https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-288-Lei-Jun-s-First-Grand-Initiation-Ceremony-Part-2-/12587186/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-289-Elder-Lei-s-Taoist-Name-Part-2-/12587188/
Chapter 289: Elder Lei's Taoist Name (Part 1)
Chapter 289: Elder Lei's Taoist Name (Part 1)
Although Lei Jun and the other high-level Taoist priests were already extremely familiar with the relevant rules and rituals, they still needed to familiarize themselves with the procedures of the Discipline Department.
For Lei Jun, what brought him some emotion was the fact that he had already been in this world for thirty years.
Thirty years ago, he had just arrived and listened to lectures at the Mountain's Taoist disciples' academy.
It was during that time that he first came into contact with the rules and rituals of Longhu Mountain's Celestial Masters' Mansion.
Back then, including himself, the goal of the Taoist disciples of that time was to pass the initiation and become formal disciples of the Celestial Masters' Mansion.
Thirty years later, it was now his turn to preside over a new initiation ceremony.
The Taoist disciples who had obtained the qualification for initiation had long since changed several batches.
In another two years, it would be exactly thirty years since Lei Jun had passed his initiation.
Lei Jun rarely made a point of remembering such days.
However, whenever he encountered them, he couldn't help but feel a sense of emotion.
Days like this, especially made one feel the passing of time and the flow of years.
Before and after the New Year's Grand Ceremony, the preparations for this initiation ceremony also proceeded as usual.
And after the New Year, guests from all over began to arrive at Longhu Mountain.
The representatives from the other two major sacred sites of the Taoist sect carried significant weight.
The leader of the Shushan Sect was the Grand Elder, Xu Duan.
Meanwhile, the leader of the Chunyang Palace this time was also an elder at the Eightfold Heaven realm, Lu Jinduan.
In terms of etiquette, Celestial Master Tang Xiaotang couldn't skimp on this trip either, and together with Yuan Mobai, Shangguan Ning, and other elders of the Celestial Masters' Mansion, they welcomed the guests.
The reason that Xu Duan and Lu Jinduan came personally was that in response to the existence of the Human Realm Country, the three major sacred sites of the Taoist sect intended to strengthen their connections with each other.
The Shushan Sect proposed to exchange representatives, with each of the three sending their capable disciples to reside in the other two sacred sites.
In this way, they could keep each other informed, and in the event of trouble caused by the Human Realm Country, they could communicate faster and even further, mutually support each other.
After all, the known strength of the Human Realm Country was already not to be underestimated.
Even just considering the experts at the Great Firmament realm, there were at least five people: Rong Guangchen, Gu Han, Fu Dongsen, Hong Jie, and Wei Qiyue.
This was still the case after Wang Dongchu, Feng Yi, and Zhou Peng had perished one after another.
Furthermore, Fu Dongsen, Rong Guangchen, and Hong Jie were all at the perfect stage of the Eightfold Heaven realm.
Among them, although only Fu Dongsen was in his prime, Rong Guangchen was blessed by the mysterious Fu Zhao and had "reversed his age," making him a true master of the Infant Transformation at the quadruple perfection stage of the Eight Heavens realm.
In the battle of Shushan, Hong Jie showed signs of aging.
But who knew if she would suddenly, like Rong Guangchen, regain her youth and return to her peak state?
What was even more concerning was that while cultivators of the Taoist sect's Elixir Cauldron faction did not rely on external objects, the strength of cultivators of the Artifact Refining faction was mainly reflected in their treasures and artifacts when fighting enemies.
And among the six greatest treasures of Shushan, which was famous throughout the world, half of them had fallen into the hands of Fu Dongsen and the others from the Human Realm Country.
This fact alone was enough for Fu Dongsen, Wei Qiyue, and Hong Jie to suppress Zhang Dongyuan, Xu Duan, and Zhang Taogan, who remained in Shushan.
On the other hand, the Human Realm Country might also be connected to the Nine Heavens Demon Butterfly King of the East China Sea.
This was yet another layer of threat that could not be ignored.
When these forces were combined, they could not be taken lightly.
If their secrets had not been suddenly exposed and they had not suffered successive blows, the original strength of the Human Realm Country would have been even more formidable.
The reason Fu Dongsen and the others were forced to leave Shushan, and why the forces of the Human Realm Country were currently forced to lie low, was to avoid becoming public enemies.
But if they were given the opportunity and targeted one party with all their strength, they would surely be like a towering mountain pressing down.
In the eyes of the Shushan Sect and Chunyang Palace, the Human Realm Country might also have possession of the Celestial Master's Robe...
However, even without considering this, Lei Jun and the others still agreed with the judgment of the Shushan Sect and Chunyang Palace.
After all, much information about the Human Realm Country was still unclear, and it was prudent to overestimate the capabilities of the enemy.
Although the three parties had not yet fully discussed the specific measures to be taken, the general direction of strengthening their connections was clear.
The rest would be slowly discussed and coordinated.
"I'll be troubling you for the next period of time."
