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Chapter 280: 279. Western Buddhist Monks, Our Land of China is a Nation of Etiquette (Part 1)
Chapter 280: 279. Western Buddhist Monks, Our Land of China is a Nation of Etiquette (Part 1)
"Consecutive Misfortunes..."
Lei Jun carefully studied the words on the fortune slip, deep in thought.
It seemed to correspond with the initial message conveyed by the glowing sphere—'Chaos Reigns'.
Additionally, the mention of "Compassion's Secret Treasure, Fortune and Misfortune Crossed" led Lei Jun to associate it with Buddhism, although he couldn't yet pinpoint which specific sect it referred to.
Based on the fortune slip, there were three key locations: Haneda Peak, You Ning Lake, and Chaos River Valley.
Lei Jun recalled the information he had gathered during his previous visit to the Southern Wasteland, and a rough map of the vast land appeared in his mind.
While information about Haneda Peak and Chaos River Valley was relatively scarce, You Ning Lake, among these places, seemed to be slightly closer to the ancient Jiuli Secret Realm...
The mention of You Ning Lake in the lower fortune slip made Lei Jun wonder if the problem lay with the Jiuli people who had returned to the human realm.
Numerous speculations arose in Lei Jun's mind.
However, despite these speculations, whether it was You Ning Lake mentioned in the lower fortune slip or Chaos River Valley in the worst fortune slip, Daoist Master Lei had no intention of actively seeking out trouble.
His attention turned to the two average fortune slips.
The first one needed no further explanation—it advised staying away from Haneda Peak, You Ning Lake, and Chaos River Valley.
Although there was nothing extra to gain, there was also nothing to lose. As the saying goes, "less is more, and doing nothing avoids mistakes." It was uneventful, yet it offered true peace and tranquility.
The second average fortune slip mentioned Haneda Peak, and the reason for drawing a neutral fortune was that there might be opportunities there, but also potential challenges. The two sides were roughly equal.
However, according to the fortune slip's description, although there were some risks, they shouldn't be fatal.
A five-grade opportunity, neither too high nor too low, piqued Lei Jun's interest, but it wasn't something he had to pursue at all costs.
Considering that he needed to remind his master, Yuan Mobai, to avoid danger, Lei Jun suppressed his curiosity about Haneda Peak.
The current situation in the Southern Wasteland was complex, and it was better to lie low and observe the situation further.
With that in mind, Lei Jun contacted Yuan Mobai again.
Lei Jun mentioned the source of his intelligence through Qiyuan and hinted that the situation around Gaoweng Mountain might have changed and was complex and unpredictable, especially with You Ning Lake and Chaos River Valley possibly holding greater dangers.
"Since that's the case, let's change our meeting place," Yuan Mobai suggested.
Lei Jun nodded slightly.
Rather than saying there were three related places, it would be more accurate to say there were four.
There was also their intended destination, Gaoweng Mountain.
But that was just the agreed-upon meeting place for Lei Jun and his master; the mountain itself wasn't particularly important.
Although one didn't necessarily have to pass through Haneda Peak, You Ning Lake, and Chaos River Valley to get to Gaoweng Mountain, similarly, Lei Jun and his master didn't have to meet there...
Since that was the case, they could simply choose another location.
However, even with the change in meeting place, the master and disciple did not let down their guard.
The world was unpredictable, especially in the Southern Wasteland, where dangers and variables were everywhere. Avoiding one place might bring them closer to another.
Such occurrences were commonplace, so even as they chose an alternative location to meet, Lei Jun and his master remained vigilant during their journey.
As expected, Lei Jun received another message from Yuan Mobai later on.
He had encountered some unexpected situations along the way.
Thankfully, it was only a scare, and he escaped unharmed.
The black mist of the Jiuli people suddenly spread, and Yuan Mobai just happened to be in its path.
He suddenly found himself facing the Jiuli people who had appeared with the mist.
The sudden turn of events caught them both off guard.
