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Chapter 305: 304. A Second-Rank Opportunity, A Chance for Rapid Cultivation Improvement (Part 1)
Chapter 305: 304. A Second-Rank Opportunity, A Chance for Rapid Cultivation Improvement (Part 1)
Little Boat Island?
Lei Jun's thoughts stirred as he recalled the nautical charts he had perused during his journey. With that, he manipulated the Grand Cyclical Heaven Mirror to rotate and began searching for the island within the vast ocean.
After a brief scan of the charts, Lei Jun gradually narrowed down the island's approximate location. He further refined his search by narrowing his scope and eventually locked onto Little Boat Island.
There were numerous deserted islands in the East China Sea, but most of them were unsuitable for docking ships and thus remained sparsely populated.
The recent intense battles between the Great Tang cultivators and the Tianli cultivators had sent shockwaves throughout the region, causing the already sparse island inhabitants to flee.
Little Boat Island was currently deserted, and Lei Jun's Grand Cyclical Heaven Mirror scan revealed no signs of life on the island. The surrounding seas, though tumultuous with towering waves, were also devoid of any human presence.
Lei Jun nodded slightly and, under the cover of the Grand Clarity Eight Scenes Treasure Raincoat, stealthily made his way towards Little Boat Island without a sound.
Upon approaching the island, he did not immediately disembark but instead waited until midnight as indicated by the divination lot.
The conflict between the Great Tang cultivators and the Tianli cultivators had escalated to a fever pitch. The battles raged on with both sides pushing each other to their limits.
It appeared that the Tianli cultivators were gaining the upper hand, advancing relentlessly.
However, as evening turned to night and the last rays of the setting sun faded, the tide of the battle suddenly turned.
Brilliant beams of Wen Hua treasure light intertwined and soared into the sky, illuminating the night-shrouded seas once more.
The dense black mist, which had been rolling forward like a moving castle, now met its obstacle.
Led by Chu Xiuyuan and Ye Yan, the Confucian scholars of Suzhou and Qingzhou, with the assistance of Chu Yu and other Tang court imperial cultivators, as well as Abbot Miaoxin of Tianlong Temple, successfully performed a grand ritual that covered a vast area and possessed immense power.
A trap had been set, and the Tianli cultivators had rushed right into it.
"They're being too aggressive," Lei Jun observed from a distance, understanding the situation at a glance. "They're underestimating the strength of the Great Tang's forces."
With the Grand Cyclical Heaven Mirror, Lei Jun felt as if he himself had ascended to the high heavens, overlooking the battlefield below.
The vast ocean roiled as if forming a gigantic vortex, drawing in endless spiritual energy from the heavens and earth to fuel its power.
The Tianli cultivators, empowered by the mountain and river qi of the Tianli, possessed extraordinary might that exceeded the average cultivator.
Over the years, the Confucian scholars had developed unique and mature techniques in this regard.
Even after leaving Tianli and entering another world, these cultivators still carried the qi of Tianli with them.
However, the current battleground was not Tianli but the mortal realm of the Great Tang.
Thus, when Ye Yan, Chu Xiuyuan, and Chu Yu harnessed the abundant spiritual energy of the world and combined it with their own formidable powers, the tide of battle began to turn in favor of the Great Tang.
The Confucian scholars, with their steadfast doctrine, remained unwavering even in the face of such adversity and continued to resist with determination.
But as the Great Tang cultivators shifted from defense to offense, the Tianli cultivators found themselves increasingly overwhelmed.
Moreover, some of their comrades had charged too recklessly, causing a gap to form in their ranks, which the Great Tang cultivators exploited to split their forces.
The Tianli cultivators had no choice but to scatter and attempt to break through the encirclement.
Their formation was thrown into disarray, and their defeat was all but assured. It would be nearly impossible for them to turn the tables now.
On the Great Tang side, Chu Yu and the other experts had already rushed towards the void gateway that connected Tianli to the mortal realm.
On the one hand, they aimed to intercept any potential reinforcements from Tianli.
On the other hand, they sought to block the retreat of the Tianli cultivators, trapping them.
Chu Yu and his companions did not seek to annihilate every last Tianli cultivator but rather to inflict as many casualties as possible.
The ultimate goal of the Great Tang's strategy remained the closure of the void gateway connecting Tianli to the mortal realm, rather than a counterattack on Tianli itself.
However, they intended to take advantage of the opportunity to inflict heavy losses on the enemy.
At the juncture of sea and sky, a storm of spiritual energy raged.
