Chapter 274: Lei Jun's Natural Aptitude

Chapter 274: Lei Jun's Natural Aptitude

Lei Jun left his mark but did not immediately sheath his sword.

Before him, a celestial seed unfolded once more, extending into a purple light.

Apart from this purple light, Lei Jun now held something else in his hand.

It was one of the leaves that Xu Yuanzhen had plucked from the Thousand-Petaled Butterfly King.

Lei Jun waved his hand, and the Seven Star Sword returned to his side, along with the purple light and the leaf left by the Thousand-Petaled Butterfly King, merging with his being.

As the light faded, Lei Jun's figure disappeared from sight, replaced by a middle-aged Taoist priest in plain robes. His eyes were sharp, and his face wore a confident, fearless smile, with a hint of arrogance.

Lei Jun did not leave immediately but remained in his transformed state for a while.

With the fusion of his being and the purple light from the celestial seed, he gained access to Chen Donglou's early memories and his consistent approach to life.

Lei Jun felt as if he had lived another life.

After a while, he nodded slightly and, with this new visage, departed from the place.

...

As time passed, news from the Qian Mountains spread far and wide.

When the outside world learned that Wang Dongchu had perished under Chen Donglou's sword, everyone was astonished.

Previously, Wang Dongchu had borrowed the Seven Star Sword to impersonate Chen Donglou and ambush Chu Yu. After the truth came to light, many speculated that Chen Donglou had already perished.

Otherwise, Wang Dongchu would not have dared to impersonate him so boldly.

Later, Wang Dongchu had used the ancient wood formation in the Mysterious Mountains to escape the pursuit of Shangguan Yunbo and the others, which had left the Tang Court Imperial Family feeling quite regretful.

Who would have thought that the latest news would reveal that Wang Dongchu had been killed by Chen Donglou instead?

Soon after, rumors spread that Chen Donglou himself had appeared in the Bashu region.

Just as others speculated about the elder of the Shushan Sect, who had been away for many years without any news, possibly returning to the sect after the great changes in Shushan, news quickly spread:

"Chen Donglou did not return to Shushan. After a trip to Xiaoding, he left on his own, leaving the Shushan disciples with mixed feelings."

However, considering Chen Donglou's character, this did not seem entirely unexpected.

Back then, he had left Shushan in anger. Although he was even more incompatible with Fu Dongsen now, he had no reason to be friendly with Zhang Dongyuan and the others.

The remaining Shushan disciples at Xiaoding had complex feelings and were filled with mixed emotions.

Before leaving, "Chen Donglou" left only one message:

"Whoever can contact Fu Dongsen, tell him I want to see him."

Looking at the departing figure, the Shushan disciples on Xiaoding exchanged glances, unsure of what to make of the situation.

...

In a desolate and uninhabited area of the barren southern wilderness, miasma shrouded the land.

This desolate place was devoid of life and did not produce any heavenly treasures. Even the Wu Clan members and great demons rarely ventured here.

Within these wild mountains, veiled by clouds and mist, stood a solitary pagoda.

From the outside, the pagoda appeared dull and lackluster, but in reality, it possessed a deep spiritual essence.

Beneath the pagoda was an underground cave that extended deep into the earth.

Inside the cave, three people sat facing each other: two women and one man.

The two female crowns appeared to be middle-aged, one calm and the other sharp-featured.

The former was Hong Jie, the eldest and most senior elder of Shushan, while the latter was Wei Qiuyue, another female master of Shushan.

Neither of them was in a good state at the moment.

Hong Jie was advancing in age, and in recent years, she had rarely taken action personally, avoiding conflicts as much as possible, especially those that could lead to injuries. Recovery at her age was much more challenging and time-consuming than in her youth, and any damage to her vitality might accelerate the decline of her cultivation and even reduce her lifespan.

During the first Shushan civil war, she had not made an appearance.

Unfortunately, in the recent great battle, Hong Jie had no choice but to take action, joining forces with Fu Dongsen and Wei Qiuyue.

