Chapter 287: 286. A Triple-Grade Opportunity to Ascend to the Heavens

Chapter 287: 286. A Triple-Grade Opportunity to Ascend to the Heavens

Lei Jun gazed at the existence that resembled light and mist, his mind filled with bewilderment.

He had only read about the Ascending Vault Brilliance in ancient texts, and according to rumors, it had not appeared in the world for many years.

The Xiao Xue Peak in the middle reaches of the Xinjiang River was indeed picturesque, but it was not considered an exceptionally auspicious blessed land.

It was highly unusual for the Ascending Vault Brilliance to appear in such a place.

There were no other spiritual creatures or apparent changes in the surrounding area.

The origin of this treasure was suspicious. It was likely not naturally formed in this place but brought here by someone else.

It seemed to be randomly scattered, but upon careful observation, Lei Jun suspected that there was more to it.

The Ascending Vault Brilliance was known to greatly assist cultivators in strengthening their connection with the heavens and the earth, helping them to comprehend the principles of nature and integrate them into their own practices.

Additionally, it could also be used in the consecration of many magical artifacts and ritual instruments, aiding cultivators in creating superior treasures and artifacts.

Its applications were valuable to Daoist, Buddhist, Confucian, and Shaman cultivators alike.

Even martial cultivators seeking to forge divine weapons would find the Ascending Vault Brilliance immensely helpful in their endeavors.

It could be considered a versatile and potent heavenly treasure, albeit with a scarcity that was reflected in the sparse historical records.

As Lei Jun collected the luminous mist, he gradually comprehended its nature.

The situation at Xiao Xue Peak suggested that someone had used the Ascending Vault Brilliance for artifact crafting or creation in the past.

However, there were no traces or clues to provide further details.

Lei Jun's eyes, imbued with the insight of the Heaven-Earth Insight Technique, shone with a subtle glow, and the light of the Mysterious Mirror also brightened.

Unfortunately, there were no further revelations.

He pondered the reason behind the remaining Ascending Vault Brilliance being left unattended, rather than being recovered by its owner.

Was it a matter of indifference, or was there another reason? Lei Jun's thoughts lingered on this mystery.

Considering the origin of the fortune-telling result and the place where Luo Haoran had found Qin Caowei, it seemed that this matter was connected to the new female disciple who had recently joined the Daoist Academy.

However, the exact nature of the connection remained unclear.

For Lei Jun, the Ascending Vault Brilliance was undoubtedly one of the most needed spiritual objects at the moment.

If the Eight Scenic Winds, beneficial for cultivators facing the tribulations between the Seventh and Eighth Heavens, were like distant water.

Then, the Ascending Vault Brilliance was unquestionably able to quench his immediate thirst.

With this spiritual object, Lei Jun could choose to use it not for artifact refining but to aid his cultivation, greatly accelerating his progress and enabling him to complete the accumulation of the Seventh Heaven in a shorter time, making his final preparations for the assault on the Eighth Heaven.

It was indeed a valuable treasure.

However, its peculiar origin left Lei Jun with a sense of unease.

Although the fortune-telling result indicated great fortune without immediate risks or future worries, Lei Jun did not act impulsively.

He first collected the Ascending Vault Brilliance before noon, when it would dissipate, and sealed it away without immediate use.

Then, Lei Jun inspected the surrounding area and continued to monitor the situation for a while, ensuring that there were no further discoveries before returning to the mountain gate ancestral hall.

Seated in his cave abode, Lei Jun's eyes, gleaming with the Heaven-Earth Insight Technique, continued to shine.

The various scenes within the Daoist Academy were within his sight.

The girl with the surname Qin had already changed into the gray cloth robe commonly worn by Daoist disciples of the Celestial Master's Mansion, and under Luo Haoran's guidance, she was familiarizing herself with her new surroundings.

According to custom, she would formally pay respects and take refuge in the Three Jewels during the morning class tomorrow, after which she would attend classes with the others.

The girl was curious and observant, but her temperament seemed grounded, listening more than speaking, and refraining from fidgeting or wandering aimlessly.

In every regard, she appeared to be a child of ordinary means, albeit with a hint of underlying talent.

Lei Jun observed her for a moment before withdrawing his gaze.

The fortune-telling result for this tendency to seek good fortune and avoid evil revealed only one great fortune and a peaceful sign indicating complete peace and safety.

There was no mention of current dangers or future troubles.

Although Lei Jun was somewhat concerned, he did not dwell on it further without any clues to go on.

As the new year approached, it was once again time for the annual grand ceremony.

