Chapter 296: Elder Lei Speaks with Authority (Part 1)

Chapter 296: Elder Lei Speaks with Authority (Part 1)



Finally, all three treasures of the Celestial Master had returned to the Longhu Mountain sect, and Lei Jun's heart was filled with joy.

"Hold on, don't celebrate yet," Lei Jun cautioned himself, calming his excitement.

The situation in the earth veins was complex and not a place to linger for long. It would be best to return to Longhu Mountain before making any further plans.

With a shift of his thoughts, the colorful robe that covered Lei Jun's body began to peel away, transforming into streams of light that he carefully gathered.

During this process, Lei Jun noticed that the Celestial Master's robe still had traces of golden light swirling around it, mist-like and ethereal.

He was curious about the reason behind this phenomenon but chose to set it aside for the moment.

The Two Extremes Divine Body came into play, and as his spiritual power flowed, a transparent Two Extremes Tai Chi diagram appeared, shimmering with a faint glow.

The diagram rotated, drawing in the Celestial Master's robe along with the faint light that clung to it.

Then, the form of the Two Extremes disappeared from mid-air.

Lei Jun's figure also vanished from sight, hidden from view.

In the dim underground world, only the roaring torrent of spiritual energy, like a mighty river, continued to surge and echo.

Until, someone else arrived in this area.

A middle-aged monk with a dignified bearing, Ren Zhu, appeared.

His eyes scanned the surroundings warily, his gaze sharp and alert.

This area should be near where Yu Shu had notified him earlier.

But upon arriving, Ren Zhu found neither Yu Shu nor Hong Jie, nor did he see the Celestial Master's robe.

Trying to contact Yu Shu again, he received no response.

Although communication within the earth veins was often challenging, temporary loss of contact was not unusual.

However, Ren Zhu still felt a sense of foreboding at this silence.

Perhaps Yu Shu had met with trouble.

Ren Zhu expanded his search area.

Finally, in one section of the earth veins, he discovered traces of a Taoist treasure exerting its power.

Having faced Hong Jie not long ago, he immediately recognized the mysterious power of her natal treasure, the Yan Jing Lamp.

The Southern Ming Li Fire it produced was now familiar to him.

Yet, Yu Shu was still nowhere to be found.

Ren Zhu's gaze fell upon the roaring torrent of earth vein spiritual energy before him.

In terms of cultivation and strength, Hong Jie surpassed Yu Shu.

But she had already been injured before.

Even with the Celestial Master's robe, Hong Jie was primarily focused on self-preservation.

If Yu Shu had been cautious, he would have had a chance to escape, and Hong Jie would have found it difficult to kill him on the spot.

However, if what Yu Shu had said was true, and Hong Jie had other reinforcements from the Human Realm, then the outcome was uncertain.

Fu Dongsen? Gu Han?

Or someone else?

Ren Zhu shook his head slightly and continued his search.

After a long period of fruitless searching, his foreboding feelings were confirmed.

Yu Shu was truly in grave danger...

The monk from the Sumeru Kongsheng sect, tasked with finding Yu Shu, murmured a Buddhist mantra.

…………………

Meanwhile, Lei Jun had quietly returned north to Longhu Mountain.

As for the current situation in the northern branch of the earth veins beneath Longhu Mountain, he had no intention of meddling further.

When he secretly and safely returned to the Celestial Master's mansion, Yuan Mo Bai and Fa Qing, the Buddhist monk, finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"Now that Elder Lei has returned, I shall take my leave," Fa Qing said, pressing his palms together in a respectful Buddhist salute.

Yuan Mo Bai and Lei Jun expressed their gratitude verbally.

As Fa Qing prepared to depart, Lei Jun performed a Taoist bow, saying, "Master, please go slowly, and may we meet again if fate allows."

The monk smiled and nodded, and with the sound of Buddhist chanting, he departed from the mountain.

Lei Jun watched as the golden Buddhist light disappeared into the horizon, then turned to face his master.

Yuan Mo Bai's expression was calm, his face bearing a gentle smile as he nodded, "As you said, Heavy Cloud, if fate wills it, we shall meet again."

