https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-306-305-Lack-of-Luck-Can-Also-be-a-Pitfall-Part-2-/12588621/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-307-Lei-Jun-s-Heavenly-Flying-Sword-Part-2-/12588623/
Chapter 307: Lei Jun's Heavenly Flying Sword (Part 1)
Chapter 307: Lei Jun's Heavenly Flying Sword (Part 1)
The Great Empty Temple's legacy was one of sheer destructive power, capable of obliterating all in its path.
Generally, these black-robed monks engaged in close to mid-range combat when battling their foes.
Of course, at the level of Yuanmie and Jixiang, even their slightest movements would have a wide area of effect.
However, compared to cultivators of the same realm from other sects, the monks of the Great Empty Temple were most deadly at close to mid-range.
There were, however, always exceptions to the rule, and the Great Empty Temple was no exception. They, too, had a few formations that could deal devastating damage even without the caster being present.
One such formation was the Inverted Round Mirror Wisdom Formation.
The master of this divine ability in the past had been none other than the previous abbot of the Great Empty Temple, Jixiang Dharma King, the mentor of Yuanmie.
Since the death of Jixiang Dharma King, no one from the Great Empty Temple had been heard of mastering this art.
Yuanmie was a once-in-a-generation genius of the Great Empty Temple, having reached the Eighth Heaven realm at a young age and inheriting the position of abbot from Jixiang Dharma King. He had mastered the arts of the Great Empty Temple to an exquisite and formidable degree.
However, until now, he had not cultivated the Inverted Round Mirror Wisdom Formation.
Rumor had it that it was not due to a lack of ability, but rather personal preference.
But after the setback in the Western Regions with the Vajra Temple and the death of his mentor, Jixiang Dharma King, Yuanmie, after years of seclusion, had successfully cultivated this art of the Great Empty Temple, surpassing his master in the process and fully demonstrating his extraordinary talent.
He had set up this formation on the desolate island specifically to ambush the abbot of Sky Dragon Temple, Master Miaoxin, and had planned it with utmost care and precision.
Although Yuanmie was not personally present to direct the formation, the power it unleashed was silently devastating, capable of destroying all things.
At first glance, the black lotus appeared to be in full bloom, but then its petals began to retract, growing in reverse.
As the black lotus contracted, it seemed as if the very fabric of the island's existence was being pulled inward, collapsing upon itself.
All that was enveloped by the black lotus was drawn inexorably toward oblivion.
The only slight problem was...
The target was not who Yuanmie had expected.
Chu Taoyuan, the elder of the Chu family from Suzhou, had stepped into the formation, only to be enveloped by the black lotus.
Before Elder Chu could even react, his vision was quite literally darkened.
This trap had been set for the Eighth Heaven realm Master Miaoxin.
While Master Miaoxin might not have been destroyed by the Inverted Round Mirror Wisdom Formation, Yuanmie had also planned to make his move personally.
However, the situation was entirely different for Chu Taoyuan, who was only at the Seventh Heaven realm.
If Chu Taoyuan had been in perfect condition, facing only the formation without Yuanmie's direct attack, he might have had a chance to escape.
But having just fought fiercely against the Tianli cultivator and sustaining serious injuries, his exhausted state left him with no chance of escape when the black lotus enfolded him.
Especially for this Elder Chao...
Why?!
Why had the expert from the Great Empty Temple suddenly attacked him? Chu Taoyuan was bewildered and furious.
Had Yuanmie and the others gone mad?
For the Great Empty Temple to be able to recuperate overseas, they must have received secret support from the powerful families and sects of the Great Tang Dynasty on the mainland.
In particular, Qingzhou, Youzhou, and the coastal areas of Suzhou had frequent interactions with the Great Empty Temple.
So why would the Great Empty Temple expert launch a sneak attack on him, a native of Suzhou?
No one answered Chu Taoyuan's question.
Wounded as he was, he was neither able to break through nor call for help, and could only watch helplessly as the black lotus petals closed in, sealing him within its heart.
Then, the black lotus collapsed in on itself.
Amidst the surging sword aura, a melody like that of a zither resonated within the black lotus.
Chu Taoyuan struggled desperately, managing to hold out for a while.
But unfortunately, there was no one else around.
Master Miaoxin and Yuanmie were engaged in a fierce battle, their movements carrying them farther and farther away from this area of the sea.
The disciples of Sky Dragon Temple who had come with Master Miaoxin were also carefully following their abbot, keeping their distance.
No other Great Tang cultivators were approaching this area.
And unfortunately, there were no other Tianli cultivators nearby, either.
Thus, for the time being, only Lei Jun, through the Great Cycle Heaven-Viewing Mirror, witnessed the black lotus shrinking bit by bit.