As for Wei Qiuyue, she had almost been captured by Chu Yu, Zhang Dongyuan, and the others. It was only with the help of Fu Dongsen and Hong Jie that she had been able to escape Shushan and take refuge in the Qingxiaofu. However, she had been severely injured in the fierce battle.

In addition to being struck by Chu Yu's arrow, she had also been hit by Zhang Taogang's life-bound treasure, the Emei Golden Seal.

Her own life-bound treasure, a sword, had nearly been cut by Zhang Dongyuan's Qingming Sword.

With these triple injuries, it was a miracle that she had survived.

Since taking refuge in the Qingxiaofu, she had secluded herself to recuperate, and only now had she managed to stabilize her condition and prevent further deterioration.

During her recovery, her immortal soul had been unable to maintain her original appearance and form.

It was only now that she could reshape her human form, but she looked like a mere shadow, extremely insubstantial.

Despite her severe injuries, Wei Qiuyue forced herself to appear instead of continuing her recuperation, all because of the latest news they had received.

Wang Dongchu, who had cultivated the same Eightfold Heaven stage of the Daoist Art of Artifact Refinement, had perished.

"Is it really Chen Donglou?" Wei Qiuyue's voice was weak but serious.

In the main seat sat a middle-aged man, a Taoist priest in plain robes, but with a dignified air. He was none other than Fu Dongsen, the former leader of the Shushan Sect.

He sat in silence, his eyes narrowing slightly, but he did not answer immediately.

Hong Jie, sitting beside him, spoke up: "Before this, did you find any traces of his scattered soul?"

The upper three heavens of the Daoist Art of Artifact Refinement allowed cultivators to completely shed their physical bodies and enter a new stage of life. Therefore, even in death, they left no corpses behind.

To a certain extent, their life-bound treasures and artifacts could be considered their shells.

However, their immortal souls were exceptionally agile and resilient, allowing them to continue living even without their shells.

Especially at the Eightfold Heaven Immortal Journey stage, the immortal soul was said to roam freely.

However, without their life-bound treasures and artifacts, they would face many inconveniences.

Only when the immortal soul scattered and dissipated would it signify the fall of an upper three heavens cultivator of the Daoist Art of Artifact Refinement.

Just like Wang Dongchu's death in the Qian Mountains.

"... We were never truly able to confirm Chen Donglou's scattered soul."

Wei Qiuyue sighed softly, "But he hasn't been heard from in over a hundred years. When Dongchu and the others found his Seven Star Sword, the sword's spirit was dormant, and its restrictions were weakening. It seemed to have lost its master, rather than the master voluntarily releasing the sword."

Hong Jie fell silent for a moment before sighing as well, "In that case, we can't be certain that Donglou has truly perished."

The prolonged mental exertion caused Wei Qiuyue's immortal soul to flicker once more, almost unable to maintain her human form.

After a moment of silence, Wei Qiuyue finally stabilized her immortal soul and spoke up, "Senior Uncle Fu, I believe there is still some doubt as to whether the person who appeared this time is truly Chen Donglou or not. In terms of strength, if it was him, it would explain the mysterious aide that secretly assisted the Celestial Masters' Mansion during the battles in Jiangzhou and Jinzhou. But given his temperament, why would he aid the Celestial Masters' Mansion? Even if he truly wanted to help, why would he do so in such a secretive manner? After killing Junior Uncle Dongchu, why didn't he show himself immediately and instead chose to strike later on his own? This is inconsistent with his usual style."

Hong Jie nodded slightly.

Fu Dongsen spoke up, "If he had discovered something amiss in our sect through the fake deaths of Liu Dongzhuo and the others, he might have conducted a discreet investigation without making his presence known."

Chen Donglou was arrogant by nature and usually straightforward in his actions, but he wasn't completely devoid of cunning. It was just that he looked down on everyone, and he couldn't be bothered to put in extra effort. Over the past hundred years since he left the mountain, he had rarely contacted the sect, and no one knew whom he had met or what he had experienced during this time. Perhaps some events had prompted him to change, and the people of Shushan were unaware, so it was not appropriate to judge him based on their previous impressions.