"That would be wonderful," Lei Jun replied.

Then, the Two Extremes Tai Chi diagram appeared silently above his head.

The power and profound meaning emanating from it hinted at the possibility of invoking the power of the Wanfa Zongtan.

Yuan Mo Bai's eyes lit up, and he immediately stabilized the Wanfa Zongtan, preventing it from undergoing any changes for the time being.

Within the Two Extremes Tai Chi diagram, colorful radiance flashed.

"Heavy Cloud?" Yuan Mo Bai asked, looking at Lei Jun.

Lei Jun said, "All three treasures of the Celestial Master have returned to the mountain today. In the presence of our ancestors, we, as their disciples, can finally give an account of ourselves."

Upon hearing this, Yuan Mo Bai remained silent.

The warm and gentle smile on his face faded slightly, and for once, he looked pensive as he gazed at the colorful radiance, deep in thought.

After a while, Yuan Mo Bai snapped out of his reverie and turned to look at Lei Jun again. "Heavy Cloud, you've done well," he said slowly.

"The treasures are spiritually connected to Longhu Mountain," Lei Jun replied. "Due to the turmoil in our sect, they returned to protect it. I was merely fortunate enough to be in the right place at the right time, and I dare not take credit for it."

He took out the Celestial Master's robe and temporarily suppressed the release of its spiritual power, so only he and his master, who were in the altar, could see it.

Although the Celestial Master's robe had returned, Lei Jun decided to keep the news confidential for the time being, sharing it only with a select few.

On the one hand, he wanted to keep a few trump cards up his sleeve for his Celestial Master's mansion, just in case.

On the other hand, since Hong Jie and the Human Realm had already taken the blame, he saw no harm in letting them continue to bear the burden a little longer.

"However, there is another matter I wish to discuss with you, Master," Lei Jun said.

Yuan Mo Bai's attention had already been drawn to the faint golden light that clung to the Celestial Master's robe.

He furrowed his brows slightly and stared at it for a long time before waving his hand.

With a surge of his spiritual power, he attempted to peel away the golden light.

Under his influence, the golden light finally changed, transforming from gold to black.

From within, a sense of darkness and death seemed to emanate.

This was its true form.

Earlier, when it was entwined with the Celestial Master's robe, the robe had temporarily suppressed its aura, causing it to appear golden on the outside.

Lei Jun sensed the profound principles at play, and his eyes narrowed in concentration.

Master and disciple looked at each other, and in unison, they said:

"Yellow Springs?"

Although they had never come into direct contact with the Yellow Springs, as high-achieving elders from the Taoist sacred land, they simultaneously thought of the legendary Yellow Springs, one of the Nine Heavens and Ten Lands, as described in the Taoist classics.

The ten realms were mostly dangerous, and some were even involved in the secrets of life, death, and the underworld.

One such place was Huangquan, which was related to the Taoist sect and was infamous alongside the Buddhist concept of Avici Hell.

However, Huangquan had been lost for many years without a trace.

Who would have thought that the Heavenly Master's robe, which had been missing, would have some connection to it?

Compared to Kunlun and Penglai among the Nine Heavens, Huangquan in the Ten Realms carried a more ominous and perilous aura.

After some contemplation, Yuan Mo Bai said, "For now, let's just separate and seal it. We can study it slowly later, but we must not act recklessly."

With the upheaval in the mortal realm and the return of the Nine Heavens and Ten Realms, fortune and misfortune were intertwined.

Yuan Mo Bai didn't expect Huangquan to bring any benefits or blessings to Longhu Mountain.

Instead, he intended to keep it as a warning and precaution.

If one wanted to be vigilant, understanding the situation was fundamental.

Lei Jun shared this view, so he didn't use the dark power of the Heavenly Book to erase the strange golden auras. Instead, he joined hands with Yuan Mo Bai to slowly peel them away.

Then, the Nine Heavens Thunder and the Nine Abyss True Fire appeared together, taking the form of a dragon and a tiger.

This dragon and tiger formation was not meant for attack but to intertwine and weave into a purple-green dragon and tiger talisman, sealing the black aura within.