A brief encounter led to a fierce battle, and Yuan Mobai chose to disengage and retreat from the black mist, sending a warning to Lei Jun to be cautious.
"As described in ancient texts, the Jiuli people are quite different from the inhabitants of the human realm."
Yuan Mobai briefly explained the situation to Lei Jun: "Generally speaking, the practices of the Jiuli people are similar to the traditions of the Witchcraft Sect of the Southern Wasteland, but there are also some differences."
It was similar to the differences between the ancient Fulu School and the Fulu School of the current Daoist School, where there were obvious connections between the two, and even some completely identical aspects, but also many significant variations.
According to Yuan Mobai, the most noticeable difference was that these Jiuli people, who practiced the ancient witchcraft traditions, had extremely robust physical bodies.
While this wasn't completely absent among the Witchcraft Sect's five lineage traditions in the Southern Wasteland, it had never been the mainstream.
Within the five lineages of the Witchcraft Sect, the Gu Worm lineage and the Ghost lineage primarily cultivated their spiritual souls. The Divine Dance lineage and the Incantation lineage were not as extreme, but they also focused mainly on spiritual soul cultivation.
The Blood River lineage had many flesh-altering techniques that involved physical cultivation, but their specialty lay more in their bizarre transformations, deadly attacks, and their ability to heal and even resurrect themselves.
However, when it came to robust, resilient, and fierce physical bodies, that wasn't their forte either.
Among the various lineages of the Witchcraft Sect in the Southern Wasteland, if there was one group known for their expertise in direct physical combat and defense, it would be the walking corpses cultivated by the Ghost lineage's holy land, Jinchengzhai... But there was no doubt that the Ghost lineage cultivators themselves did not excel in physical prowess.
The Jiuli people, on the other hand, practiced witchcraft that focused on the spiritual soul while also possessing robust physical bodies, making them powerful and well-rounded.
"However, I'm not sure if it's because they've lived underground in darkness for so long, but these Jiuli people, despite their yearning for the world above, currently prefer darkness and avoid light. They even feel pain when exposed to light, and their spiritual souls and physical bodies suffer together," Yuan Mobai said.
"So, most of the time, they stay within the black mist and do not venture out recklessly."
The black mist that spread from the Jiuli Secret Realm remained condensed and did not dissipate.
Previously, it had been limited to a small area, but as time passed, it gradually began to expand.
"Please rest assured, Master. I will be cautious."
Lei Jun replied, "Understood."
Ending the communication with Yuan Mobai, Lei Jun continued on his journey.
Master and disciple decided to change their meeting place from Gaoweng Mountain to Qingguo Valley.
As usual, Lei Jun utilized the Yin Hang variation of his Tian Xing Lu and the light from the Xuan Xu Jing as means of concealment, blending seamlessly with the southern wasteland terrain while advancing at a rapid pace.
Along the way, Lei Jun's eyes suddenly gleamed with the flickering light of the Tian Tong Di Che Fa Lu.
He immediately slowed down, and the Xi Rang Qi appeared. The dim spiritual light transformed the earth and rocks, camouflaging him as part of the mountains.
At the same time, the Xuan Xu Jing faintly materialized, its light shifting from darkness to brightness, alternating between obscurity and illumination to hide himself while scouting the surroundings.
He vaguely sensed the presence of other Upper Realm cultivators nearby.
Upon further investigation, he indeed discovered something amiss.
At first glance, he noticed tiny Gu worms scattered about.
These Gu worms were not meant for attack nor searching, but rather served as sentries.
They spread out to act as a warning system. Should anyone approach recklessly, these hidden Gu worms would detect them and alert their master.
The Gu worm technique of the Witchcraft Sect, similar to the Talisman Forging Sect of the Daoist School, emphasized the cultivation of the spiritual soul.
Consequently, their perception abilities were above average.
However, Lei Jun excelled in this aspect, allowing him to detect their presence first.
Apart from the sentry Gu worms on the periphery, the visitor had also cast a Qian Ying Gu on themselves for concealment.
