https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-264-I-Am-Truly-Happy-for-My-Senior-Brother-Part-2-/12587128/
Chapter 265: A Double Fortune! (Part 1)
Chapter 265: A Double Fortune! (Part 1)
It had been many years since Xu Yuanzhen rose to fame.
Just as renowned as her formidable strength and exceptional talent was her temperament.
So, it was no surprise to Chu Yu, Elder Miaoyi, and the others that Xu Yuanzhen preferred to act alone.
After a brief exchange with Lei Jun, Xu Yuanzhen departed on her own, just as they expected.
Lei Jun smiled at the Tang Imperial Family members and Elder Miaoyi of Tianlong Temple, "Our enemies are clear, but we must operate in the shadows. Senior Sister's intention is for us to split into two groups, one in the light and one in the dark, working together to ensure we capture all the Yellow Sky followers without letting any escape."
Chu Yu smiled in agreement, "That's undoubtedly the best plan."
Lei Jun bowed to everyone present in the Daoist style, "This time, we are clearing out the Yellow Sky followers, an internal affair of our Celestial Master's Mansion. However, the Yellow Sky followers are treacherous, and we are grateful for your help in joining us to eradicate them."
The Tang God's military strategist who had come with Chu Yu was named Shangguan, from the prestigious Shangguan clan, and his full name was Shangguan Sheng.
He returned Lei Jun's courtesy, "You're too kind, Daoist Lei. The Yellow Sky cult is a heretical sect that our Tang Dynasty has officially declared as wanted criminals. Now that we have their clues, we must destroy them."
Lei Jun replied, "Thank you, Master Chu, and thank you, General Shangguan."
Chu Yu smiled, "You're too kind, Daoist Lei."
Lei Jun then turned to Elder Miaoyi of Tianlong Temple, "We appreciate your help, Elder Miaoyi."
The venerable old monk with a dignified aura joined his palms together, "You flatter me, Daoist Lei. We have no intention of interfering in your internal affairs, but the Yellow Sky cult has harmed mankind and become a scourge to the Tang Dynasty. For the sake of the common people, we are here to lend a helping hand. I hope the Daoists of the Celestial Master's Mansion will not find it offensive."
Lei Jun humbly responded, "Not at all."
The reason for Elder Miaoyi and Tianlong Temple's cooperation this time was actually quite simple.
The Yellow Sky cult, just like the White Lotus Sect and Dakong Temple, was designated as a rebel lair by the Tang Imperial Family.
There was no deep grudge between Tianlong Temple and the Yellow Sky cult.
However, their enmity with the White Lotus Sect and Dakong Temple ran deep.
Dakong Temple had suffered a crushing defeat at Jinguang Temple and was later ambushed by experts from the Tang Dynasty's God Strategy Army, incurring heavy losses.
Those involved were being hunted down and exterminated.
Tianlong Temple had already sent other experts to join the pursuit, assisting the Tang Imperial Family in hunting down the successors of Dakong Temple over the past few years.
In addition to the young abbot, Yuanmie, Dakong Temple had lost many more disciples to capture and killing over the past three to four years.
Now, they had once again lost their foothold on land and were forced to retreat back to the overseas regions.
The Tang Imperial Family and Tianlong Temple, along with other Buddhist sacred sites, continued their pursuit of the remnants of Dakong Temple even across the seas.
Out of reciprocity, Tianlong Temple would naturally show some support now that the Tang Imperial Family was dealing with another rebellious sect, the Yellow Sky cult.
After all, while Dakong Temple had fallen, the White Lotus Sect still remained.
Known for its lineage of Magic Buddha, Dakong Temple had made a spectacular return to the land a decade ago, causing a stir with its fiery momentum.
However, in just about ten years, it had fallen back into the abyss.
While the White Lotus Sect had kept a low profile in recent years, their silent accumulation of power worried the elders of orthodox Buddhist sites like Elder Miaoyi even more.
Some time ago, the Future Maitreya made a brief appearance in the mortal world, astonishing everyone with his talent.
