Seeking Fortune And Avoiding Calamity, Starting From The Heavenly Master's Mansion Chapter 262: 261. The Heavenly Master's Mansion Seeks Retribution (Part 1) - Novel Cool

Chapter 262: 261. The Heavenly Master's Mansion Seeks Retribution (Part 1)

Chapter 262: 261. The Heavenly Master's Mansion Seeks Retribution (Part 1)

Lei Jun looked up at the sky.

With the effects of the Tian Tong Di Che Fa Lu, his vision and perception far surpassed most cultivators of the same realm. Even in the early stages, Lei Jun could observe the ascending Dazhoutian Jade.

However, as the Dazhoutian Jade continued its ascent, it gradually disappeared from Lei Jun's sight.

At this moment, between Lei Jun's eyes, on his brow, a faint light could be seen emanating, piercing through the clouds.

The light was subtle, but it traveled vast distances with minimal diminution, exceptionally stable.

In the heavens, there seemed to be a faint line of light descending, like a star's radiance.

The faint and elusive rays of light intertwined and connected, only to disappear together into nothingness.

Lei Jun's vision once again captured the Dazhoutian Jade as it ascended into the high skies.

Then, his perspective changed again, as if he himself had ascended to the skies, overlooking the world below, shrouded in the night.

However, this viewpoint still had many issues.

Lei Jun remained calm and waved his hand towards the sky.

As the stars twinkled, the Dazhoutian Jade descended once more.

Lei Jun opened his palm to catch the treasure.

"There's still a lot of room for improvement."

Although he said this, Lei Jun nodded in satisfaction.

He was extremely pleased with the Dazhoutian Jade, and at this moment, he hoped to obtain more similar spiritual treasures.

Speaking of which, despite their opposing stances, the first time Lei Jun encountered Jinzhou Ye Clan's Wuyou Jie, he became intrigued by related matters.

At that time, Ye Mo utilized the method of remotely drawing upon the heavenly light, harnessing the power of Wuyou Jie's sacrificial ritual with the help of the Dazhoutian Jade suspended in the sky.

This way, the Wuyou Jie sacrificial ritual could be set up at a distant location, and Ye Mo, at the Ye Clan's ancestral land, did not have to worry about his enemies cutting off his support and interrupting the ritual.

Moreover, through the Dazhoutian Jade's relay in the sky, it was difficult for others to pinpoint the ritual's location, thus ensuring Ye Han and the others' safety.

Unless there was a spy among Ye Han or her close associates, the situation would not normally be exposed. Lei Jun's trip to Tianleshan was entirely unconventional.

In fact, before Lei Jun himself went to Tianleshan, he was unsure what was there.

The so-called Wuyou Jie referred to both Ye Mo's contingency plan against enemies and the worry-free sacrificial ritual at Tianleshan.

However, overall, although the remote drawing of heavenly light aided Ye Mo in attacking Xu Yuanzhen's Great Vehicle Realm, the spell's function was mainly auxiliary and supportive.

Lei Jun had more ambitious plans, hoping to put it to greater use.

Ideally, once everything was ready, the Dazhoutian Jade, together with the Jade Chen True Water refined into it, would be combined with other treasures to jointly refine a rather unique artifact, eventually reaching a stable state.

However, there was no need to rush things. Lei Jun still had many ideas and concepts he wanted to try out.

For now, he would continue to refine the Dazhoutian Jade along with the Jade Chen True Water.

Thus, the starlight rose and fell, ascending and descending in an endless cycle.

In the following days, Lei Jun stayed peacefully at the mountain gate, cultivating his law while instructing his disciples.

As time passed, more and more news arrived from Guanlong.

With the increasing number of human expert reinforcements in Guanzhong, the crisis there had been averted.

The two Pure Yang Palace elders, Guan Jing and Lv Jinduan, both of the Octuple Heaven level, returned together. Tang Xiaotang and Chu Yu also arrived in Guanzhong one after the other.

Although the contemporary head of the Fang clan of Jingxiang, Fang Jing Sheng, and the head of the Shushan Sect, Fu Dongsen, did not arrive, both the Fang clan and the Shushan Sect sent their best. They were led by top experts who brought large numbers of elite forces, all rushing to Guanzhong.

The rampant Longhe Canglang and other great demons had no choice but to lie low and refrain from further reckless actions.

As for the Snow Country Bear King, who led another group of demons to besiege the old capital of Datang, Chang'an, although he still had a towering rage, he was not as reckless as before.

