https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-287-286-A-Triple-Grade-Opportunity-to-Ascend-to-the-Heavens/12587184/
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Chapter 288: Lei Jun's First Grand Initiation Ceremony (Part 1)
Chapter 288: Lei Jun's First Grand Initiation Ceremony (Part 1)
As the ethereal stairway to the heavens ascended higher and higher, Lei Jun's connection to the natural world grew increasingly intimate.
The mysteries of nature unfolded before him, each revelation more captivating than the last.
Contemplating and comprehending these natural wonders and principles filled Lei Jun with a sense of profound absorption.
At the same time, they continued to aid in the accumulation of his cultivation, strengthening his foundational powers.
The profound truths contained within the first six volumes of the Orthodox Unity Daoist Canon seemed to intertwine and harmonize as he climbed higher on this heavenly path.
The Orthodox Unity canon of the Celestial Master's Mansion, compiled and refined over generations, was now exceptionally comprehensive.
Even with Lei Jun and Tang Xiaotang's exceptional insights, it was rare for them to innovate upon this fundamental text.
On the contrary, as their cultivation levels improved, revisiting the initial volumes of the Orthodox Unity Daoist Canon felt like discovering new depths and insights with each reading.
As Lei Jun's connection to the natural world deepened and became more harmonious, he further refined his understanding of his studies.
This, in turn, solidified his foundation, and with the impetus of the Ascending Firmament Flow, the stairway to the heavens extended upward at an ever-increasing pace.
This positive cycle of advancement greatly accelerated Lei Jun's cultivation speed.
"Hmm, this Ascending Firmament Flow is indeed beneficial," Lei Jun mused, aware of his own progress.
Previously, when Chu Kun had inquired, he had estimated that it would take him about five to six more years to complete the accumulation of his Transcendent realm and fully manifest the stairway to the heavens. After that, he would need to prepare for the tribulations between the Seventh and Eighth Heavens, a challenge that would require an indeterminate amount of time, further adding to the years needed.
All things considered, it would be well beyond his fiftieth birthday before he could reach the Eighth Heaven realm under normal circumstances.
Lei Jun himself was not overly concerned about this timeline, as he had already established his immortal physique and serene insight. Moreover, he still had ample time before reaching the end of his two-hundred-year lifespan, so there was no rush in his continued cultivation journey.
However, with the assistance of the Ascending Firmament Flow, the remaining stages of his Transcendent realm cultivation would be accelerated by nearly half.
Lei Jun estimated that with his current progress, he would need about three more years to complete this stage.
Additionally, with the Eight Scenic Winds under his command, the tribulations between the Seventh and Eighth Heavens would be far less dangerous and challenging.
Counting the days, if nothing unexpected happened, he might just be able to reach the Eighth Heaven realm before turning fifty.
That wouldn't be too bad.
If he didn't make it, it wasn't a big deal.
But if he did, it would be even better.
Since there was a chance, he might as well give it his all.
"However, I must not dwell on this constantly, or I might end up disrupting my mental state and failing at the tribulations between the Seventh and Eighth Heavens," Lei Jun jokingly reminded himself.
Despite his words, he maintained a calm and peaceful mindset, taking each day as it came and progressing at his own steady pace.
Every day, he found a balance between work and rest, ensuring a harmonious cultivation routine.
When he wasn't cultivating, he fulfilled his duties as a high-ranking elder, assisting Shangguan Ning, Zhang Jingzhen, and others in handling the affairs of the Mansion, as well as tending to his cat... no, scratch that.
He also took the time to encourage and guide his only disciple to cultivate diligently.
Lei Jun even had the leisure to hold sermons at the Daoist Academy, nurturing the budding talents of the Celestial Master's Mansion.
He didn't shut himself away in seclusion like many others, as this current pace of cultivation suited his temperament and needs at this stage.
The stairway to the heavens soared higher, becoming more refined with each moment, never ceasing in its progress.
In the universe of the Heavenly Tome, it had been a long while since all seven of them had gathered together. Recently, however, they found themselves assembled once more.
The atmosphere among the group was noticeably more relaxed than before.
While it would be a stretch to say that they trusted each other, the barriers and wariness between them had definitely lessened.
During this period, although they hadn't met as a group, they had frequently engaged in "private chats" with one another.
Now that they were assembled again, there was no need for Taiyin Monday to act as the icebreaker. The conversation flowed naturally among the seven of them.
Monday cut straight to the chase, "It's rare for all of us to be here together. May I ask if anyone has any information on Chen Donglou of Shu Mountain's exact whereabouts?"