Although it was clear that a force was colliding within the black lotus, attempting to force it to reopen, as time passed, the black lotus continued to contract, eventually becoming a small, black bead, resembling a sarira.
As the black sarira shrank to a certain extent, it trembled slightly and then cracked open.
But it was not the trapped person successfully breaking free from the sarira.
Instead, the black sarira cracked open on its own, turning into ashes that scattered over the sea.
In the distance, the waves roared, and the small desolate island was no longer visible on the surface of the sea.
Naturally, Chu Taoyuan had also vanished.
To be fair, this was indeed a misunderstanding.
Unfortunately, Yuanmie was currently engaged in a fierce battle with Master Miaoxin and had no time to pay attention to this side.
Although Lei Jun did not know the depth of the grudge between the Chu family of Suzhou and the Great Empty Temple, he was aware that among the powerful families and sects of the Great Tang, the three coastal families had frequent interactions with the Great Empty Temple overseas.
Later on, how the Chu family of Suzhou and the Great Empty Temple would discuss this matter would be up to them.
Lei Jun remained calm and redirected the perspective of the Great Cycle Heaven-Viewing Mirror.
As the mirror light flowed, it shifted to the void portal connecting Tianli and the Great Tang.
There, the experts from the Great Tang had begun their assault once more.
Ye Yan, the clan head of the Ye family from Qingzhou, and Chu Yu, representing the imperial family of the Tang court, were in charge of the related matters.
The old clan head of the Chu family of Suzhou, Chu Xiuyuan, remained on the outskirts.
The ritual used for the ambush earlier had taken a toll on him, and he was now recuperating on the periphery while overseeing the other Great Tang cultivators in cleaning up the remaining Tianli cultivators who were scattered and fleeing.
However, Elder Chu also had a worry on his mind.
His nephew, Chu Peng, approached him and said, "Uncle, we can't get in touch with Fifteenth Uncle."
The "Fifteenth Uncle" that Chu Peng mentioned referred to Chu Taoyuan.
Elder Chu's expression remained calm as he said, "It's difficult to communicate in the current maritime environment. Keep trying."
"Yes, Uncle," Chu Peng replied.
After a slight pause, he continued, "Earlier, when we contacted the Sky Dragon Temple monks, we heard some news... The abbot of the Great Empty Temple, Yuanmie, has appeared nearby and is fighting with Master Miaoxin of Sky Dragon Temple."
Upon hearing this, the expression of the old clan head of the Chu family, Chu Xiuyuan, finally changed slightly.
Scowling slightly, the elder of the Chu family asked, "Yuanmie?"
Chu Peng replied, "Yes."
Although the Great Empty Temple had secret dealings with several prominent families, they were not subordinates and thus had no obligation to inform each other of their every move.
Yuanmie's arrival had been unknown to Chu Xiuyuan and Ye Yan beforehand.
"He must be from Sky Dragon Temple." The elder's frown slowly eased, but his tone remained unfriendly. "What a nuisance."
Fortunately, the battle against Tianli had already been decided, and the Great Empty Temple's intervention at this point would not affect the overall situation.
However, a vague and inexplicable shadow loomed in Chu Xiuyuan's heart.
He further instructed Chu Peng, "Aside from your fifteenth uncle, quickly confirm the whereabouts of the rest of your clan members."
"Yes, Eldest Uncle," Chu Peng replied.
Just as he was about to leave, he remembered something. "Oh, right, Eldest Uncle. It's been a while since we've heard from Ye Hongzhen in Qingzhou, too."
Chu Xiuyuan remained silent for a moment before waving his hand dismissively.
Chu Peng quickly retreated.
The elder of the Chu family lowered his head in contemplation, and after a while, he lifted his head, his expression back to normal.
He gazed into the distance.
There, a group of Tianli cultivators were divided into two opposing sides, engaged in a civil war.
On one side was a group led by Qi Haowei, a great Confucian who had achieved mastery in the art of archery through the Confucian divine shooting technique. He was the same Qi Haowei who had been persuaded by Chu Yu to defect.
Behind Qi Haowei were some Tianli cultivators who had been swayed by his words and were now intending to defect as well.
Opposing them was a relatively larger group.
At the forefront was a Confucian cultivator from the Chanting lineage, who glared at Qi Haowei and his group with anger:
"General Qi, you have enjoyed the grace of the Emperor for many years. Instead of devoting yourself to serving His Majesty, you dare to betray your country. Have you no shame left?"
Qi Haowei remained calm. "Minister Li, please hear me out. Whether it's me or you, no matter how loyal we are to the country, we will ultimately be discarded like weeds. Let's not even talk about whether our ambitions will be realized. Even our lives and those of our families are uncertain from day to day."