After dealing with this matter, Lei Jun took out the strange edict he had obtained after killing Hong Jie and briefly recounted his encounter with Gu Han, Hong Jie, and Yu Shu.

"This edict is similar to the one that Rong Guangchen had."

Yuan Mo Bai nodded slightly. "It seems that they both received it from Huang Xuanpu. Also, because of this edict, Rong Guangchen and Hong Jie were able to regain their peak strength and splendor from their heyday. However, that was no longer their own power."

"Indeed," Lei Jun agreed.

Rong Guangchen and Hong Jie were well aware of this.

But having made this choice, the warmth or coldness of the situation was something only they themselves knew.

Now that Rong and Hong were both deceased, the edict had fallen into Lei Jun's hands.

He intended to ponder its mysteries and see if it could help him further confirm Huang Xuanpu's whereabouts.

"This jade seal originally belonged to the Taiyi Xiantian Tower. I presume Huang Xuanpu and Fu Dongsen prepared it for the purpose of moving the Wanfa Zongtan. Undoubtedly, it originates from the ancient Fulu School."

Yuan Mo Bai handed over the jade seal that had scattered when the Taiyi Xiantian Tower was shaken, as well as the strange edict that was left after Rong Guangchen's death, to Lei Jun: "I, as your master, need to preside over the Wanfa Zongtan and stabilize the mountain's veins in the coming days. These items are now yours to study and research."

"Yes, Master," Lei Jun replied, accepting the jade seal.

Upon receiving it, he had a sudden realization, and a name appeared in his mind:

High Heaven Jade Seal

As he contemplated the profound and boundless essence within it, Lei Jun fell into deep thought.

Its mysteries were as vast and grand as the hanging canopy of the sky, and as encompassing as a dome over the earth.

No wonder it had been able to coordinate with the Supreme Unity Heavenly Tower and the Qingxiao Mansion, calming the Myriad Methods Sect and using the two great treasures to relocate the millennia-old foundation of the Heavenly Master's Mansion.

However, its connection to the so-called Celestial Palace seemed relatively weaker.

As for its other functions... just a moment.

Lei Jun's thoughts stirred as he recalled the Great Heaven-Encompassing Jade that he had refined.

Currently, the Great Heaven-Encompassing Jade was mainly used to control the numerous Heaven-Viewing and Earth-Listening Talismans and the Thousand-Mile Sound Transmission Talismans scattered outside.

However, it was still somewhat crude and lacking in refinement.

Its altitude when ascending was also insufficient, making it easier for cultivators with higher cultivation levels to discover it.

Especially those with strong perception and insight.

But if he were to refine it together with the High Heaven Jade Seal, there might be an opportunity to take it to the next level and strive for greater effectiveness... As Lei Jun thought, he nodded slightly.

Strictly speaking, the Heavenly Master's Mansion had suffered significant losses in this operation.

To ensure the enemy's destruction and prevent their escape, Lei Jun and his team had adopted an insider strategy, allowing the opponents to enter the mountain.

For now, let's not mention the outer mountain ranges. Even the main peak of Longhu Mountain had been swept by the battle due to the breach in the mountain-guarding formation.

Especially with the huge disturbance caused by the Supreme Unity Heavenly Tower and the Qing Xiao Mansion.

Fortunately, thanks to their advance preparation, there were minimal casualties.

However, the mountain sect would undoubtedly need to undergo a large-scale reconstruction in the future.

Thankfully, the spoils of war were abundant.

Forget about the personal belongings of the Butterfly King, Che Yan, and Rong Guangchen.

When the Taiyi Supreme Unity Tower and the Qingxiao Mansion were shaken loose, they left behind a large number of treasures that had been collected over the years by Rong Guangchen, Hong Jie, Fu Dongsen, and others, including many secrets of the Mortal Realm.

These heavenly treasures and earthly treasures rightfully belonged to the Heavenly Master's Mansion, which would use them for the subsequent reconstruction of the mountain sect.

The Shushan Sect and the Chunyang Palace would have no objections to this.

While this battle may not have completely eliminated the threat from the Human Realm, it had certainly dealt a heavy blow.