Tang Tianshi, the current Celestial Master, had lost his enthusiasm for the yearly event and no longer presided over it personally. However, out of respect for ritual and protocol, he would attend unless he was in seclusion or meditation.

Lei Jun casually inquired of Tang Xiaotang, "Junior Sister, have you come across any new disciples in the Daoist Academy who have caught your eye recently?"

It had been over a decade since Tang Xiaotang succeeded to the position of Celestial Master.

However, she had not taken on any personal disciples.

Considering her age and temperament, no one pressured her, and people would only occasionally recommend younger candidates to Tang Tianshi, hoping for a stroke of luck.

Unfortunately, Tang Tianshi's standards were exceptionally high, and she had yet to find anyone worthy of her attention.

Lei Jun's question seemed casual, and Tang Xiaotang's response was equally nonchalant, "No, it doesn't matter. When the time comes for me to leave the mountain, I'll find my own."

"If you're looking for someone who matches your own talent, that's truly not easy." Lei Jun remarked.

In fact, Qin Caowei's talent was not only high but extremely so.

The Celestial Master's Mansion was filled with talented individuals, but among their peers, only Zhuo Bao Jie, Lei Jun's disciple, and Xu Rui, who was under Li Zheng Xuan's guidance but had been taught by Fang Jian in recent years, could be considered comparable.

Luo Haoran had stumbled upon a rough gem that, with a little polishing, would shine brilliantly.

And from Tang Xiaotang's response, Lei Jun had gotten the answer he sought.

With no signs of malicious intent from Qin Caowei, this matter could be temporarily put to rest.

However, it did not mean that all was well, and Lei Jun, though not obsessed with the matter, remained vigilant and continued to observe discreetly.

As for Qin Caowei herself, she felt quite comfortable in Longhu Mountain.

Gazing at the sky shrouded in purple lightning near the mountaintop, she couldn't help but exclaim, "It's truly like a realm of immortal beings!"

With her chin propped up and her eyes skyward, she continued after a moment, "I wonder if Kunlun Mountain looks like this too?"

After a short while, the young girl rose to her feet and stretched lazily, feeling rejuvenated. "Regardless, I'm now a cultivator too, and a Daoist disciple at that!"

…………………

In a separate courtyard of the Zhao Wang Palace in Youzhou, three figures sat within the garden—two men and one woman.

One of them was an elderly man, the former clan head of the Cangzhou Ye family, Ye Moquan, who was currently residing in the courtyard.

The remaining two were Ye Moquan's eldest son, Ye Wei, who had officially taken over as the clan head of the Cangzhou Ye family, and Lin Xuan, the current clan head of the Youzhou Lin family.

Ye Wei had traveled from Cangzhou to Youzhou to meet with his father, Ye Moquan.

While in Youzhou, in addition to seeing his father, Ye Wei naturally also paid a visit to Zhao Wang Zhang Teng and Lin Xuan, the clan head of the Youzhou Lin family.

Zhao Wang Zhang Teng was currently in seclusion and refused to meet with any outsiders. His palace extended courteous hospitality to Ye Wei, but Zhang Teng himself remained out of sight.

Ye Wei was not surprised by this.

He knew that Zhao Wang Zhang Teng was currently in closed-door cultivation.

To some extent, one of the reasons for his trip to Youzhou to see Ye Moquan was related to Zhao Wang's closed-door cultivation.

"Is His Highness Zhao Wang finally going to attempt the final step?" Ye Wei asked in a soft voice.

Although Ye Moquan and Lin Xuan did not speak, they both nodded slowly.

Ye Wei continued, "Considering His Highness Zhao Wang's age..."

As the most senior member of the royal family of the Great Tang, Zhao Wang Zhang Teng's age was also considerable, exceeding four hundred years.

In other words, by normal standards, he had already entered the decline phase of an upper realm cultivator.

From this point on, it would be extremely challenging just to maintain his cultivation without noticeable regression, let alone strive for further progress.

In such a situation, the greatest likelihood in attempting to advance further was often perishing under the heavenly tribulation between the realms.

For an old tree to sprout new shoots was indeed an extremely rare exception.

And it was considered an exception precisely because, even if it did happen, it was exceptionally rare.

The reason why Ye Yan, the clan head of the Qingzhou Ye family, was able to succeed in taking that step was due to a special opportunity.

But what about Zhao Wang Zhang Teng?

He also had a special opportunity.

And it was closely related to the Cangzhou Ye family.

Although the loss of the Jinzhou ancestral land had been a huge blow, Ye Moquan had managed to turn the situation around and create a fierce and ardent qi that could assist martial cultivators in their practice.