Before the Empress arrived in Chang'an, the city was successfully relieved of the siege.

Upon her arrival, she did not pursue the enemy to the north but temporarily stayed in Chang'an.

On the one hand, she stabilized the morale and situation in Guanzhong.

On the other hand, the Vajra Temple, on behalf of the Vajra Division of Mount Sumeru, submitted a document to the Tang Dynasty, requesting an audience with the Emperor.

Empress Zhang Wantong granted this request.

During her stay in Chang'an, the Guanlong Pacification Campaign against the demons continued.

The demons withdrew their siege from Guanzhong and retreated northward, not yet crossing the Great River.

Human cultivators and demons engaged in numerous fierce battles on the plateau south of the river.

The contemporary Heavenly Master, Tang Xiaotang, wielding the Heavenly Master's Sword, shook the plateau and directly fought a great demon equivalent to the Octuple Heaven level of human cultivators. He also withstood the North Demon King, Longhe Canglang, of the Nonuple Heaven level, becoming the most dazzling figure in this battle.

Tang Xiaotang, with the Heavenly Master's Sword, and the Shushan Elder, Zhang Dongyuan, with the Qingming Sword, became the pillars of the human cultivators, facing the pressure brought by Longhe Canglang and the Snow Country Bear King.

Another outstanding contributor on the human side was Chu Yu, who shot and killed another Octuple Heaven level great demon with a cold arrow. He also shot and injured a Septuple Heaven level great demon, although his performance was not as eye-catching as Tang Xiaotang's.

In the intense battle, not only were the demons injured, but the human cultivators also suffered further casualties.

It was not until a few Buddhist Red-Robed Dharma Kings arrived on the southern bank of the Great River that the demons finally gave up their foothold on the south bank and retreated north across the river, beginning their return to the Northern Frontier.

These Red-Robed Dharma Kings were from the Vajra Temple.

To be precise, they were from the so-called Mount Sumeru's Vajra Division.

They first went to the old capital, Chang'an, to meet with the Empress.

The outcome of the meeting between the two parties was unknown to the outside world.

However, several Dharma Kings of the Vajra Division then headed north to aid the human cultivators in pacifying the demon chaos.

The leader among them was the venerable Jia Sheng, a secret Buddhist cultivator of the Great Firmament level in the hand seal lineage. His revealed cultivation shocked the world.

All along, among the Four Sacred Sites of Buddhism, the Vajra Temple was the holy site of the hand seal lineage, but it had been several hundred years since the temple produced a Nascent Soul level secret Buddhist cultivator.

The sudden appearance of Venerable Jia Sheng caused inevitable speculation about the Vajra Division and the legendary Mount Sumeru.

It was because of his appearance that the demons finally decided to retreat northward.

Although Longhe Canglang and the Snow Country Bear King were not afraid of Venerable Jia Sheng, they had no intention of fighting to the death without further probing the depths of the mysterious Vajra Division.

Moreover, Empress Zhang Wantong was in Chang'an.

Once the Empress determined that the Vajra Division posed no threat, she departed from Chang'an and headed north, and the situation on the left bank of the Great River immediately took a turn.

Chang Tian Canglang retreated first, and the Snow Country Bear King, unwilling to stay alone in the current situation, also withdrew to the north bank of the Great River.

The other great demons, needless to say, scattered in different directions.

Their trip wasn't entirely in vain.

Aside from plundering and devouring some heavenly treasures, they had already inflicted heavy casualties on the human cultivators.

For the great demons who relished feeding on cultivators who practiced spiritual energy, this was an even greater harvest.

Great demons were not devoid of intelligence, and among them were those with exceptional wit, though most possessed violent or sinister temperaments.

This rare joint action by the two great demons of the Northern Frontier was also a rare display of tacit understanding, and they kept the other demon tribes in check.

While the Snow Country Bear King led a group of great demons to besiege Chang'an and failed to breach the city before retreating, it was mostly them who enjoyed the spoils of war during the destruction of the Pure Yang Palace.

After the fall of the Pure Yang Palace, Chang Tian Canglang led another group of great demons to wreak havoc in Guanzhong, also returning with their fill of treasures.

However, as they began their retreat and crossed back to the north bank of the Great River, the constraints among them started to loosen, and they gradually went their separate ways.

In this situation, the pursuing human cultivators were able to inflict heavier casualties.

Especially with the mysterious Xiao Xuetin, wielding the Mountains and Rivers Sword, suddenly appearing north of the Great River.

