https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-29-Safe-Passage-Through-Troubled-Times/12586151/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-31-The-Fifth-Rank-Opportunity-Zhu-Feng-s-Brush/12586153/
Chapter 30: Accelerated Cultivation, Waiver of Consequences
Chapter 30: Accelerated Cultivation, Waiver of Consequences
Upon hearing that Lei Jun had been "exiled" by Yuan Mobai to the Qingshi Mo vein, Fang Jian and Shangguan Hong were stunned for a long while, unable to grasp the situation.
After a considerable pause, Shangguan Hong exclaimed, "Qingshi Mo! Isn't it said that prolonged exposure to it has... has..."
He hesitated, unable to utter the word "harmful."
Fang Jian pondered, "Is Lei Jun going to be there for an extended period? Is it not just a temporary assignment?"
Wang Guiyuan explained, "Master did indeed give such instructions, and Lei Jun has already left. I believe Master has his reasons."
Fang Jian was curious to ask if Lei Jun himself knew about the potential harm to low-level cultivators from prolonged exposure to Qingshi Mo.
"Hmm, if Junior Uncle arranged this, he must have his reasons that we are unaware of," Fang Jian nodded. "In that case, I won't disturb you further. I'll pay my respects to Junior Uncle another day."
Shangguan Hong also took his leave.
Fang Jian returned to his residence.
In his courtyard, another young Taoist priest was waiting. It was Li Xuan, the one whose younger brother had died.
"Qingshi Mo vein?" Li Xuan was taken aback as well. "Is it true? Or is it just an excuse?"
Fang Jian sat down and replied, "Let's go check it out in a few days and confirm."
Li Xuan's gaze shifted as he asked, "Brother Fang, do you think it might be because..."
"I don't know," Fang Jian replied bluntly. "Although it's been said that Senior Sister Xu and Junior Uncle are quite close, Junior Uncle gets along well with everyone. You should be the one telling me about the true nature of their relationship."
Li Xuan looked up at the roof and said, "Junior Uncle often has disagreements with Xu Yuanzhen, and they don't always see eye to eye. Just as you said, Junior Uncle is well-liked by everyone, and my father is no exception. If we're talking about someone he's particularly close with, it should be Grand Uncle, your master."
"That's true," Fang Jian agreed.
"So, when Senior Sister Xu took excessive actions earlier, Junior Uncle didn't approve and was even displeased?" Fang Jian surmised.
"That doesn't seem right either," he continued. "Junior Uncle is usually easygoing, and even if he had grievances with Senior Sister Xu, he wouldn't go as far as to make things difficult for Lei Jun."
Li Xuan offered another possibility. "Perhaps Lei Jun has always been loyal to Xu Yuanzhen, who brought him back to the mountain and introduced him to the path of cultivation, and thus, he went against Junior Uncle's wishes?"
He stood up, concluding, "Regardless, this news is important. I'll inform my father and senior brother!"
If they could drive a wedge between Yuan Mobai and Xu Yuanzhen, it would be far more effective than targeting Lei Jun, a newly initiated disciple.
......
"So, Master took the blame for me, while Senior Sister Xu seems to be alienated by everyone?" Lei Jun looked at Xu Yuanzhen.
Xu Yuanzhen instructed, "When you reach the Triple Heaven stage, sketch their expressions, and I'll take a look when I return to the mountain."
After meeting with Yuan Mobai, Xu Yuanzhen once again embarked on a distant journey, leaving without a trace.
"There are three people in the mansion whose thoughts you shouldn't try to guess, as it's mostly a waste of effort," Wang Guiyuan, who had come to visit Lei Jun, sighed. "Grand Master, the Celestial Master himself, Senior Sister Xu, and then our Master."
The two disciples sat in Master Yuan Mobai's private cave abode.
"Brother Fang came on his own," Wang Guiyuan said. "As for Brother Shangguan, he might be representing Elder Shangguan and Sister Zhang."
The image of Zhang Jingzhen, one of the three direct disciples of the Celestial Master, known for her purity and elegance, flashed through Lei Jun's mind.
During the incident at Yunhai Xianchi, he had interacted with her at close quarters.
Speaking of which, if Tang Xiaotang, who was considered a disciple by everyone, was included, there were five direct disciples of the Celestial Master in this generation: Li Zhengxuan, his son, and the fourth disciple, Fang Jian, along with three female disciples.
This generation seemed to have a slight imbalance, with more exceptional female disciples than male.
In terms of the impression they left on the outside world, all three female disciples were outstanding, and they could be considered the new faces of the Celestial Master's Mansion, greatly attracting new disciples.
If one were to judge solely on appearance, Tang Xiaotang would undoubtedly be first, with a stunning beauty that was unparalleled and a noticeable height advantage.
However, she was the most unpredictable.
Senior Sister Xu Yuanzhen not only had a peculiar personality, but she also exuded a chilling aura that often made people overlook her gender and appearance.
As a result, it was the third senior sister, Zhang Jingzhen, who stood out with her refined temperament and beautiful features, without any apparent flaws.
According to the aesthetic standards of this world, a dignified and elegant beauty was highly favored.