This would help Zhao Wang Zhang Teng increase his chances of success.

However, even with this assistance, no one could guarantee that he would ultimately be able to overcome the final heavenly tribulation.

"I feel that His Highness seems rather confident," Lin Xuan said slowly, but her tone was uncertain.

Ye Wei was surprised to hear this.

Ye Moquan spoke up, "His Highness has his own judgment and decisions, and it's not impossible that he has another trick up his sleeve."

Ye Wei nodded.

Zhao Wang Zhang Teng would naturally not reveal everything to the Youzhou Lin family or the Cangzhou Ye family.

Since he had aspirations for the imperial throne, he must have something to rely on.

The help provided by the Cangzhou Ye family was likely meant to give him an extra layer of assurance as he attempted to break through to the ninth layer of the Upper Realm, helping him make that final decision.

However, what exactly was it?

"Uncle Ye, what about the situation in the Southern Wilderness...?" Lin Xuan turned to Ye Moquan.

Ye Moquan replied, "Leave it to your fourth uncle to handle. He knows what to do."

Ye Liang had perished at the hands of a powerful member of the Jiuli tribe.

For the Cangzhou Ye family, both in the public eye and privately, they had to respond to this incident.

However, if Ye Moquan and Ye Morong's opinions were sought, they would never consent to a full-scale war with the Jiu Li people, no matter the circumstances. Regrettably, they now found themselves in a precarious situation, having to placate both the imperial family and pacify their own clan members.

However, Ye Morong would not easily expand the conflict, causing the Cangzhou Ye family to become further entangled.

One day, at an opportune moment, the Ye family would find a way to retaliate against the Jiuli tribe.

"The Jiuli people are our enemies, and they will never be our friends. Their ferocity surpasses even the lawless bandits of the Southern Wilderness. It's difficult to even communicate with them."

Lin Xuan said, "In that case, it's good that Ye Liang went there to investigate and gather information so that we can know our enemy better."

Ye Moquan said, "The Jiu Li people have been isolated from the human world for a long time, and their language is vastly different from ours. That's why your fourth uncle and his team have made limited progress so far. Fortunately, after continuous attempts, they have finally made some headway."

The Jiu Lie expert who killed Ye Liang was named Li Yan, a ninth-layer cultivator of the Upper Realm from the Blood River lineage. He was cold-blooded and ruthless.

However, apart from the regions affected by the black mist of the Underground Sea, Li Yan rarely ventured into the outside world.

Meanwhile, the imperial family and Ye Morong had been further exploring the black mist of the Underground Sea.

"Your fourth uncle will send any new information he gathers to Youzhou," Ye Moquan instructed Ye Wei, who was sitting beside him.

Ye Wei acknowledged, and Lin Xuan thanked him.

After chatting for a while longer, Lin Xuan took her leave first, leaving only Ye Moquan and his son, Ye Wei.

After a brief moment of silence, Ye Wei spoke up again, "Father, it seems that the situation with fifteenth brother cannot be salvaged."

"Let it be," Ye Moquan said slowly. "In a way, this is also a form of branching out and spreading our roots."

"Yes, father," Ye Wei agreed.

Ye Moquan then asked, "How is Fei Shan doing?"

"He has started his closed-door cultivation to break through to the eighth layer of the Upper Realm," Ye Wei replied. "He has been preparing for a long time, and he's very confident. There shouldn't be any major issues."

"That's excellent," Ye Moquan said with a nod.

After conversing for a while longer, Ye Wei also took his leave.

Ye Moquan rose from his seat in the garden and returned indoors.

Once he was alone, the elderly man raised his hand to rub his brow, his expression filled with worry.

He let out a soft sigh and casually waved his hand, summoning paper and brush.

Then, the paper began to fill with ink, recording the details of the conversation between the three people moments ago, as if by magic.

The ink dried quickly, but Ye Moquan did not immediately put it away.

Instead, the old man stared at the paper for a long time before finally collecting it.

Together with this piece of paper, there were also some other sheets, all of which were inscribed with words, documenting important conversations and information from earlier times.

At the moment, this was the only way for Ye Moquan to help himself avoid forgetting crucial details.

However, looking at those manuscripts now, the old man's expression was complex, and he remained silent for a long time.

Not far from the separate courtyard, within the Zhao Wang Palace, the servants walked with lowered voices.

The prince was in seclusion, and no one dared to disturb him.

In the quiet room, unlike a Taoist or Confucian cultivator who would shut themselves off from the world during their meditation or study, Zhao Wang Zhang Teng was currently moving about within the room.