Little Boat Island, though not in a remote location, was still affected by the aftermath of the battle.
The surging tides had taken on the characteristics of a tsunami, with monstrous waves and torrential rain relentlessly pounding the island as if seeking to engulf it.
Lei Jun, positioned outside the island, bore the full brunt of the howling winds and raging seas.
However, with the protection of the Grand Clarity Eight Scenes Treasure Raincoat, it was as if he had vanished from the world.
The rampaging spiritual storm and the violent sea passed by him without causing any harm.
Not even his hidden form was detected by the outside world.
At this moment, the Grand Clarity Eight Scenes Treasure Raincoat truly resembled a raincoat, shielding Lei Jun from the tempest, unmoved by the raging elements.
"However, this physical barrier does seem to be affecting the Grand Cyclical Heaven Mirror's precise observations on a small scale," Lei Jun mused.
As midnight approached, Lei Jun calmly waited, his thoughts turning to his divine abilities, spells, and treasures.
His eyes shone with the faint glow of the Heaven-Earth Permeating Spell.
High in the azure sky, at the center of the Grand Cyclical Heaven Mirror, the Heaven-Earth Permeating Spell also glowed brightly, influenced by Lei Jun's presence.
Under Lei Jun's guidance, the spell underwent further subtle adjustments and changes, aiding him in maintaining a general overview of the complex battlefield.
On the other hand, before Lei Jun's eyes, the spiritual storm raged, causing the earth veins beneath Little Boat Island to tremble.
Lei Jun observed carefully but found no signs of a second-rank opportunity.
Time ticked by, and the battle showed no signs of abating.
Midnight was fast approaching.
Lei Jun remained calm and focused, awaiting the opportune moment.
Suddenly, his heart stirred, and he sensed something in the distance.
Through the pouring rain, a figure was fleeing towards the island.
Lei Jun focused his gaze and recognized the person as a middle-aged man in his forties wearing a third-rank official robe of the Great Ming Dynasty. Despite appearing somewhat disheveled, he still maintained an air of authority.
"Huang Tian? If I recall correctly, he's a capable member of the Gan Party in Tianli, isn't he?" Lei Jun matched the man's appearance to his name.
While the Confucian scholars of Tianli gained their positions through seniority, there were also promising younger cultivators being groomed by the various factions.
Blood ties and master-disciple relationships created varying degrees of closeness and loyalty.
Gu Hai of the Wu Party and Huang Tian of the Gan Party were prime examples of this dynamic.
Huang Tian, alone and stranded, cut a rather sorry figure. Yet, his eyes blazed with determination as he declared, "Gu Guanghan, you won't escape me this time!"
"It is you and your Wu Party cohorts who have brought chaos to the country with your greed for merit and reckless arrogance! I will make sure to report you!"
"Prepare to face the consequences and be thrown into the dungeons!"
"As for the treacherous and heretical confucianists in this world, there will be time to deal with them later."
Huang Tian had already planned his next steps, but everything depended on his return to Tianli.
For now, he had to find a safe place to hide amidst the chaos and wait for the storm to pass before figuring out how to get back.
As Huang Tian pondered his next move, he made his way to Little Boat Island to seek temporary refuge.
However, as soon as he set foot on the island, the turbulent spiritual energy beneath its surface finally erupted, transforming into gale-force winds that soared into the sky.
Huang Tian cursed his bad luck and considered leaving when he suddenly felt something he possessed undergoing a transformation.
With a puzzled expression, he took out an object.
In the distance, Lei Jun watched amidst the raging storm.
In Huang Tian's hand was a withered vine that was unrecognizable at first glance.
As the mountain peaks on the island split open and the gale-force winds surged upwards, they merged with the heavenly and earthly spiritual energy gathered above, forming a faint white light that resembled a gentle rain of light cascading from the heavens.
Both Lei Jun and Huang Tian recognized this phenomenon as the further evolution of heavenly and earthly spiritual energy.
Such a sight was extremely rare.
It was a result of the combined efforts of the Great Tang cultivators and the Tianli cultivators, as well as the unique geographical environment of Little Boat Island.
The island's environment, which usually appeared unremarkable, had now become the most unique and suitable cradle for this phenomenon, prompting admiration for the wonders of the world and the unpredictable nature of opportunities.
This serendipity also rested in Huang Tian's hands, with the withered vine he held.
Influenced by the vine, the earth vein energy underwent its final transformation.
Even Huang Tian himself was astonished by this turn of events.