The Confucian official on the opposite side rebuked him angrily, "Silence! Qi Haowei, know that the Emperor's grace is like the rain and dew that nourishes all. How dare you, as a subject, utter such treasonous words?"
Although Qi Haowei's group was small in number, they had the support of the Great Tang cultivators on the periphery.
Zhang Ziyi spoke up, "Minister Li, as far as I know, you are not from the lineage of Confucian scholars. In the false Ming Dynasty, because you lacked the support of a powerful teacher, you have been frustrated in your career. Why persist in this futile struggle?"
The Ming court official named Li looked at Zhang Ziyi and Qi Haowei with disdain. "All under heaven is the Emperor's land, and all under heaven are the Emperor's subjects. With the Holy Emperor on the throne, the country is peaceful and the people are safe. This is the greatest fortune for all ages."
His gaze swept over the Great Tang cultivators surrounding Zhang Ziyi, and he let out a cold laugh. "Earlier, I heard them address you as 'Princess.' Are you from the false Tang royal family? As far as I know, your group includes the Five Surnames and Seven Hopes. They, along with your false Tang female emperor, have always had hidden intentions. How could you possibly understand the loyalty and devotion to our Great Ming Dynasty that we scholars have cultivated?"
Zhang Ziyi remained unmoved by his words and merely glanced at Qi Haowei.
Qi Haowei also maintained his composure. "Minister Li, your devotion is admirable, but not everyone in Tianli shares your sentiments.
Take General Qin Wu, for example, whom you also know. He led his troops, and most of them died in battle.
The reason for this is that Gu Hai was too eager to advance and seek battle, which led to the army becoming separated and trapped in a dangerous situation.
And during the subsequent breakout, Gu Hai watched as General Qin Wu's troops ventured deep into enemy territory alone. Instead of providing support, he only escaped with a small number of confidants, ultimately leading to the chaos and destruction of the main force..."
The Ming court official named Li glared at them, his eyes sharp, and said decisively, "You need not say more. The Emperor and the cabinet ministers will naturally make a wise decision and reward or punish as appropriate!"
Qi Haowei sighed deeply. "Is that really the case? You and I both know that Gu Guanghan is a disciple of Minister Song. As for us and General Qin Wu..."
As he spoke, he shook his head repeatedly.
The Ming court official named Li cursed, "Rebel! Don't talk nonsense! Even if I die by your blade today, I will take you with me!"
Some of the Tianli cultivators with him shared his anger and indignation, while others wavered in their hearts.
However, none of them chose to defect like Qi Haowei and his group.
Most of those who followed Qi Haowei did not have family members or close relatives to worry about.
On the other hand, those on the opposite side, although they were not from the lineage of Confucian scholars, had family and relatives within Tianli. Even if they had doubts, they dared not act on them.
In the end, most of them met their demise, their blood flowing like rivers into the sea.
…………………
Gu Hai, who had been criticized by Qi Haowei, was also in a very bad mood at the moment.
He kept a low profile and managed to break through the siege with a few close followers.
However, this put him on the outskirts, far from the void portal that led back to Tianli.
To get there, he would have to cross through the layers of encirclement set up by the Great Tang cultivators.
Moreover, the Great Tang cultivators were currently searching for and capturing any remaining Tianli cultivators who had escaped the net.
As a Seventh Heaven Confucian scholar and a core figure of the Wu faction in the Ming court, Gu Hai was a big fish that the Tang court was determined to capture.
Therefore, the situation Gu Hai was facing was challenging. If he wanted to return to Tianli, he risked falling into a trap.
If he wanted to find another path to leave the Great Tang, it would be equally difficult and dangerous.
"General Qin Wu was incompetent and fought poorly, leading to today's defeat. When I return to the court, I will definitely report his incompetence!" Gu Hai gritted his teeth.
A middle-aged man dressed as a fifth-rank Ming official stood beside him and said softly, "Minister, don't worry. With Minister Song in the court, he will definitely speak up for you. Everyone can see how hard you've worked and how you've put yourself on the line in this battle."
Gu Hai's expression eased slightly, but his eyes remained grave.
Today's defeat could shake the Wu faction's position in the court.
His teacher would certainly not allow such a thing to happen.
Although Qin Wu and others were taking the blame, the situation was still unstable.
He and Minister Song rose and fell together. While he wasn't worried about his teacher abandoning him, dealing with the attacks from the Gan and Chu factions was no easy task.
It would be challenging for Qin Wu and the other military men to shoulder the blame alone.
If he, Gu Hai, couldn't return to Tianli for a long time, the situation there might become unpredictable.
Taking a step back, even if he wasn't blamed for today's battle, the longer he stayed away, the less likely it was that he would have a place to stand when he returned.
(End of Chapter)
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