He held his fists in a pugilistic stance, but his movements were slow, as if he were warming up.

However, in the center of the quiet room, revolving around Zhao Wang Zhang Teng, was a precious sword.

But it was not the legendary Towning the World Sword; instead, it was a sword that Zhang Teng had refined himself.

Under Zhang Teng's aura at the moment, the sword's radiance became even more cold and domineering.

Zhang Teng's aura surged to its peak, and he drew the sword from its sheath.

With the sword in hand, his aura became even more fierce.

However, as his martial arts true intent manifested, it gradually began to change.

A wild and overbearing aura emanated from him, as if an iron cavalry were trampling the rivers and mountains!

If Ye Moquan and Lin Xuan had been present, they would have confirmed that Zhao Wang Zhang Teng's sword intent at that moment was exactly the same as the "Barbarians" that Xu Yuanzhen had displayed back then. Although there were some minor differences, they undoubtedly originated from the same source.

Zhang Teng had neither inquired about the related martial arts true intent from Ye Moquan nor tried to obtain it from the Tang Imperial Family.

Because he already possessed it.

It was just that he had obtained it through other means.

Previously, when he acquired the fierce and ardent qi from the destruction of the Jinzhou Ye Clan's ancestral land, it was due to this wild martial arts true intent. Now, with the combination of the two, Zhang Teng's sword intent had begun to truly transform.

This choice was not an easy one to make.

As a strong martial artist, Zhang Teng, who was delving deeper into the related martial arts true intent, knew that this sword intent, while powerful, had an irreparable flaw.

Yet, he still took this step.

His opponents were even stronger than Ye Moquan, Ye Yan, Chu Xiuyuan, and Fang Jingsheng.

To have a chance in this competition, to at least give himself a fighting opportunity, he had no other choice.

Zhang Teng's expression was resolute, neither happy nor angry, as he swung his sword again and again, his sword intent becoming more and more intense.

…………………

On Dragon-Tiger Mountain, in Lei Jun's own residence.

He sat cross-legged, gazing forward.

There, the gale winds, solid as a physical object, were slowly unfolding.

As the gale winds unfolded, they surrounded Lei Jun, forming eight vertical wind walls that separated the inside from the outside and condensed upwards and downwards, creating a completely airtight environment.

Lei Jun halted the expansion of the gale winds and then maintained their octagonal shape.

Then, he took out another type of spiritual object.

A root-like dragon beard, resembling swimming dragons, whirled around.

Under Lei Jun's control, the dragon beards resonated with the Eight Scene Winds, transforming into light and shadow as they merged with the winds, while the winds began to converge.

Eventually, a rustling, unstable-looking cloak appeared in front of Lei Jun.

However, many of the principles and intents of the cloak were still missing.

To successfully refine it into a magical artifact, more effort and other critical materials were needed.

Lei Jun nodded slightly and waved his hand at the simple cloak in front of him.

Thus, the dragon beards and the Eight Scene Winds separated, reverting to their original forms.

"However, these two can indeed be combined for a trial." Lei Jun put away the two strange treasures. "The Eight Scene Winds still have important uses, but it's uncertain if they will remain by then."

Then, he took out the Ascending Vault Brilliance that he had obtained on this trip.

After pondering over it for a moment, Lei Jun unfolded the treasure that resembled light and mist.

The light and mist spread out, influenced by Lei Jun's spiritual power, and surrounded him without dispersing.

Lei Jun's spiritual power began to refine this Ascending Vault Brilliance.

The radiance around him flowed and transformed, condensing into a large number of talismans that whirled and danced together.

The talismans turned into a majestic altar shimmering with purple, golden, and cyan light.

Above the altar, the radiance soared into the sky, gradually condensing into a illusory radiant path that only Lei Jun could see.

In the clouds, the path had an endpoint, and there was still a distance to reach the very top of the sky.

A large amount of spiritual energy from the surrounding heaven and earth began to gather towards this path that resembled a column of light reaching towards the sky.

Thus, the light column grew taller, and the path lengthened.

Lei Jun himself sat motionlessly in the lower altar.

On the path extending upwards, one step after another appeared, with flickering shadows, as a large number of talismans underwent changes.

The talismans were like engravings on each step of the stairs.

More and more talismans were inscribed on this path to the sky, extending it upwards.

They were all statements and summaries of Lei Jun's current cultivation and understanding of the Dao.

And now, as the illusory path extended upwards, every step forward corresponded to Lei Jun's cultivation, pushing him forward.

PS: 4k8 chapters, I wrote slowly today, so I'll post it earlier and not stay up too late.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end