At a young age, he had already reached the Eighth Heaven realm, rivaling the new abbot of Dakong Temple, Yuanmie.
Both of them had attained the Eighth Heaven realm before the age of fifty, undoubtedly placing them among the top geniuses in the mortal world.
However, neither of them came from the orthodox Buddhist sects, and they were considered a thorn in the side of the Buddhist orthodoxy.
This left elders like Miaoyi feeling extremely disconcerted.
"It would be great if the Sixth Senior Brother were still here..." a Tianlong Temple disciple beside Elder Miaoyi murmured softly.
Elder Miaoyi did not reprimand the disciple but sighed softly instead.
About a hundred years ago, their Tianlong Temple had also produced a disciple with profound wisdom and exceptional talent. He had reached the Upper Three Heavens realm at a young age and was hailed as the top Buddhist disciple of his generation.
Unfortunately, about eighty years ago, heaven was jealous of his talent, and he perished overseas.
Although it was futile to dwell on the past, Elder Miaoyi couldn't help but feel deep regret.
If that disciple were still alive, there would have been hope for him to reach the Ninth Heaven realm.
In that case, their Tianlong Temple would have produced another Ninth Heaven realm Buddhist master, leaving no room for the successors of heretical sects to wreak havoc.
However, life was unpredictable, and Tianlong Temple could only live in the present and face the future.
What were the pressing issues at hand?
First, the White Lotus Sect was not just about the Future Maitreya.
The person who concerned Elder Miaoyi and the other Buddhist elders, as well as the Tang Imperial Family, even more, was the Future Maitreya's master and the current true leader of the White Lotus Sect.
In recent years, while the Future Maitreya had been attracting attention, there had been no news of the actual leader of the White Lotus Sect for a long time.
This leader of the White Lotus Sect was already widely recognized as a master of the perfect Eighth Heaven realm many years ago, and he could advance to the Ninth Heaven realm at any time, joining the ranks of a few like Qingzhou Ye Yan and Youzhou Lin Huan.
Unlike others who mostly operated openly in the world, the White Lotus Sect remained largely shrouded in mystery.
Some speculated that he had already succeeded in taking that final step but had not revealed himself publicly.
For Tianlong Temple, this was undoubtedly a huge threat.
Another important issue that Tianlong Temple had to face was the newly emerged Sumeru Vajra Division in the west. Although it seemed to be part of Jin'gang Temple, it was an orthodox Buddhist sect, and its relationship with Tianlong Temple was even more delicate than when Jin'gang Temple was alone in the Western Regions.
Earlier, due to the dominance of the Daoist sects, especially the Celestial Master's Mansion, the Buddhist sects had changed their stance to some extent.
Now, with the emergence of the Sumeru Vajra Division, the decline of Dakong Temple, and the heavy damage suffered by Pure Yang Palace, the Buddhist sects would undoubtedly adjust their strategies accordingly.
The intricacies of the thoughts of the Tianlong Temple group were unknown to Lei Jun, but he could guess a thing or two from their actions and decisions.
Lei Jun maintained a calm expression and was courteous in his interactions, not neglecting any manners.
The group set off from the Wu and Yue lands and embarked on their journey across the sea, keeping a low profile.
The number of people on this trip was not large, mainly to prevent news from spreading.
If they truly found the right place, the Yellow Sky Sect would have nowhere to run. However, Chu Yu, Shangguan Sheng, and the others anticipated that some of the Yellow Sky disciples might choose to fight to the death rather than surrender. Thus, the goal of this trip was not only to destroy the Yellow Sky Sect's stronghold but also to capture as many of them as possible.
Although the group was small in number, each member was competent and possessed considerable strength.
Especially with the personal involvement of Xu Yuanzhen of Jiuchong Heaven, her cultivation and strength were such that she could single-handedly surround a group of enemies.
In comparison, Elder Lei seemed to be there to assist Elder Xu.
Or, to be more precise, Elder Lei's main responsibility on this trip seemed to be facilitating communication between Elder Xu and the court.