The vine did not originate from Tianli but was a heirloom passed down in his family, brought with them when his ancestors retreated from the mortal realm of the Great Ming Dynasty into Tianli.
For many years, it had shown no signs of being extraordinary.
The only reason Huang Tian carried it with him was that the vine emitted a peculiar fragrance that had a calming effect, so he used it as an incense of sorts.
But now, it seemed that the withered vine held a hidden secret.
It had simply been waiting for the right opportunity to reveal itself, hidden away all this time.
"A blessing in disguise, an unexpected delight. After great adversity comes good fortune. It seems that my luck has turned for the better, and I shall overcome this crisis unscathed."
Huang Tian took a deep breath and straightened his official robe. "To ignore a heaven-sent opportunity will only bring misfortune."
He tossed the vine into the air.
Suspended in the air above the fissure, the vine was enveloped by the white light and, indeed, it did not continue to fall but hovered in mid-air.
The withered vine seemed to come back to life, twisting and turning in the air.
As midnight approached, the vine gradually transformed into a flowing light, forming numerous glowing vines that descended and took root in the ground.
The withered vine sprouted new leaves and gradually took on a recognizable form.
Lei Jun observed this transformation for a moment before commenting thoughtfully, "A gourd vine, perhaps..."
Huang Tian, unfamiliar with the appearance of a gourd vine, soon realized what it was as glowing orbs resembling gourds began to appear on the vine.
"What is it?" Huang Tian, despite his lack of knowledge about plants, was well-read and tried to recall the descriptions from books as he observed the gourd vine before him.
Lei Jun watched for a while before muttering, "It somewhat resembles the Immortal Gourd of Brahma..."
This was one of the spiritual treasures of their Daoist sect.
Longhu Mountain had possessed one in the distant past, but that was an era long forgotten.
Now, it had become a legendary tale.
Not only were gourds non-existent, but even their seeds were nowhere to be found.
Yet, Huang Tian had a vine that still retained a hint of life, and over the years, it had accumulated a deep spiritual essence.
Coincidentally, this trip had provided the opportunity to stimulate and nurture the vine's spiritual nature, a fortunate turn of events that seemed fated.
As for the function of this treasure, it could aid cultivators from the Three Heavens in their cultivation, greatly accelerating their progress.
Especially for cultivators at the Seventh and Eighth Heavens, its effects were remarkably evident.
Its wondrous benefits surpassed even those of the Ascending Clouds Flowery Elixir and other spiritual objects.
Lei Jun already possessed both the Immortal Physique and the Calm Insight, causing his cultivation speed to far surpass that of his peers.
If he were to refine the Immortal Gourd of Brahma, his future cultivation would undoubtedly be shortened significantly.
Although it was a treasure of the Daoist sect, this spiritual object could also assist cultivators from other sects in their practice.
Huang Tian, a Confucianist cultivator, recalled the descriptions in ancient texts, and upon realizing that the object before him was indeed the Immortal Gourd of Brahma, he, too, rejoiced greatly.
While progress might be slow, a solid foundation would ultimately lead to greater achievements.
However, it was a pity that the vine in his possession had been withered.
Now, as it underwent a transformation influenced by the heavenly and earthly spiritual energy, the vine's radiance consumed all its accumulated spiritual energy, and there would only be this one opportunity to obtain the Immortal Gourd of Brahma.
If only it could have been transplanted and cultivated further, but now, it was a missed opportunity.
Huang Tian sighed and turned his attention to the glowing orbs on the gourd vine, which resembled gourds.
He could vaguely make out two orbs, one on each side, and his eyes lit up once more. "Not one, but a pair?"
Lei Jun nodded slightly in agreement.
However, the gourds were not yet fully formed.
The spiritual energy had stimulated and transformed the withered vine, but it seemed that a final catalyst was needed for the gourds to truly take shape.
Huang Tian, noticing this, grew serious as he looked around for a solution.
Lei Jun, however, already had an idea. "No wonder it had to be at midnight. It's to take advantage of the moment when the heavenly and earthly yin and yang energies are in transition."
Moreover, this final opportunity rested with him, Lei Jun.
If he had not come here, Little Boat Island would never have witnessed the birth of this second-rank opportunity.
Huang Tian's withered vine might have gone to waste as well.
So, they waited patiently for midnight to arrive...
Huang Tian was determined not to give up and began experimenting with various methods to further stimulate the gourd vine, hoping to induce the complete formation of the Immortal Gourd of Brahma.
(End of Chapter)
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