Tuesday, Shen Quibing, muttered, "That's a tough one. Finding Elder Chen isn't as easy as locating people from the Middle Realm countries like Fu Dongsen. We can only leave a message for him through Shu Mountain, but we can't directly contact him, right?"
Monday replied, "I have no intentions of hostility towards him. I merely wish to establish a connection."
Upon hearing this, Lei Jun looked from his eyes to his nose, and then to his heart, a Chinese idiom for keeping silent.
He would not divulge any information about Chen Donglou, not even through subtle hints.
There was no need to expose his own alias.
Lei Jun wasn't sure if his situation as the master of the Heavenly Tome's hidden side was identical to Sunday's position as the master of the Heavenly Tome's orthodox chapter.
If it was the same, then although Sunday could identify the others and, to some extent, monitor their private conversations, she couldn't pinpoint their locations or know what they did outside of the Heavenly Tome universe.
Although he couldn't be completely certain of this, Lei Jun wasn't about to expose his own weaknesses without good reason.
Regarding the enigmatic "Chen Donglou," everyone claimed to have no clues.
Unfazed by not getting the answer she sought, Taiyin Monday didn't let the conversation stall. Solar Sunday, ever the opportunist, seized the moment to ask, "Who has any news regarding the Western Regions' Sumeru Vajra Division?"
Lei Jun's eyes narrowed thoughtfully at the question.
Beside him, Jupiter Thursday, Future Maitreya, spoke up calmly, "I wish to purchase soul-sealing stones in large quantities. Does anyone here have a surplus they'd be willing to part with?"
Sunday replied, "I do, but do you have the information I desire?"
Thursday, Future Maitreya, said, "The information I have about the Sumeru Vajra Division is mostly superficial. I'm not sure if it's substantial enough, but I do have some other items that might be of interest. May I contact you later to discuss this further?"
Sunday agreed, "Certainly."
Lei Jun watched as the light representing Future Maitreya flickered on Jupiter Thursday, and he spoke up as well, "I'm very interested in any news regarding the current situation of the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths. Whichever realm it pertains to, I'm willing to listen."
As he spoke, he made a guess in his mind.
Future Maitreya had previously ventured to the Southern Wilderness in search of Buddhist treasures, nearly exposing his true strength in the process, but ultimately returning empty-handed.
Lei Jun wondered what kind of Buddhist treasure he had been seeking.
"Are the Buddhist artifacts of sufficient caliber, or are you specifically targeting the secret rosary beads closely related to Avici?"
Lei Jun had recently been perusing the records related to the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths in the Tian Shi Fu's Chishu Pavilion, delving into the information from those times.
Avici, one of the legendary Ten Earths, had been hidden for many years.
No one knew what the situation was like there currently.
But undoubtedly, the place known as the Avici Hell was a land of great calamity and peril.
If it weren't so, Bodhisattva King of the Underworld would not have made the great vow, "I will not become a Buddha if hell is not empty."
If the calamities there were to befall the mortal realm, it would easily bring about a catastrophe for all beings.
To be precise, the Nine Heavens were relatively pure and peaceful, while the Ten Earths, amidst their countless opportunities and wonders, might also be fraught with numerous dangers and disasters.
This was the case with the Land of Seas where the people of the Nine Li tribes had been forced to retreat, as well as Avici.
Jupiter Thursday, Future Maitreya, seemed to have given up on obtaining the secret Buddhist pearl related to Avici in the Southern Wilderness, but only he knew his true intentions.
Instead, his current quest for a large quantity of soul-sealing stones raised curiosity.
While others might not draw much attention, the fact that this heavyweight figure of the White Lotus Sect was seeking soul-sealing stones was intriguing.
Soul-sealing stones had the effect of isolating and stabilizing souls.
Internally, they could temporarily seal and confine the souls of cultivators for a short period, but the effect was unstable.
Externally, they could be used to defend against soul attacks, with fairly decent results.
It was unclear what Future Maitreya intended to do with such a large quantity of soul-sealing stones.
"Regarding the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, I have some of the latest clues, but they are not about Sumeru but rather two other places."
At that moment, Town Star Saturday responded to Lei Jun.
Lei Jun asked, "What do you want in return?"
Saturday replied, "I want to inquire if there are any more places similar to Great Black Mountain in the North and Changjie Island in the East China Sea. The more detailed the information, the better."
"We'll talk about this later in private," Lei Jun said.
"Okay," Saturday agreed.
Tuesday, Shen Quibing, then asked, "I want to inquire about the news of the people of the Nine Li tribes. The more detailed, the better!"