While his cultivation realm was not as high as Xu Yuanzhen's, he was much easier to get along with than Xu Yuanzhen in the eyes of Shangguan Sheng and the others.
Compared to his mentor, Yuan Mo Baiyuan Elder, Lei Jun seemed to have a more relaxed and indifferent temperament, but he remained polite and courteous in his interactions.
Especially when compared to Xu Yuanzhen.
"Among the disciples of Longhushan, Lei Zhongyun is the most suitable candidate for the position of Celestial Master!"
On the journey, the Shangguan clan's disciples privately discussed and exchanged opinions: "Xu and Tang are strong, but... they're too unpredictable!"
"Aside from those three, who else is there?"
"The others lag behind Xu and Tang by more than just a step. Elder Lei is also a rising star in the later stages."
"I wonder how long the current Celestial Master will hold the position. If she stays in power for too long, the next Celestial Master will likely be one of the younger disciples of the Celestial Master's Mansion."
The Shangguan clan's disciple was careful with his words, leaving some things unsaid.
In recent years, due to the presence of Xu Yuanzhen, Tang Xiaotang, and others, the Celestial Master's Mansion had shown signs of resurgence.
They had consecutively conquered the ancestral lands of the Lin Clan of Jiangzhou, the Lin Clan of Youzhou, and the Ye Clan of Jinzhou, demonstrating their strength.
The influence of the aristocratic families had diminished as a result.
For the Tang imperial family, the weakening of the local powerful clans was naturally a good thing.
It also eased the pressure on the military nobility like the Shangguan clan.
However, combined with Empress Zhang Wantong's various measures, the Shangguan and Lu clans, as military nobles, also felt a sense of unease.
In this situation, having a Celestial Master with a personality like Xu Yuanzhen or Tang Xiaotang was like a double-edged sword.
If given a choice, the military nobility would also hope for the leader of the Celestial Master's Mansion to be a relatively moderate and detached person.
Zhang Jingzhen and Shangguan Ning would be the ideal candidates, but they knew that the chances of that happening were slim.
Among the others, Lin Shan was known to be close to the court, but his current cultivation was far inferior to that of Tang Xiaotang.
After considering all the options, the only suitable candidate was Elder Lei Zhongyun.
At the very least, this Elder Lei had a more stable and predictable mindset, and he was a normal person.
On the other hand, his personal strength was relatively lower than Xu and Tang, so he would naturally be more cautious in his actions.
Of course, this was a relative comparison.
After the news of the battle in Jiangzhou spread, no one in the outside world would dare to underestimate Lei Jun, who had just cultivated to the Seventh Heaven realm and defeated Lin Chi, the elder of the Lin Clan.
Chu Yu led the way.
She heard the quiet discussions of the Shangguan clan's disciples behind her, but she didn't turn around or join the conversation. Instead, her gaze fell on Lei Jun's figure further ahead.
Speaking of which, it had been over twenty years since she first met Lei Jun.
Those twenty-plus years had validated her initial judgment—he had indeed soared to great heights.
But now, Chu Yu felt that she couldn't see through him as easily as before.
Lei Jun had also made a name for himself in the battle of Jiangzhou, surprising everyone with his achievements.
However, it was unknown if he only had this one remarkable feat up his sleeve.
……………………
The group flew across the vast sea.
"We're almost there," Lei Jun, who was guiding them, informed the group.
However, at that moment, the glowing ball in Lei Jun's mind suddenly flashed and displayed some words:
【Deep Sea Waves Turning, Reversing the World, Rebirth of Life, Undying Death, Illusory and Real, Great Fortune.】
Along with this came three fortunes.
But this time, as Lei Jun looked at the three fortunes, he was surprised and even read them again to make sure he hadn't misread:
[Great Fortune: Head to the Deep Sea Cave Mansion of the Qing Shi Island in the South. There is an opportunity to obtain a second-rate opportunity. Currently, there is no risk, and with proper handling, there will be no worries. Great Fortune!]
[Great Fortune: Head to Jiu Fang Island. There is an opportunity to obtain a third-rate opportunity. There will be little turbulence but more surprises than dangers. No worries. Great Fortune!]