The main representative of the Shushan Sect stationed at Longhu Mountain was an old acquaintance of Lei Jun's, Ji Chuan.
He had come with his grand-uncle, Xu Duan.
After the initiation ceremony at the Celestial Masters' Mansion was over, Xu Duan and the others would return to Shushan, while Ji Chuan would remain at Longhu Mountain.
He bowed to Yuan Mobai, "My master and father could not come to Longhu Mountain this time, and they specifically asked their junior to send their greetings to Celestial Master Tang, Elder Yuan, and the other esteemed elders of your sect."
Yuan Mobai smiled, "Brother He and Brother Ji are too polite. Please allow me to send my greetings to them as well."
He invited Xu Duan to join him, leaving Ji Chuan to Lei Jun.
Lei Jun smiled, "I have another residence in the mountains. Brother Ji, please feel free to stay there if you don't mind."
Ji Chuan had interacted with Lei Jun quite a bit and felt no restraint, but he politely declined with a smile, "It would be better for me to find a cave in the mountains outside the main peak of Longhu Mountain."
Although they were both of the Taoist sect, and their interactions were currently increasing, they ultimately belonged to different sects.
As a guest, Ji Chuan would not be polite if he needed to borrow a cave residence from Lei Jun for a short stay.
However, since he would be staying here for an extended period with an uncertain return date, he felt it was inappropriate to stay within the main compound of Longhu Mountain for too long.
"The mountains outside the main peak indeed have their spiritual charm, but the environment is still not as good as here."
Lei Jun said, "Brother Ji, you are currently at a crucial stage in your cultivation."
The two had known each other for over twenty years.
Not only had Lei Jun cultivated the Upper Three Heavens realm, but Ji Chuan, who had outstanding talent, had also reached the sixth-heaven realm of the Taoist sect's Artifact Refining School.
At this realm, the Taoist sect's Artifact Refining School called it the "Immortal Embryo"
By forming the Xian Seed, undergoing transformation in cultivation, and eventually dissolving the external elixir to reach the seventh-heaven realm, one would enter a very important stage of cultivation.
Generally speaking, at Ji Chuan's level of cultivation and talent, he would mostly be focusing on his own cultivation during this stage, striving to break through to the seventh heaven.
Unfortunately, the Shushan Sect had suffered successive calamities, severely damaging its foundations and incurring losses in various aspects. They had also started to feel a shortage of manpower.
He Dongxing and Ji Chuan, master and disciple, had always interacted frequently with the Celestial Masters' Mansion, so this time, Ji Chuan was sent to reside at Longhu Mountain.
Ji Chuan didn't argue, and Lei Jun offered an alternative suggestion: "In that case, Brother Ji, feel free to choose a suitable place in the mountains, and our sect will make the necessary arrangements. We wouldn't want to hinder your cultivation."
Chu Kun smiled and interjected, "Brother, leave this to me. Brother Ji, please don't worry."
"Alright," Lei Jun agreed.
Ji Chuan didn't dwell on it and sincerely expressed his gratitude to Lei Jun and Chu Kun.
After thanking them, Ji Chuan turned to Chu Kun with a thoughtful expression. "I've heard of your great reputation, Brother Chu, but we rarely had the chance to meet in the past. I hope we can get to know each other better from now on."
Chu Kun humbly replied, "Brother Ji, you flatter me. I'm still young and inexperienced, so I should be the one seeking your guidance."
Ji Chuan smiled as he glanced at Lei Jun and then back at Chu Kun. "Brother Chu, you're too kind."
He didn't say more, but looking at the present Chu Kun, he was reminded of the Lei Jun of the past.
Chu Kun and his senior martial brother, Lei Jun, had an age difference of about ten years, and he was still under forty this year.
Yet, he had already reached the Sixth Heaven realm of the Daoist School's Fulu Sect, a master of the Daoist Seal realm.
Both of them were Sixth Heaven cultivators, but Chu Kun had achieved this realm at a younger age than Ji Chuan.
As far as Ji Chuan knew, it had been about twelve years since Chu Kun formed his Yuanfu and reached the Fourth Heaven realm.
This speed had already astonished countless people.
In recent years, among the heirs of the Celestial Masters' Mansion, aside from Tang Xiaotang, whose cultivation progress in the Upper Three Heavens had been too frightening to compare, only Lei Jun had taken nine years to advance from the first layer of the Fourth Heaven to the Sixth Heaven realm, which was even faster than Chu Kun.
Although there was still a considerable distance to the Seventh Heaven realm, Chu Kun's rapid progress caused the outside world to once again pay attention to the Celestial Masters' Mansion.
However, to the outside world, Chu Kun was even more reclusive than Lei Jun. He rarely left the mountain and seldom fought with others.
As a result, while Chu Kun's progress was impressive, his reputation seemed somewhat inflated.
It was only because there was a senior martial brother like Lei Jun, who had gradually proven his exceptional combat strength after a period of quiet cultivation, that the outside world dared not underestimate Chu Kun.
In fact, they tended to overestimate his abilities.
