was closely related to them, so Xuantian Temple would not remain completely silent.
Master Kongjing had always worked well with the Tang imperial family, and he was one of the elders in Xuantian Temple who favored the imperial court.
Lei Jun had met him once before when he obtained the Grand Five Elements Creation Primordial Qi in the valley of the Immortal Stream Mountain, although Kongjing couldn't see him at that time.
However...
Kongjing was a Buddhist monk of the Precepts School, having attained the Seventh Heaven Realm.
The abbot of Xuantian Temple, Master Ning Ru, and other Eighth Heaven Realm masters did not make an appearance.
There were probably significant differences of opinion within Xuantian Temple regarding the upcoming Jinzhou battle.
Miaokong, the elder from Tianlong Temple, was an Eighth Heaven Realm Buddhist monk.
This Tianlong Temple elder often collaborated with the Tang imperial family.
When a Tianlong Temple disciple stationed at the Imperial Academy was killed by a Dakuang Temple disciple, it was Elder Miaokong who stepped forward to confront Abbot Jizong of Dakuang Temple.
However, it was difficult to make a hasty judgment about the current internal situation of Tianlong Temple as well.
"Elder Wei, Elder Ji, and Gao Dongyan are here from Shushan," Tang Xiaotang finally said.
Elder Wei, whose name was Wei Qiuyue, was of the same generation as Xu Duan and was one of the senior elders of Shushan, having been famous for many years. He was one of the most influential figures in Shushan with a strong voice in the sect.
Elder Ji was Ji Dongquan, also known as Ji Chuan's father.
Gao Dongyan, on the other hand, was of the same generation as Ji Dongquan and He Dongxing and was one of the representatives of Shushan who favored less confrontation and more cooperation with the aristocratic families.
He had a personal disciple named Lin Xinran, who was from the Lin clan of Jiangzhou.
Unfortunately, Lin Xinran later perished at the hands of a powerful demon.
Whenever Lei Jun thought of his "old acquaintance," he felt a sense of regret.
"But I feel like the Shushan crowd is up to something," Tang Xiaotang said, her voice carrying a hint of emotion. "I don't know what they're up to."
Lei Jun pondered her words, having a general idea of Shushan's intentions.
At this moment in Jinzhou, after exchanging greetings with Tang Xiaotang, Wei Qiuyue, Ji Dongquan, and Gao Dongyan were indeed preoccupied with other matters.
They discreetly scanned the surrounding mountains and rivers.
During the Jiangzhou battle, who was it that secretly provided assistance to the Celestial Master's Mansion?
Whether it was the court or the aristocratic families, they tended to believe that those people were not Confucian divine archers but rather wielders of flying swords or magical treasures of the Outer Alchemy sect of Taoism.
This left the Shushan sect speechless for a long time.
Wei Qiuyue, who appeared to be a middle-aged woman, had a solemn expression on her face, her gaze sweeping the surroundings as if searching for something.
She was eager to find out the origins of those Outer Sect cultivators who had secretly helped the Celestial Master's Mansion and also possessed considerable strength.
"Elder Wei, Elder He, just based on these two combatants, who do you think has a better chance of winning?" Gao Dongyan asked, his eyes fixed on the distant Ye clan's ancestral land.
He Dongxing said, "If the Ye clan head cannot stabilize the Ye clan's ancestral land in Jinzhou, then he will undoubtedly lose.
If he can find a way to avoid the same fate as the Lin clans of the north and south, then this battle is still worth fighting.
As for who will win and who will lose, it depends on the current state of the Ye clan head."
Xu Yuanzhen was exceptionally talented, with her cultivation level advancing rapidly, and her combat skills were extraordinary.
Earlier, she had forcefully injured Lin Huan, the clan head of the Lin clan of Youzhou, right in front of Ye Moke.
However, when the gap between the two sides was not significant, the attacking side usually had the upper hand.
Now that the two were facing each other, the situation was different.
Xu Yuanzhen had just entered the Ninth Heaven Realm, and there were also differences within the Ninth Heaven Realm.
In this era of cultivation, the Ninth Heaven Realm was generally divided into five minor realms.