In an ambush, she suddenly struck, assassinating and fighting a retreating Snow Country Bear King who was entangled with Jia Sheng Shangren, blinding one of the great demon's eyes with her sword, nearly piercing its brain.

Jia Sheng Shangren struck again, and the Snow Country Bear King suffered consecutive heavy blows, eventually escaping with severe injuries.

Thus, the chaos in Guanlong finally subsided.

In the Celestial Master's Mansion on Dragon Tiger Mountain, Yuan Mobai and his disciple Lei Jun sat opposite each other, chatting about the battle in Guanlong. Yuan Mobai said, "The Northern Frontier will be peaceful for a while."

With the Snow Country Bear King badly injured, not only would he need to recuperate for a while, but he would also have to worry about his former allies during his recovery.

The other nine-layered heaven great demon, Chang Tian Canglang.

Although the two sides had formed an alliance during the Guanlong War and coordinated very well, times have changed.

The previous cooperation was a matter of each taking what they needed, and it was over.

Now that the Snow Country Bear King was badly injured and had retreated to the Northern Frontier, the greatest threat to him was none other than Chang Tian Canglang, the other dominant force in the north.

For Chang Tian Canglang, this was also a rare opportunity.

The slaughter among the demon tribes could sometimes be more bloody and fierce than between humans and demons...

"Master, what's the situation with Senior Sister now?" Lei Jun asked.

Yuan Mobai replied, "His name is Sangjie, and he's from the Sumeru Vajra Division of the Buddhist Sect, a Hand Seal cultivator at the Octuple Heaven realm."

Although she had already become the sect leader, Celestial Master Tang still retained her old style, always stirring up controversy. Every time she appeared, she became the center of attention.

This time, in suppressing the demon chaos in Guanlong, she was one of the most prominent human cultivators.

And even after the demon tide receded, she remained the most eye-catching figure.

As the human cultivators consolidated their hold on both banks of the Great River, the subsequent cleanup work was mostly left to the imperial court, with external aid from Shushan, Fang Clan, and others gradually withdrawing from the front lines.

If it weren't for the Empress arriving in Chang'an, everyone would have gone their separate ways after the situation had calmed down.

However, even before they returned to Chang'an, Celestial Master Tang had already opened the curtains on the second act.

She had struck a monk from the Vajra Division.

If it weren't for Jia Sheng Shangren's timely intervention and the mediation of the Tang imperial family's experts, the outcome would have been hard to predict...

According to the news that had come back, this Sangjie Shangren hadn't done anything to offend Tang Xiaotang or the Celestial Master's Mansion, and his words and demeanor were polite.

Fortunately, the situation didn't escalate further and was suppressed by the Empress.

Both sides were currently arguing.

Zhang Jingzhen, a high-ranking elder of the Celestial Master's Mansion who was of imperial descent, volunteered to go to Guanzhong for further communication.

Yuan Mobai and Lei Jun remained in seclusion for the time being but had already started making secret preparations.

"To be frank, Senior Sister's temperament is a bit arrogant, but she's not like a fighting cock that sees everyone as an opponent, especially those who fought alongside her against the great demons." Lei Jun said.

If Sangjie Shangren was truly friendly and courteous without any ill intentions, then there would be no problem at all.

But if he had a hidden agenda and his heart thought otherwise, then...

"Some things are known to the Sect Leader, to us, but not enough to convince others," Yuan Mobai said. "With the Emperor in Chang'an, there shouldn't be any major upheaval, but we should still make adequate preparations."

He looked at Lei Jun and asked, "How's Yuan Zhen doing?"

Lei Jun replied, "We've been in contact once before. Senior Sister knows about the previous events on land, and she mentioned that she will be returning from overseas in the coming days, but it's unclear if she has made any progress in tracking the Butterfly King of Qianye."

Yuan Mobai smiled and said, "Thanks to your continuous improvements to the Thousand-Mile Sound Transmission Talisman and other such talismans over the years, it's much more convenient for our sect to obtain information from afar these days."

Lei Jun said, "After venturing deep into the open sea, the spiritual energy and the evil aura intertwine, making it difficult for me to contact Senior Sister due to the obstructing sea waves. As the saying goes, learning has no end."

Elder Lei had added a trip to the distant seas to his itinerary, intending to study the spiritual energy veins in the distant seas.

News continued to arrive from Guanzhong. With the mediation and suppression of the Tang imperial family, no further conflicts erupted between the Vajra Division and the Celestial Master's Mansion.