Ji Chuan didn't say much, but from his expressions and gestures, Chu Kun could roughly guess his thoughts, feeling both amused and helpless.
With Lei Jun as an example, he couldn't help but attract attention even if he wanted to keep a low profile.
At this moment, Chu Kun deeply empathized with Wang Guiyuan, the senior martial brother, who often found himself unintentionally attracting attention.
...However, at times like these, Chu Daoist completely forgot about Wang Daoist's predicament, and his role as the third junior martial brother also contributed to this situation.
As the date of the grand ceremony on the fifteenth of the month drew closer, the expected guests gradually arrived, and the preparations for the ceremony inside and outside the Celestial Masters' Mansion were nearing completion.
On the night of the fourteenth, the ceremony began in earnest.
The procedures included the consecration of water and the prohibition of the altar, paying homage to the true north and the Big Dipper, preparing the offerings and inviting the masters, and the preliminary rituals.
The process was the same as when Lei Jun had participated in the initiation himself.
The only difference was that back then, he had been a Daoist acolyte following instructions.
Tonight, however, he was the high-level Daoist priest in charge of presiding over the ceremony.
During the preliminary rituals, Lei Jun was responsible for leading the prayers, beseeching the heavens and the ancestral masters, as a prelude to the formal offering ceremony.
On the following day, the fifteenth of the month, the ceremony continued with chanting praises, approaching the offering altar, entering the earthly gate, ascending the heavenly gate, offering incense to the ten directions, burning the summoning talismans, offering incense to the principal deity, reciting incantations, and finally, performing the ritual of lighting the incense burner, all of which were presided over by Lei Jun.
It was only in the evening that the true offering and initiation ceremony began.
Guests like Xu Duan, Lu Jinduan, and Ji Chuan only took their seats to observe the ceremony in the evening.
Usually, the focus of the observing guests was on the acolytes of the Celestial Masters' Mansion participating in the initiation ceremony, as they wanted to identify any outstanding talents that had emerged in the Mansion in recent years.
However, at this ceremony, everyone's attention was first drawn to the tall figure in the purple Daoist robe presiding over the ceremony.
"Among the high-level Daoist priests of the Celestial Masters' Mansion who have presided over the initiation ceremonies in recent years, this one is exceptionally young." Xu Duan fixed his gaze on Lei Jun.
Lu Jinduan, the Elder of the Vermilion Bird from the Chunyang Palace, nodded slightly. "He's not even fifty years old yet."
Tang Xiaotang had been even younger when she reached the Upper Three Heavens.
But firstly, she had technically still been a Daoist acolyte back then, and secondly, no one had rushed to bestow important responsibilities on her in those early years.
By the time Tang Xiaotang took over as the Celestial Master, she had gone directly from being a Daoist acolyte to the Celestial Master, with no intermediate steps.
The first time she presided over an initiation ceremony, she already held the position of the Celestial Master.
As for Yuan Mobai, he never participated in such events.
"I presume you've heard about this, Fellow Xu?" Lu Jinduan said. "This Lei Daoist from the Celestial Masters' Mansion manifested a second divine manifestation of Dou Mu Xing Shenfa in the Southern Wilderness."
Xu Duan nodded. "I have."
His gaze shifted to another direction.
In the distance, Lu Fang, the general of the Tang Dynasty's Divine Strategy Army, who had personally witnessed Lei Jun's manifestation of the Mysterious Void Thunder Ancestor divine manifestation back then, was now also a guest, observing the initiation ceremony of the Celestial Masters' Mansion.
Although Xu Duan hadn't gone to the Southern Wilderness himself, the disciples of Shu Mountain who had been there at the time had already sent news back to the mountain gate.
"This generation of the Celestial Masters' Mansion is truly exceptional." Xu Duan's gaze continued to move, finally landing in another direction.
Over there, the Celestial Master Tang Xiaotang of this generation was watching the ceremony with great interest.
Celestial Master Tang had long lost interest in presiding over initiation ceremonies herself.
However, watching Lei Jun, a newcomer, take on this role for the first time, she found it rather intriguing.
Her cultivation strength was not as high as Lu Fang's.
As soon as Xu Duan's gaze shifted, Tang Xiaotang immediately looked back.
The Grand Elder of Shu Mountain nodded in greeting, and Tang Xiaotang returned the nod before turning back to observe Lei Jun and the others in the offering field.
"Although it hasn't been publicly announced, this Lei Daoist is very likely a Divine Body, just like Celestial Master Tang." Xu Duan spoke with certainty.
Lu Jinduan agreed with his assessment.
Without Xu Duan needing to ask, Lu Jinduan shook his head. "Lei Daoist's immortal body is likely also of the Yin nature, but not a pure Yin immortal body."
He was quite confident in his judgment since his Chunyang Palace had a bona fide pure Yin Divine Body cultivator in the form of Jiang Yu.
Hearing this, Xu Duan nodded and then said, "Being able to create an entirely new divine manifestation indicates that Lei Daoist's innate talent and comprehension are also extraordinary.
(End of Chapter)
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