The Talisman and Talisman sect of Taoism called it "Five Qi Morning Mystery."
The Pill and Cauldron sect of Taoism called it "Five Qi Morning Primordial."
The Outer Dan sect of Taoism called it "Five Qi Morning Immortal."
The various cultivation traditions mostly agreed on these terms.
The last time Ye Moke fought someone, he displayed strength at the third level of the Ninth Heaven Realm.
Xu Yuanzhen, on the other hand, had just entered the Ninth Heaven Realm.
In terms of realm, Ye Moke had the upper hand.
Xu Yuanzhen's advantage actually lay in her youth.
Ye Moke was of the same generation as the former Supreme Elder Li Song of Longhushan, and he was much older than Li Song.
By now, he was already over four hundred years old.
Even with meticulous care, he could only barely slow down his decline.
Whether the current Ye clan head of Jinzhou could retain his strength from his prime was the key to this battle.
"They're here..." Wei Qiuyue did not join the discussion on this topic.
She was more interested in finding her target, but unfortunately, she had not found any clues so far.
And now, the main event was about to begin.
In the distant sky, a pitch-black thundercloud appeared, seemingly unhurried but arriving in the blink of an eye above the Ye clan's ancestral land in Jinzhou.
Seated atop the thundercloud was a woman in a purple robe, draped in black, her face pale, and her eyebrows painted.
Suddenly, a figure appeared atop the pitch-black thundercloud—it was none other than Xu Yuanzhen.
"Senior Sister!" Tang Xiaotang called out to Xu Yuanzhen but did not approach her.
This was a battle that Xu Yuanzhen had arranged with someone else.
Although Tang Xiaotang was usually unpredictable, she was clear-headed when it came to matters like this. Unless there was a major unexpected event, she would not interfere in Xu Yuanzhen's battle.
However, the likelihood of something unexpected happening was pretty high...
Xu Yuanzhen turned her head and nodded towards Tang Xiaotang from atop the dark thundercloud.
Then, she looked down at the Ye Clan's ancestral land in Jinzhou below.
At that moment, in the Ye Clan's ancestral land, a large amount of light suddenly shone, intertwining and expanding from the center of the ancestral land, where the magnificent treasure light soared into the clouds.
Like the Lin Clan's ancestral land in Jiangzhou, the Ye Clan's ancestral land in Jinzhou was vast, almost comparable to a fortified city.
As the light expanded and enlarged, it covered the entire city.
Sounds of drums and music seemed to emanate from within, solemn and majestic.
In the central courtyard of the ancestral land, the main doors opened by themselves, without any wind, one after another.
The entire Ye Clan mansion welcomed today's guests in the most solemn way.
However, from afar, Tang Xiaotang, Chu Yu, and the others could see something amiss.
Although the Ye Clan in Jinzhou was very courteous, at this moment, the vast ancestral land was strangely devoid of any Ye Clan disciples.
The ancestral land was empty.
The only person present was the other party to today's battle.
The former patriarch of the Ye Clan in Jinzhou, Ye Moquan.
The old man spoke, "It is a pleasure to have a friend come from afar. Unfortunately, we are enemies, not friends."
"This is fine for now," Xu Yuanzhen said calmly as she stepped down from the thundercloud, walked through the main door of the Ye Clan mansion, and made her way to Ye Moquan.
The two Ninth Heaven Realm cultivators sat facing each other.
"Your assistance to my master and grandmaster back then was much appreciated," Xu Yuanzhen said.
Ye Moquan replied, "Without me, given their talents, the outcome wouldn't have been much different."
"Things change over time, and so do people's hearts and attitudes. The people around you will change as well," Xu Yuanzhen said. "Moreover, what you've done doesn't stop there."
Ye Moquan's gaze shifted to the south, towards the distant direction of the Heavenly Master's Mansion.
After a while, he retracted his gaze and said calmly, "Although I've been cautious, doing so much will inevitably leave traces. As the saying goes, 'if you don't want others to know, don't do it yourself'."
"Let's begin," Xu Yuanzhen said.
It was not a suggestion but a notification.
And so, the battle of Jinzhou officially commenced.
.................
Lei Jun paused his journey to Jinzhou temporarily.