[Medium Fortune: Head to Qing Shi Island. No risks, no extra gains. Average.]
Two Great Fortunes at the same time on this trip?
Lei Jun was delighted. This was the first time his luck had been so incredible.
And one of the fortunes pointed to a second-rate opportunity? This was rare, but Lei Jun felt that it probably wasn't the Celestial Master's Robe...
He had two clues about the Celestial Master's Robe and could affirm that this treasure of the Celestial Master's Mansion was currently ownerless.
At least, it wasn't in the hands of the Yellow Sky Sect.
As he approached the Yellow Sky Sect's stronghold, he didn't sense any reaction from the clues related to the Celestial Master's Robe.
Judging from this, this second-rate opportunity was most likely something else, but Lei Jun had no idea what it could be.
This piqued his curiosity.
In addition, another Great Fortune had appeared, pointing to a third-rate opportunity.
Qing Shi Island and Jiu Fang Island...
Lei Jun pondered for a moment.
According to the information he currently had, Kong Ming had already arrived in the area of Qing Shi Island.
Lei Jun couldn't be sure, but he suspected that the second-rate opportunity was related to that hidden cave mansion near Qing Shi Island.
As for Jiu Fang Island, what could be the situation there? After carefully studying the two fortunes, the one for Qing Shi Island mentioned an excellent opportunity with a second-rate chance, but it also warned of possible complications that required careful handling. On the other hand, the fortune for Jiu Fang Island indicated an excellent opportunity with a third-rate chance, suggesting some initial turbulence but more surprises than dangers and no lingering worries.
The former fortune didn't explicitly point to Qing Shi Island but rather to a hidden cave mansion near the island...
Lei Jun pondered for a moment and then sent a message to his senior martial sister, Xu Yuanzhen, informing her about Jiu Fang Island and requesting that she investigate the matter.
On this trip, the one with the strongest cultivation and strength was undoubtedly Senior Martial Sister Xu.
As for his group, they would first head to Qing Shi Island together.
"Two islands? If we don't consider the possibility of interference from others, it's most likely one real and one fake altar." Xu Yuanzhen asked, "Where is Kong Ming currently?"
Lei Jun had a similar suspicion.
If Jiu Fang Island was related to another force or a powerful demon, then it was a different matter.
But if both islands were under the control of the Yellow Sky Sect, then one of them might be a decoy to mislead them.
The sect altar was of utmost importance to the Yellow Sky Sect, so it was reasonable for them to have multiple layers of defenses.
"He's still in the area of Qing Shi Island," Lei Jun replied to Xu Yuanzhen.
Xu Yuanzhen said, "Then, I'll go to Jiu Fang Island."
If the Yellow Sky Sect had indeed set up one real and one fake altar, then Kong Ming, who had just gained access to the sect altar recently, would likely not be taken to the real altar immediately. Instead, he would first be taken to the fake altar on another island and undergo another round of scrutiny.
Therefore, it was more likely that the fake altar was on Qing Shi Island, where Kong Ming was currently located, and the real Yellow Sky Sect altar was on Jiu Fang Island.
The Sect Master, Tai Ping Dao Ren, might also be there.
Lei Jun didn't argue with Xu Yuanzhen, "If everything goes as expected, we will clear out this place on Qing Shi Island first and then head over to meet up with Senior Martial Sister as soon as possible."
Crushing the sea waves under their feet, Lei Jun and his group quietly approached the outer sea area of Qing Shi Island.
Suddenly, Lei Jun detected through his secret inspection that Kong Ming seemed to have left Qing Shi Island and headed south.
Was he going to the hidden cave mansion mentioned in the excellent fortune? Lei Jun wondered, his face expressionless as he kept this thought to himself.
Chu Yu, standing beside him, fixed her gaze on the huge island where the sea met the sky.
The island was not small, but it was covered in dense forests, and there was a large opening on the mountaintop. Although it seemed dormant, it exuded an explosive power, as if lava could burst out at any moment, which explained why it appeared uninhabited.
(End of Chapter)
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