On the other hand, Wang Dongchu had impersonated Chen Donglou to mislead the Tang Court Imperial Family's investigation and find a scapegoat. But if someone were impersonating Chen Donglou now, what would they hope to gain? If they wanted to take control of the currently weakened Shushan, Chen Donglou himself had already given up on that idea.

"The most effective way to confirm his identity is for me to meet him in person," Fu Dongsen said.

Both Hong Jie and Wei Qiuyue shook their heads.

"If he is still the Chen Donglou we know, meeting him would be pointless," Hong Jie said. "And if he has changed, then you going to see him would only be walking into a trap."

"This situation has taken us by surprise," Wei Qiuyue added. "One wrong step could lead to a chain of mistakes. We have already suffered too many losses and gained too little. We must not take any more unnecessary risks, or we will only make more mistakes. For now, we must abandon our pieces and focus on our next move, waiting for the right opportunity."

As they spoke, the three cultivators at the Eightfold Heaven stage could see the same sense of powerlessness in each other's eyes.

Previously, whether it was their Shushan sect, the Pure Yang Palace, or the Huang Tian Dao faction, everything had been progressing smoothly.

While quietly accumulating their strength, they had also been secretly testing, developing alliances, and identifying and eliminating potential opponents.

In the Pure Yang Palace, the majority of those who perished in the two great disasters were those who were completely uninterested in the idea of reestablishing the Celestial Court and creating a human Daoist nation.

The truth behind the previous civil war in Shushan was similar.

On the surface, it appeared to be a battle between the reformists and the traditionalists.

But underneath, it was also a process of identifying and eliminating potential threats.

The most obvious threat, of course, was someone like Zhang Dongyuan.

However, precisely because Zhang Dongyuan's background was so unique, they had let him go for the time being to avoid alerting the Tang Court Imperial Family prematurely. They would deal with him gradually in the future.

Even the Daoist Talisman sect, which had been making the least progress, had successfully infiltrated the Huang Tian Dao faction.

But unexpectedly, it was the Huang Tian Dao faction that ended up causing trouble.

One thing had led to another, and they had already lost three Eightfold Heaven cultivators—Feng Yi, Zhou Peng, and Wang Dongchu—even before their plans had officially begun.

They hadn't even started their uprising yet.

"The Buddhist sects in the Western Regions are not benevolent, and the noble families are merely biding their time," Fu Dongsen said. "We need to be more patient."

Hong Jie and Wei Qiuyue sighed.

Fu Dongsen stood up and said, "Senior Uncle Hong and Senior Uncle Wei, please take care of your injuries and strive for an early recovery. I will instruct Qingxiaofu to relocate once again."

......

After leaving his message as Chen Donglou, Lei Jun departed from Shushan.

With the help of Chen Donglou's immortal soul, the purple light, and the Seven Star Sword, as well as the leaf from the Thousand-Petaled Butterfly King, he could even face people like Zhang Dongyuan and Xu Duan, who had known Chen Donglou in the past, without raising suspicions, at least for a while.

However, if he stayed in Shushan for an extended period, not only would he risk being exposed, but he also didn't have the leisure for it.

After leaving Bashu, he secretly returned to the mountain.

Zhang Jingzhen had returned earlier.

As she and Lei Jun had expected, the Tang Court Imperial Family did not hold onto her half of the tablet but instead studied it and then asked her to bring it back to Longhushan. They hoped that Longhushan could further research the tablet and investigate the so-called Celestial Palace and the human Daoist nation.

Longhushan was allowed to keep the tablet, but they had to report any findings from their research to the Tang Court Imperial Family.

Lei Jun did not immediately retrieve the other half of the tablet that he had obtained from Chen Yi. Instead, he informed his senior martial sister, Xu Yuanzhen, to return to the mountain at a later date.

Xu Yuanzhen, who had been in the East China Sea, originally planned to go to Bashu. But after hearing from Lei Jun that both tablets were now complete, she decided to stop by the mountain sect's headquarters on her way back.

Tang Xiaotang was temporarily in seclusion, so Xu Yuanzhen presided over the reopening of the Wanfa Zongtan.

Under her guidance, the two tablets were combined, and the numerous dao patterns and talismans merged, forming a pillar of light that shot up into the sky.