He had just received some valuable information from the court. There were two noteworthy pieces of news:
First, Ye Yan, the clan head of the Ye Clan in Qingzhou, had left the clan's ancestral land in Qingzhou, and his current whereabouts were unknown.
Second, Chu Xiuyuan, the former clan head of the Chu Clan in Suzhou, had also left the clan's ancestral land in Suzhou, and his current whereabouts were unknown.
Would these two Ninth Heaven Realm Confucian masters also turn their attention to Jinzhou and Xu Yuanzhen?
What would be the reactions of the Empress and the Tang Imperial Family?
More messages kept arriving, and Lei Jun quickly skimmed through them.
Although Ye Yan and Chu Xiuyuan had both left their respective ancestral lands in Qingzhou and Suzhou, there were still Eighth Heaven Realm cultivators from the Ye Clan and the Chu Clan who remained and continued to guard their territories.
Additionally, the two clans' most treasured heirlooms had not been easily deployed.
This meant that, at the very least, they could hold their ground for a while and wait for reinforcements, preventing their enemies from taking advantage of their absence.
From their decision to stand their ground, it seemed that the Four Surnames and Six Desires had found a way to counter or defend against the "barbarians."
At least, that was their assessment of the situation.
So, what was the current situation at the Ye Clan's ancestral land in Jinzhou?
Lei Jun pondered this while continuing his journey.
However, at that moment, a light sphere appeared in his mind, and words began to materialize within it:
【Roaming across the mountains and rivers, gifts from all directions, gathering momentum, moving against the flow of time】
Lei Jun furrowed his brows slightly at the sight.
Four fortunes emerged from the light sphere.
Lei Jun read them one by one:
【Upper-middle fortune: Proceed to the Gao Clan's ancestral land in Zezhou. There is an opportunity to obtain a fourth-grade opportunity, with some turmoil but it can be calmed, auspicious.】
【Middle fortune: Proceed to Xuan Tian Temple in Yunzhou. There is an opportunity to obtain a fifth-grade opportunity, but there are certain risks, be cautious, neutral.】
【Middle fortune: Proceed to the original site of Putuo Temple in Zhongzhou. There are no additional gains, but there will be turmoil that can be quickly calmed, neutral.】
【Lower-middle fortune: Proceed to Jinzhou to watch the battle. There are no additional gains, and there is the danger of warfare, with certain risks, be cautious, inauspicious.】
With the Heaven Master Seal in his possession and his improved cultivation, Lei Jun's ability to withstand risks had greatly increased.
The mention of certain risks in these fortunes, despite his improved capabilities, indicated that the person or matter causing the danger was not to be underestimated.
Looking at the lower-middle fortune, it seemed to imply that the battle in Jinzhou would not end between Xu Yuanzhen and Ye Moke, and other experts would likely be involved.
Among the remaining fortunes, the upper-middle one immediately caught Lei Jun's attention.
It seemed that one of the Four Buddhist Sacred Sites, Xuan Tian Temple in Yunzhou, was about to undergo a major change.
"The best way to handle this is to..." Lei Jun remained calm. "...report it to the authorities."
As for the phrase "gifts from all directions, gathering momentum," it probably meant that the four locations mentioned in the fortunes were somehow connected and formed a larger framework.
Was this Ye Moquan's arrangement?
If so, there was no need to take the risk of going to the battlefield in Jinzhou.
By disrupting or removing one of the other three locations, the entire framework would likely be altered or destroyed.
Given this situation, Lei Jun naturally chose the upper-middle fortune.
The Gao Clan in Zezhou was a staunch supporter of the Ye Clan in Jinzhou, and the Gao family head had sought to marry a woman from the Ye Clan for generations. To some extent, the Gao Clan was akin to a branch of the Ye Clan...
Lei Jun recalled how he had been ambushed by Gao Clan disciples back in Qilu Valley.
Among them was a monk named Dexiang, who was actually a true disciple of Xuan Tian Temple in Zezhou.
Lei Jun had sent that entire group to their deaths.
This time, he would officially pay the Gao Clan a visit... Lei Jun nodded slightly and headed towards Zezhou.
PS: 7k chapter
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