The Heavenly Master's Mansion, having borne the brunt of the pressure, would naturally expect some recompense afterward.

Moreover, regaining the North Ming Divine Spear was the biggest gain for the Shushan Sect.

Just as the biggest gain for the Heavenly Master's Mansion in this battle was the retrieval of the Heavenly Master's robe.

As for the Supreme Unity Pre-Heaven Tower and the Qing Xiao Mansion, although they couldn't be retrieved, the Shushan Sect still had hope.

On the other hand, the Chunyang Palace was more concerned and troubled by the problems within their own sect.

For Lei Jun personally, apart from the High Heaven Jade Seal, his other significant gain was the Solitary Wood Heart Essence obtained after killing Che Yan, the Butterfly King.

With the Dragon-Shaped Cloak, the Eight Scenic Winds, and now the Solitary Wood Heart Essence, Lei Jun could begin to put some of his ideas into practice.

However, there was no need to rush into it immediately.

The top priority for now was the reconstruction of the mountain and the mansion.

After Yuan Mo Bai stabilized the Wanfa Zongtan and calmed the mountain's veins, he finally had the time to accompany Lei Jun to the forbidden area of the ancestral mausoleum in the rear mountain.

There, they met Yao Yuan.

"Huang Xuanpu?"

"Yao Yuan sighed and asked, "Is it him?"

Yuan Mo Bai nodded lightly. "Indeed."

He added, "The one who came into contact with your senior brother back then was undoubtedly Huang Xuanpu himself. However, the one who secretly infiltrated our sect's mountain gate during the Battle of Jiangzhou could have been the Butterfly King, Che Yan, or Feng Yi, impersonating a Taoist priest from the Taiping Path."

Although he had feigned injury, Huang Xuanpu himself was indeed in the North at that time.

After the Lin Clan's ancestral land in Youzhou was conquered by Xu Yuanzhen, Huang Xuanpu also arrived nearby and confronted Ye Moken.

After the Battle of Jiangzhou, when Yuan Mo Bai mentioned this matter, he felt that the mysterious person who had come to Longhu Mountain again was somewhat different from the one who had previously ambushed Li Qingfeng and Li Hongyu.

At that time, they were clueless, but now it seemed likely that it was due to Huang Xuanpu using a body double.

"I suppose that must be the case," Yao Yuan nodded.

He sighed, "Although Huang Xuanpu escaped, now that things have come to this, a weight has been lifted from my heart."

Yuan Mo Bai said, "Since your worry is gone, senior brother, why not leave seclusion?"

Yao Yuan shook his head. "Even though my worry is gone, I must still abide by the sect's rules."

Yuan Mo Bai said, "The Fifth Senior Sister, Yuan Zhen, and Jingzhen may not be able to return to the mountain for a short time. I need to use the Wanfa Zongtan to stabilize the earth veins, and the sect leader also needs to guard against Huang Xuanpu's return. Currently, there is a shortage of people in charge of the mansion. It's not good to put all the burden on Heavy Cloud alone, is it? Senior brother, in this special period, the reconstruction of the sect takes priority."

Yao Yuan pondered for a moment. "I will temporarily leave seclusion and help out. Once things here are stable, I will return to the mountain."

Lei Jun and Yuan Mo Bai could tell that he was not just being polite, so they did not force him.

Since Yao Yuan had agreed, he immediately assumed his role and began coordinating with the other elders and disciples who had taken refuge in the rear mountain, arranging for them to return to the main peak.

Although he had come to the rear mountain to guard the mausoleum and reflect on his mistakes, the specific reasons for his actions had not been made public, nor had he been stripped of his duties.

Most people in the mansion were unaware of the situation, and although there were many speculations, given the special circumstances, everyone still followed the arrangements of the high-achieving elder, Yao Yuan.

Seeing Yao Yuan off, Lei Jun turned to Yuan Mo Bai and asked, "Master, after passing this hurdle, will Fourth Senior Brother try to break through to the Eighth Heaven realm?"

"It depends on him, but I hope he succeeds," Yuan Mo Bai replied.

Lei Jun nodded slightly.