Nevertheless, with the Tian Tong Di Che Fa Lu within and the Xuan Xu Jing without, Lei Jun's perception was extraordinary, and he managed to see through his opponent, who was also a Seventh Heaven cultivator.
Recognizing the elderly figure, Lei Jun inwardly acknowledged the coincidence of their encounter.
In a sense, they were old acquaintances.
It was none other than Tian Linlong, an elder of Yin Shan Valley, a sacred site of the Witchcraft Sect in the Southern Wasteland.
During the past conflicts between the Celestial Master's Mansion and the Lin Clan of Jiangzhou and the Huang Tian Dao, Tian Linlong, along with members of the Blood River Sect, had shown up to witness the bloodshed.
Later, when the Celestial Master's Mansion was embroiled in the Li Wai battle, Tian Linlong had meddled in that affair as well.
Lei Jun had also once killed Tian Linlong's direct disciple, the Gu master Zhao Sen.
After the great war in the Southern Wasteland sparked by Wei Ancheng and Yang Yuqi, although Tian Linlong appeared to keep a low profile - with Yin Shan Valley forming an alliance with Cycle Abyss and Song Mountain to counter the Blood River Sect - he had secretly maintained contact with Yang Yuqi, a member of the former Sui royal family.
Following the war, as Wei Ancheng and Yang Yuqi fled, Tian Linlong, being an elder of Yin Shan Valley, dared not act so arrogantly anymore. Over the years, he had been hiding and keeping a low profile, rarely venturing out.
Lei Jun never expected to encounter Elder Tian again at this moment.
He observed Tian Linlong's condition, noting that he looked somewhat listless and gloomy as he hurried along.
Judging from his direction of travel, it seemed that he might be coming from the area where Yuan Mobai had mentioned encountering the Jiuli people.
This caught Lei Jun's attention, and he focused a little more of his attention on the elder.
Tian Linlong hurried along his path but suddenly came to a halt.
He hadn't detected Lei Jun's presence.
Instead, the ground before him suddenly stirred, and a small worm emerged from the soil.
Tian Linlong opened his palm, and the worm flew up, landing on it.
The Gu worm's body trembled slightly, and a human voice unexpectedly transmitted from it:
"What happened?"
Lei Jun, with the aid of the Tian Tong Di Che Fa Lu, was able to hear their conversation intermittently despite the distance:
"I happened to encounter the expansion of the Jiuli black mist and came across a battle between Upper Realm cultivators, which destroyed one of my caves. I had to find another place to hide."
The Gu worm used for communication asked, "What's the situation?"
Tian Linlong replied, "To avoid detection, I didn't get too close, but from a distance, it seemed like a Daoist Talisman Forging cultivator fighting a Jiuli expert. The talisman used by the Talisman Forging cultivator seemed to be of the Life Star God."
"What happened earlier at Haneda Peak?" the other party asked.
Lei Jun found the voice familiar and tried to identify it.
After some thought and recollection, he felt that it sounded similar to Yang Yuqi, the legitimate heir of the former Sui Dynasty.
"There was a conflict between people from the Tang court and the White Lotus Sect's Future Buddha," Tian Linlong answered.
"Thank you for the information, Elder Tian. Please continue to keep an eye out for similar events," Yang Yuqi requested.
Tian Linlong agreed.
After a few more exchanges, they ended their conversation. Instead of burrowing back into the ground, the Gu worm turned into ash in Tian Linlong's palm.
The master Gu master stood still for a moment, deep in thought, unconcerned about exposing his whereabouts due to the presence of the Qian Ying Gu.
Lei Jun, on the other hand, felt a sense of emotion.
Based on the timing and direction of travel, it seemed that Elder Tian had encountered the battle between the Daoist Talisman Forging cultivator and the Jiuli expert earlier, and the Talisman Forging cultivator who used the Life Star God talisman was most likely Yuan Mobai.
Elder Tian had previously gone to the Haneda Peak mentioned by Yuan Mobai and was now returning to his hidden cave abode.