Xu Yuanzhen stood in the Zongtan with her hands behind her back, gazing upward as her body began to levitate and gradually ascended into the clouds.

As the person with the second-best comprehension after Xu Yuanzhen, Lei Jun's body also rose into the air alongside hers.

Once again in mid-air, the two of them gazed into the distance.

This time, Lei Jun's perception revealed something more concrete.

A vast and boundless starry river.

Not the illusory kind found in the universe of the heavenly books.

But a real universe, a real Milky Way.

However, there was still no sign of the legendary Celestial Palace among the stars.

"There was indeed something that existed, but it has now faded away," Xu Yuanzhen said calmly.

"The fact that it existed is enough to drive some people into a frenzy and set them on a quest," Lei Jun said.

Xu Yuanzhen looked around, "But this place itself may bring about a chance encounter for you or Xiaotang. As for who it will be, we'll have to leave it to fate."

"From the level of comprehension of the Quietude Realm to the Natural Realm?" Lei Jun asked.

Standing there, he felt himself in harmony with the heavens and the earth, as if he were merging with the universe.

But for now, it was only a vague sensation.

Like an unreal illusion.

To make it a reality, he still had a long way to go.

At present, it could only be called an opportunity.

Although he had experienced similar things before, Lei Jun still felt excited and longed for that level of power.

"Yes, such opportunities gained after birth are extremely rare.

Zhang Jingzhen's figure descended once more as she spoke, "Whether it's you, Xiaotang, or someone else, success will also depend on other factors and luck."

At the very least, one needed to have a foundation of insight at the Quietude Realm.

While Zhang Jingzhen didn't deny the possibility entirely, she knew that, at the moment, it wasn't feasible unless she could first elevate her own insight to the Quietude Realm.

Xu Yuanzhen didn't hide the fact that Lei Jun possessed the other half of the celestial tablet, but she also didn't mention that Zhang Jingzhen had this opportunity. After leaving the Wanfa Zongtan, she explained that if there was another half of the tablet, it would have such wonderful uses, but the conditions were stringent, and Zhang Jingzhen's chances were slim at the moment.

After the incident in Nanzhao's Stone Forest, Zhang Jingzhen's demeanor and mood seemed to become even more serene.

Upon hearing Xu Yuanzhen's words, she remained calm and nodded slightly. "As it concerns the human Daoist nation, the matter is of great significance. My opinion is that this treasure should remain within the sect, and I will no longer be in charge of it personally."

Xu Yuanzhen casually waved her hand. "It's up to you."

Yuan Mobai then spoke, "Although it originated from the Upper Clarity Thunder Palace of the Pure Ones, this is ultimately your personal opportunity, Jingzhen. Now that it's in the hands of the sect, we can make arrangements for you to accumulate merit and virtue, and compensate you in other ways. This treasure can aid your cultivation, and you can also borrow it for your practice when you're in the sect."

"Thank you, Senior Uncle Yuan," Zhang Jingzhen said.

She paused before continuing, "That traitorous disciple of our sect, Chen Yi, aside from having half of the celestial tablet, there's something else unique about him."

After a period of consideration, Zhang Jingzhen finally decided not to hide anything and revealed that Chen Yi possessed a special golden hall.

"Oh? That's interesting," Xu Yuanzhen smiled. "Make it public. It will stir up quite a few waves."

Zhang Jingzhen suddenly smiled as well, her smile carrying a sense of relief and a resemblance to Xu Yuanzhen's, "Yes... indeed."

This wind would indeed stir up several pools.

Just as some people had decided to lay low and regroup in the shadows, they realized they had missed out on a treasure.

Previously, they had only thought that Chen Yi carried half of the celestial tablet.

Now, they learned that this young man held an even bigger secret.

The Tang Court Imperial Family, of course, wouldn't take this matter lightly.

Whether it was to search for Chen Yi's whereabouts themselves or to use him to set up a scheme to capture the rebels of the human Daoist nation, this was the most opportune moment.

Even the Confucian scholar families and the Buddhist sects in the Western Regions were paying close attention to this development.