The master and disciple then proceeded alone into the forbidden area of the ancestral mausoleum in the rear mountain.

Although the news was not made public, Lei Jun and his disciple still burned incense to pray to the heavens and inform the ancestral masters that the Heavenly Master's robe had finally returned to the mountain.

After leaving the mausoleum, Yuan Mo Bai went to the Wanfa Zongtan, while Lei Jun went to meet up with Yao Yuan.

Yao Yuan knew that not only Yuan Mo Bai but also Senior Sister Shangguan Ning intended to cultivate Lei Jun in this regard.

From his heart, he also believed that Lei Jun could become the mansion's next pillar, or at least one of them.

The two of them took charge of the reconstruction of the Heavenly Master's Mansion, while Left Standing, Du Yu, and the young Ke Sichen, Chu Kun, and other elders assisted them.

The other ordained disciples and initiated disciples followed their orders and took action together.

"The herb garden was also affected, and with so few people and so much work, you'll have to take care of this entire area by yourself now," Luo Haoran said to his disciple, Qin Cawei.

Qin Cawei straightened her expression and said, "Please rest assured, Master, I will do my best!"

Luo Haoran nodded and said gently, "If there's anything, you can find me or someone else. Don't push yourself too hard."

After he left, Qin Cawei and several other disciples began to reorganize the herb garden, which had been affected by the battle.

Each of them was responsible for a large area and worked diligently.

After successfully rescuing a spirit flower that was almost withered, Qin Cawei revealed a tired but happy smile.

She looked up at the surrounding mountains and said, "This battle was truly a grand affair. It's a relief that our sect emerged victorious."

The young girl moved to another cluster of spirit plants and said, "Mm, I was really scared at that time, but fortunately, our sect was well prepared."

On the other hand, Chu Kun was busy with his own tasks when he finished and went to report back to his senior brother, the high-achieving elder, Lei Jun.

As Luo Haoran had said, the mansion was short on manpower, so Lei Jun immediately assigned Chu Kun another task. "Third Senior Brother, the stone platform for the hovering cloud car was damaged. I'll leave the preparations for its reconstruction to you. First, have the disciples make an inventory."

Chu Kun solemnly accepted the task. "Rest assured, Senior Brother, I'll take care of it right away."

Lei Jun glanced at him and asked, "What's wrong?"

The two of them were familiar with each other, so Chu Kun didn't hide his thoughts. He said with a sigh, "Seeing you and Senior Brother fighting in the front mountain made my blood boil. I just wish my current cultivation level was higher so that I could contribute more in the aftermath of the battle."

Although he had a somewhat lazy personality, he had been in the sect for a long time and had developed a sense of attachment to it.

"There will be opportunities," Lei Jun assured him.

His gaze shifted to the side as he added, "There really will be."

Chu Kun followed Lei Jun's gaze.

There, a fated person was approaching.

Dressed in a deep red ordained Taoist robe, he appeared to be a young man with a slender build and a gentle demeanor. It was none other than their senior brother, Wang Guiyuan.

After exchanging greetings, Lei Jun's gaze fell on Wang Guiyuan's head.

He was tall, so it was easy for him to see the top of Wang Guiyuan's head, and he did so without hiding his curiosity.

Wang Guiyuan maintained his usual expression.

Chu Kun, on the other hand, looked thoughtful, and his gaze was intriguing. "Senior Brother, I finally understand why you don't need treasures like the Xianling Yuanzhong or the Chentai Xingxi."

Lei Jun nodded but didn't say anything. He simply raised his finger and made a smooth, round gesture.

Wang Guiyuan's expression finally cracked, and he let out a bitter laugh. "You two!"

Chu Kun waved his hand. "I'll go take care of the cloud car stone platform first, and we can talk later."

Wang Guiyuan sighed again.

Lei Jun looked at his senior brother calmly.

Wang Guiyuan cleared his throat and said, "Can't we just go back to how we used to be?"

"I don't think there's any difference from before," Lei Jun replied.

Wang Guiyuan smiled at his words. "Me neither."

"There's just one thing, senior brother," Lei Jun continued.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end