With Yuan Mobai changing his destination from Gaoweng Mountain to Qingguo Valley, he had unfortunately encountered the Jiuli expert along the way, leading to a battle that affected Tian Linlong's hidden cave, forcing him to leave and find another hiding place.
As a result, just as he had evaded Yuan Mobai, he now ran into Lei Jun.
Such a twist of fate prompted Lei Jun to sigh repeatedly.
Since it had come to this, perhaps there wouldn't be a next time.
Lei Jun calmly raised his hand, and two Taiji Tian Yuan talismans spun above his head, rapidly gathering Yuan magnetic force.
Then, a Xuanjin sword pellet transformed into a sword light, flashing in the air before disappearing without a trace.
As if ignoring the distance, the light reappeared in an instant, directly in front of Tian Linlong.
The Qian Ying Gu, as if it didn't exist, was instantly slashed and obliterated by the sword light.
The attack came too quickly, and Tian Linlong had just barely sensed the stirrings of an extraordinarily powerful force in the distance when his fragile physical body was blasted to pieces.
"Boom!"
Amid the clash of thunder and lightning, Tian Linlong's body was blown to smithereens, his flesh and blood scattering in all directions. As his remains dissipated, a profusion of vibrant colors seemed to spread from within.
Countless Gu worms scattered in all directions.
However, the fierce thunder and lightning, along with the scorching heat waves, instantly incinerated a large number of the Gu worms.
The ground caved in, leaving behind a charred and blackened crater.
Although the offensive capabilities of the Xuanjin Jianwan were not as formidable as those of the Seven Star Sword treasure, Lei Jun had not infused it with the power of the dark side of the heavenly tome.
As a result, the Yuan magnetic force spread out, sweeping across the area.
The Gu worms that had scattered after the destruction of Tian Linlong's body were also burned to ashes.
However, the distant Gu worms he had originally used for surveillance had escaped unharmed due to their greater distance.
These surveillance Gu worms scattered in all directions, as if they had lost control and were now fleeing in random directions.
Lei Jun's eyes flashed with the Tian Tong Di Che Fa Lu, and at the same time, the Xuan Xu Jing appeared above his head, emitting a bright mirror light that pointed towards one of the fleeing surveillance Gu worms in the distance.
"Tong Sheng Gu (Symbiotic Gu)..." Lei Jun nodded slightly, and his figure flashed as he switched the Yin Hang variation of his Tian Xing Lu to the Yang Hang variation, rushing forward at full speed and quickly catching up to the surveillance Gu worm.
Lei Jun was most familiar with the strengths and weaknesses of his own Yuan magnetic "sword technique."
It was less of a sword technique and more like a "cannon," as it was difficult to perform precise maneuvers after releasing it, but it boasted an extraordinary range and attack power.
If it missed, then so be it, but if it hit, most cultivators at the same realm would not be able to withstand even a single strike.
However, aside from its enormous consumption of spiritual power, its rapid-fire speed was not particularly outstanding, and its coverage area was limited.
Therefore, while it was suitable for single-target assaults and breaking through defenses, using it against a Gu master like Tian Linlong might actually give him a glimmer of hope for survival.
One of Tian Linlong's life Gu was called the Tong Sheng Gu, and its primary function was to disperse the Gu worms, thereby increasing his chances of escape.
As a Great Gu Master of the Upper Three Heavens, his life Gu had undergone continuous sublimation, and his self-healing and escape abilities far surpassed those of his disciple, Zhao Sen, who was only a Middle Three Heavens cultivator.
However, Lei Jun's initial strike had destroyed most of his Gu worms, and Elder Tian could barely recover in time.
Lei Jun was well-prepared and immediately focused on the key target.
Some of the Gu worms gathered and condensed in the air, forming Tian Linlong's divine soul.
Sensing that Lei Jun had caught up to him, Tian Linlong's divine soul trembled, and he made a desperate move.
His divine soul changed color, and the vibrant hues of purple and red reappeared, even permeating the surrounding objects.
(End of Chapter)
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