The information had not been thoroughly verified, and for now, it was only Zhang Jingzhen's word.

However, the content had caught the attention of the major powers.

Even if they didn't go all out, they would keep a close eye on the situation.

If there was anyone who wasn't happy about this turn of events, it was Chen Yi himself.

Once the infamous traitor of the Celestial Master's Mansion, he had now truly become famous throughout the world, but being the target of everyone's attention didn't feel so pleasant.

The turmoil in the human world didn't subside just because the temporary end of the Shu Mountain incident. Instead, it continued to rage on.

However, this had little to do with Lei Jun for the time being.

In the following days, he stayed mostly within his sect's ancestral court, cultivating quietly on Longhu Mountain.

With no clues about the whereabouts of Fu Dongsen, Gu Han, and the other core members of the human Daoist nation, Lei Jun didn't dwell on it too much and left the Tang Court Imperial Family to worry about it.

As for the opportunity to elevate his insight further by combining the two halves of the celestial tablet, it was only a possibility for now.

He didn't mind who among his junior martial sister, Tang Xiaotang, or himself would be the first to seize this opportunity. He would just go with the flow.

On the other hand, in the dark side of the universe of his heavenly books, Luohu Kongming and Jidu Meng Shaojie, each had their own fortunes.

Meng Shaojie's calmness was genuine. After switching to the study of history, he didn't suddenly soar to great heights. His previous mediocrity had turned into a stunning display that surprised everyone.

He felt a bit insecure, but since he had made his decision, he dedicated himself to studying diligently.

According to Lei Jun's observations, this young man seemed to be quietly accumulating power, biding his time.

As for Kongming on the other side, he was a bit more stimulating.

He had just met a high-ranking member of the human Daoist nation.

Although it wasn't Gu Han of the Upper Three Heavens, it was still an Upper Realm cultivator.

Lei Jun had once seen Guo Ling, of the Huang Tian Dao faction, at the Shushan Sect's Zongtan in the Snowy Mountains of Western Sichuan.

With the help of Wen Zhao Qian's Yuan Infant fragments, its aura, and fragmented memories, Kongming, pretending to be Wen Zhao Qian, passed Guo Ling's test without incident.

While gaining the other party's trust, he also encountered some problems: for now, on the surface, because he was playing the role of Wen Zhao Qian, who had successfully seized a body, he could only remain at the Sixth Heaven of the Talisman Sect, regardless of whether there was a Zongtan or not.

Kongming was prepared for this.

After passing the first test, this silent young man began his second step.

First, he secretly studied the methods of the Pill Cauldron Sect, attempting to form a Yuan Infant secretly to enhance his strength.

At the same time, he tried to figure out Yu Shao's bottom line.

He waited for the right opportunity to help the Huang Tian Dao faction regain control of the Huang Tian Sect's Zongtan, and then he would continue his cultivation in the Talisman Sect.

With the news of the human Daoist nation made public, Kongming naturally knew who his opponents were.

However, with a resilient and tenacious will, he faced even the greatest difficulties without giving up hope. He started from the little things and worked hard to accumulate strength silently.

Although the human Daoist nation was strong, it also had powerful opponents.

Lei Jun's attitude towards this was...

Impressive.

Keep at it.

Through his proactive contact with Guo Ling and the human Daoist nation, Kongming didn't obtain any particularly high-level intelligence, but he worked hard to collect information and artifacts related to the ancient Talisman Sect and then submitted them to the dark side of the universe of heavenly books.

Lei Jun didn't hold back in rewarding him, helping Kongming to accumulate strength and improve his cultivation.

Lei Jun himself focused on his own cultivation.

Time flew by.

As time passed, Lei Jun's cultivation became increasingly profound.

One day, in his quiet room, Lei Jun sat with his legs crossed.

Above his head hung a talisman emitting purple light, with lightning intertwining.

At noon that day, a dragon's roar suddenly came from the purple talisman.

A large amount of purple lightning poured out of it and continued to merge.

Finally, a huge purple thunder dragon emerged from the talisman, its head protruding.

PS: Today, I'll do a 5k3 chapter. As long as my health permits, I'll try my best to write more.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end