Wednesday said, "Not only does the black mist hinder exploration, but the language and writing of the Nine Li tribes also differ greatly from ours, making it difficult to gather information."
Tuesday, Shen Quibing, sounded helpless as he said, "Of course, I know that. If it were easy to find out, I wouldn't be here asking."
Lei Jun found the exchange amusing as he listened from the sidelines.
Earlier, Shen Quibing and Wednesday had not gotten along very well.
Shen Quibing was straightforward and wore his emotions on his sleeve.
However, as he listened to their conversation, the tension between them seemed to have eased.
Lei Jun guessed that Shen Quibing and Wednesday must have had some private communication and transaction, and the outcome of the transaction was satisfactory, leading to this improved relationship.
Wednesday asked, "I'm also looking for a hard-to-find item. Does anyone have white mulberry wood?"
Monday said, "If you don't need a large quantity, I have some."
Wednesday said, "But I don't have any news about Chen Donglou from Shu Mountain."
Monday replied, "That's alright. We can chat privately later. If you have anything else that piques my interest, I'm still willing to trade with you."
"That would be wonderful," Wednesday said, pleased.
Later, Lei Jun also went to find Town Star Saturday in private.
"I know that Xu Yuanzhen and Zhang Rui, the King of Huayang, once explored a secret realm together. Are you aware of this?"
Although only Xu Yuanzhen and Zhang Rui had gone at the time, the controversy caused by Zhang Rui's leak of information later on had already exposed the secret realm, so Lei Jun was not worried about his identity being revealed.
Saturday replied, "I am also aware of this matter."
Lei Jun said, "I don't have any more clues about this for now. Can I make up for it with other items or information?"
Saturday thought for a moment and then asked, "Do you have a large quantity of spiritual objects that can assist Confucian scholars in their cultivation? I hope to supply multiple people."
Lei Jun asked, "What level of cultivation are we talking about for multiple people?"
Saturday explained, "Although it is mainly for the scholars of the Lower Three Heavens, I have high expectations for the quality of the spiritual objects."
Lei Jun offered, "How about the Sharp Rock? The quantity is enough to supply over a hundred scholars of the Lower Three Heavens."
"If you can provide such a large quantity of Sharp Rocks, then I agree," Saturday said decisively.
Saturday continued, "There are two places in the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths that I have not visited, but by chance, I once made contact with them from a distance. One is called Lian Shan, and the other is Tian Li."
"Hmm?" Lei Jun's eyebrows furrowed slightly under the light of Taibai Venus.
Lian Shan was one of the Ten Earths, a mythical and exotic realm said to be closely related to Confucian cultivators. According to ancient records that Lei Jun had read, it was also one of the more stable places among the Ten Earths, unlike the Land of Seas or Avici, which were chaotic and violent.
The two renowned aristocratic families of the Great Tang Dynasty, the Ye Clan of Qingzhou and the Ye Clan of Cangzhou, also known as the Eastern and Western Ye, shared a common ancestor.
According to legend, before the Ye Clan split into two branches, they had once set foot in Lian Shan.
However, that was a very long time ago, and Lian Shan had since disappeared, cutting off all contact with the mortal realm.
It was said that the division of the Ye Clan into two branches was related to this, but the details were difficult to verify from the outside.
And then...
What on earth was Tian Li?
Lei Jun almost thought he had misheard.
Because, to his knowledge, there were three places in the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths that had deep ties to Confucianism.
There were two in the Nine Heavens: Datong and Guicang. And the third was Lian Shan, which he had just mentioned.
But nowhere in the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths was named Tian Li.
Saturday seemed to know what Lei Jun was wondering about, and he calmly explained, "According to my initial guess, Tian Li is the former Guicang of the Nine Heavens.
People live and reproduce there, and they have changed the name Guicang to Tian Li.
For the people there, it has gradually become a matter of custom, and everyone refers to it as Tian Li without using the old name.
To be honest, I was also surprised when I first found out."
Lei Jun fell into deep thought.
Saturday continued, "The text that I asked all of you to help appraise earlier is related to Tian Li."
The handwriting was neat, orderly, full, and vibrant.
However, it was so rigid and formal that it exuded an atmosphere of being dictated from above, layer by layer, and it felt unyielding and unchangeable.
Lei Jun said, "So that's the case... The text that you presented back then had similarities to the literary and artistic atmosphere of the exotic realms connected to places like Great Black Mountain and Changjie Island, but there also seem to be some differences.
(End of Chapter)
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