However, Lei Jun was more concerned about another matter:
"Senior Brother, is Senior Sister Zhang's surname 'Zhang' by any chance...?"
There were many people with the surname Zhang in the world.
But a small portion of them was rather special.
As far as Lei Jun knew, the royal family of the Great Tang Dynasty was of the Zhang lineage.
Given Zhang Jingzhen's familiarity with the Shangguan clan, Lei Jun couldn't help but speculate.
"Indeed. Senior Sister Zhang is a noble lady of the royal family, bestowed the title of Princess. Her father and the previous Emperor were brothers," Wang Guiyuan confirmed.
"In other words, Senior Sister Zhang and the current Emperor are cousins, and she is also related to Elder Shangguan and Senior Brother Shangguan. She can directly address Elder Shangguan as 'aunt' without any issues," Wang Guiyuan added.
Lei Jun nodded, "The Tang royal family has invested quite a bit in our Heavenly Master's Mansion."
Wang Guiyuan continued, "They have no choice but to invest. If they don't, there are plenty of others who will."
For instance, the influential Fang clan of Jingxiang, which Senior Brother Fang Jian hailed from.
In this world, the foremost school of cultivation in the Great Tang Dynasty was not Buddhism, Taoism, or martial arts, but Confucianism.
Compared to them, other cultivation traditions like Taoism and Buddhism were more like fringe powers.
But to be precise, Confucianism did not entirely represent the official stance either.
The relationship between the royal family and the various Confucian scholarly families was intricate and complex.
The Great Tang Dynasty was filled with influential clans, and more than half of the Confucian cultivation methods in the world were held by these clans, passed down secretly within their families, and boasting countless experts.
The most elite clans, with their years of accumulated power and influence, even surpassed the sacred sects and schools.
Moreover, it was often said that the Emperor and the influential clans governed the world together.
There were seven prominent clans that stood out: two Ye, two Lin, one Xiao, one Chu, and one Fang.
The Fang clan, also known as the Fang tribe, dominated Jingxiang, almost akin to holding a fief, and their roots ran deep, whether in the government or the wilderness.
In recent years, multiple sacred sites and sects had risen under the rule of the Great Tang, their prestige growing, and it was no secret that the Tang Emperor supported Buddhism and Taoism, cultivating commoners to counterbalance the power of the scholarly clans.
But evidently, the clans weren't idle either.
The royal Zhang and Shangguan clans had disciples in the core of the Heavenly Master's Mansion, and the Fang clan was no exception.
The various Buddhist and Taoist sacred sites had gained support from generations of Tang Emperors, counterbalancing the influence of the hereditary Confucian scholarly clans.
Among them, the Heavenly Master's Mansion was rather unique.
Although it had suffered several internal strife incidents that greatly damaged its vitality, it remained one of the most renowned sacred sites and Taoist schools.
However, rumors had begun to spread throughout the world:
"The Li clan of Longhu Mountain in Xinzhou has a deep foundation and produces talented individuals generation after generation. They should be included with the traditional seven clans to be known as the eight clans."
"Where there are people, there are factions and allegiances," Lei Jun remarked.
Wang Guiyuan agreed, "Fortunately, we have the protection of Master and Senior Sister Tang, who stand on their own. As long as we don't stick our necks out, we can avoid much of the rain."
Lei Jun nodded.
After seeing Wang Guiyuan off, he returned to the mine beneath his private residence to continue his cultivation.
Although it was called a mine or pit, it was more like another quiet cave.
While the rocks within the cave emanated a faint layer of greenish-blue light, it wasn't terrifying at all. Instead, it exuded a peaceful and warm spring-like atmosphere.
By Lei Jun's side were several pieces of pitch-black shattered stones, flickering with a faint greenish-blue light—the very same Qing Shi Mo that made Shangguan Hong and Fang Jian pale.
When he first came into contact with it, Lei Jun could indeed feel that while the Qing Shi Mo had the wondrous effect of further stabilizing his Dao foundation and purifying his spiritual power, it would also damage his physical body's qi and blood.
The two effects combined resulted in faster advancement for Foundation Establishment cultivators, but the adverse effects would manifest as early as the second or third tier of the Foundation Establishment stage.
When the time came to dare to cross the heavenly tribulation, not only would they be unable to pass through it, but they might also directly die under the tribulation due to the decay of their qi and blood.
Moreover, the effects of Qing Shi Mo were as stubborn as bone-boring maggots. Once the cultivator's flesh and blood were eroded, it was extremely difficult for them to heal or compensate through other means.
Of course, nothing in this world was absolute. In the Great Derivation, four nines were complete, and one was not needed.
The rare exception was the misty cloud crystal in Lei Jun's possession.
The misty cloud crystal was still attached to the Spirit-Gathering Talisman, and with this talisman in hand, the Qing Shi Mo that Lei Jun refined during his cultivation no longer eroded his flesh and blood.
Thus, as Yuan Mobai had predicted, Lei Jun could utilize the Qing Shi Mo to accelerate the further stabilization of his Dao foundation.
Yet, he was immune to the side effects it brought.
(End of Chapter)
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