Although Tang Xiaotang had injured someone, no one could force her to apologize to Sangjie Shangren.

As long as they didn't fight again after meeting, that was good enough.

Fortunately, Celestial Master Tang didn't need to take action personally.

Zhang Jingzhen represented the Celestial Master's Mansion in dealing with the Tang imperial family and the Buddhist Sect.

Of course, Zhang Jingzhen wouldn't apologize on behalf of her Sect Leader either.

On her way to Chang'an, she had already prepared her excuses.

In short, she was going to bring up old accounts.

Fourteen years ago, the previous Celestial Master, Li Qingfeng, perished, and Dragon Tiger Mountain successively fought the Lin Clan of Jiangzhou, the Huangtian Dao, as well as the Blood River Sect and the Wu Clan of Yanshan.

At that time, the Celestial Master's Seal reappeared, and it wasn't just the Celestial Master's Mansion that was vying for it.

"The Vajra Temple's Long Jia Shangren also got involved. Although he didn't obtain the Celestial Master's Seal in the end, it doesn't sound good. You didn't take the Celestial Master's Seal, but you hindered our Dragon Tiger Mountain sect from retrieving it, isn't that right?"

"It's normal for our sect leader to be a bit agitated when seeing your Vajrayana monks."

Of course, it was Sangjie Shangren who was struck by Tang Xiaotang, not Long Jia Shangren.

Before Mount Sumeru reopened, the two might not have known each other.

But all the Heavenly Master's Mansion needed was an excuse.

This explanation wasn't for the Buddhist Sect but for the Tang imperial family.

Speaking of which, this incident vaguely implicated Chu Yu, who was also in Guanzhong at the time.

Fortunately, he was still in Suzhou then.

"With the Emperor's mediation, the situation has basically calmed down, and the sect leader and Jingzhen Shizi will return to the mountain soon."

Yuan Mobai said, "According to Jingzhen Shizi, the Emperor bestowed a generous gift upon Sangjie Shangren to put this matter to rest."

Lei Jun said, "I definitely trust Shizi, but this Vajrayana sect seems to have ill intentions."

Yuan Mobai nodded slightly. "According to the news from Guanzhong, regardless of Jia Sheng Shangren, Sangjie Shangren, or other high monks from the Vajra Division, they are all quite young."

Lei Jun said, "Over the past few thousand years, the spiritual energy in the mortal realm was not abundant, but the Nine Heavens and Ten Realms were all independent of the mortal realm, and they might have been a completely different scene. Back then, the gates between the realms were closed, but now that they are open again, we cultivators should indeed be cautious."

The Heavenly Master's Mansion wasn't the only one facing this issue.

At present, all aspects of the Great Tang were cautiously observing the suddenly expanded Vajra Realm in the Western Regions and other extraterritorial realms that might reconnect with the mortal realm.

Yuan Mobai said, "Fortunately, the spiritual energy in the mortal realm is surging, and a prosperous age is gradually reappearing."

In such an environment, the younger the cultivator, the more potential they had to benefit from it.

Those who had made rapid progress in recent years were often the younger generation.

Ye Yan, the clan head of the Ye Clan in Qingzhou, was almost the only exception, an old tree that had blossomed anew.

Moreover, strictly speaking, Ye Yan wasn't very old either.

Although he was of the same generation as Chu Xiuyuan, Ye Moquan, and Huang Xuanpu, he was basically the youngest among the peerless giants, just like how Yuan Mobai, Chu Yu, and Yuxi Ling were younger than him.

In this battle against the demons in Guanzhong, many young powerhouses emerged and stood out.

The Empress was an exceptional existence and didn't need to be mentioned.

Tang Xiaotang, the youngest Octuple Heaven cultivator in this world, also didn't need further introduction.

Xiao Xuting had kept a low profile for the past two years after returning to the capital from the Southern Wilderness, rarely appearing in public.

But this time, after breaking through to the Octuple Heaven realm, he successfully killed the previous abbot of the Great Emptiness Temple, the Dharma King Ji Xiang, with his Mountain River Sword. Then, during the battle between Jia Sheng Shangren and the Snow Country Bear King, he struck again and injured the Snow Country Bear King, a Ninefold Heaven demon. His actions were truly astonishing.

Both of them had stepped into the Octuple Heaven realm before the age of fifty, attracting the attention of the world.

Although Chu Yu's breakthrough to the Octuple Heaven realm was a bit late, he had also entered the Seventh Heaven before the age of fifty.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end

Report