Chapter 309: Second Layer of the Eightfold Heaven, Inner Landscape of the Divine Court (Part 1)

Chapter 309: Second Layer of the Eightfold Heaven, Inner Landscape of the Divine Court (Part 1)



In the Daoist Talisman Sect, cultivators who reach the Eightfold Heaven realm refine their Divine Court, condensing the essence of their cultivated Dao techniques and fusing their soul and spirit to create their own miniature world within their body, mirroring the universe outside. Thus, it is called the Inner Landscape of the Divine Court.

The next step in cultivation is to expand and perfect this Inner Landscape, evolving it from a crude prototype to a true reflection of the cosmos.

Within Lei Jun's Divine Court, there seemed to be a division into two halves, not truly split but resembling the Yin-Yang fish of Taiji, mutually generating and opposing each other.

At this moment, under Lei Jun's control, the various techniques he had mastered were presented one by one.

The Dou Mu Stellar God, the Nine Heavens Thunder Ancestor, the Xuan Xiao Thunder Ancestor, the Nine Abyss Flame Ancestor, and the Tian Chen Flame Ancestor stood side by side.

The Two Extremities Primordial Magnetism Talisman, the Heaven-Penetrating Earth-Reaching Talisman, the Spirit Officer Talisman, the Heavenly Movement Talisman, and the Circumpolar Constellation Talisman coexisted in harmony.

In addition to these fundamental talismans, the other talisman techniques known to Lei Jun also transformed into specks of spiritual light, hovering around him.

As Lei Jun's thoughts shifted, these numerous talismans began to multiply and then differentiate.

In this moment, all the talismans doubled in number.

Then they divided into two groups, falling into the two halves of Lei Jun's Divine Court, corresponding to each other from a distance.

Only one altar remained unique, situated in the center of the Divine Court, which was subtly divided yet remained seamlessly integrated.

The altar was divided into three layers, with an upper circle, a lower square, and an octagonal middle layer, shimmering with purple, golden, and azure light.

This altar was the foundation of Lei Jun's cultivation, achieved through the Orthodox Unity of the True One's Great Dao Scripture, the fundamental text of his cultivation path.

After attaining the Eightfold Heavenly Divine Court realm, Lei Jun obtained all seven volumes of the Orthodox Unity of the True One's Great Dao Scripture from the Celestial Master's Mansion.

Through diligent cultivation, he unified and penetrated the mysteries of the scripture.

With this altar as the core pivot of his Divine Court, the inner landscape universe within began to expand and grow stronger.

On both sides, identical sets of complete talismans shone with radiant light, each following its own trajectory and slowly revolving.

Lei Jun sat quietly, breathing and meditating, and his body began to glow with purple, golden, and azure light at this moment.

His skin turned momentarily lustrous and translucent like jade before returning to normal and then undergoing further transformations, repeating in an endless cycle.

The clear qi with its engraved crimson rune flew out from the purple gourd and was absorbed by Lei Jun, causing the gourd to shine and transform into specks of flowing light that dissipated in the air.

Once the clear qi was absorbed, it entered Lei Jun's Divine Court and began to be refined.

Under the influence of this clear qi, the changes in Lei Jun's Divine Court accelerated.

"Ancestral Tribulation gives birth to ninety-nine thousand breaths of Brahma. The Crimson Book shines, revealing six hundred and sixty-eight true characters. Through the Primordial Chaos Crimson Rune, the Nine Heavens are opened, and through the Jade Calendar of the Epoch, the Five Tribulations are differentiated. The Grand Canon of Heaven and Earth, the awe-inspiring origin of creation. The pivot of yin and yang, the exalted ancestor of thunder..."

Lei Jun silently recited the scripture's incantations.

The clear qi of the Brahma Breath Immortal Gourd split into two, penetrating his Divine Court from above and below.

One ascended to the highest heavens, beyond the clouds.

The other reached the origin of creation, the Grand Canon of Heaven and Earth.

With this process, Lei Jun's Divine Court continued to expand and perfect itself.

At the same time, this inner landscape universe resonated and corresponded with the true universe outside.

His Divine Court seemed truly divided into two halves, contrasting each other.

They seemed like mutual reflections.

At the same time, they also corresponded with the real universe outside.

Through Lei Jun's cultivation, he gained a deeper understanding of the natural laws of heaven and earth and the profound state of his Dao techniques.

In the evening, the stars in the night sky twinkled.

As Lei Jun meditated, the sublime part of his Divine Court that reached upwards seemed to transform into the Nine Heavens, with sparkling stars visible.

During the day, after greeting Yuan Mo Bai and Tang Xiao Tang, he quietly descended without disturbing the other sect members and entered the underground vein beneath Dragon and Tiger Mountain.

In the underground vein, Lei Jun sat quietly by the converging rivers of spiritual qi, silently comprehending the flow of qi and the movement of fate.

In this moment, the mountains and rivers, the earth and all its creatures appeared as one to Lei Jun.

And within this unity, there was a way of shifting and moving.

The vast amount of primordial magnetism within began to clarify in Lei Jun's eyes.

The so-called Grand Canon of Heaven and Earth was no longer inscrutable.

With the resonance and correspondence, the condensed part of Lei Jun's Divine Court that extended downwards seemed like the Nine Abyssal Cores, revealing the paths of primordial magnetism.

As day turned to night and the heavens revolved, the inner landscape of Lei Jun's Divine Court, which had initially been crude and rudimentary, began to stabilize and become more distinct.

"Hmm, it's starting to take shape," Lei Jun nodded slightly.

The next step was to continuously accumulate, perfecting the starry sky and earth's magnetism and causing the entire inner landscape of the Divine Court to grow stronger.

Until finally, the moment of achieving the Inner Landscape of the Divine Court arrived.

With the framework in place, all that remained was the quiet and patient work of refining one's heart and cultivation.

The Brahma Breath Immortal Gourd, in addition to helping him establish the framework more smoothly, would also shorten the time required for future cultivation.

Lei Jun spent the following days in the mountains.

In addition to fulfilling his duties as a high-achieving elder, assisting Tang Xiao Tang, Yuan Mo Bai, and others in managing the mansion's affairs and instructing his disciple Zhuo Bao Jie, he also focused on his own quiet cultivation.

That summer, Daoist Master Lei celebrated his fiftieth birthday.

And his senior disciple, Zhuo Bao Jie, formed his Yuan Fu (Origin Symbol) within four years of receiving the talisman, attaining the Fourfold Heaven cultivation base of the Daoist Talisman Sect.

His progress was exceptionally fast.

However, Lei Jun and the others were not surprised.

This disciple had exceptional talent, especially in terms of his physical foundation, which was extremely solid. His rapid progress in cultivation was a manifestation of his innate potential.

However, the Fourfold Heaven Yuan Fu realm of the Talisman Sect focused more on the cultivation of the spirit and soul, rather than the physical body.

So Zhuo Bao Jie's "newbie benefits" came to a temporary end.

"Beware of arrogance and impatience. Take a steady and solid approach, and don't let anxiety creep into your heart just because your cultivation is not as smooth as before."

Lei Jun looked at the little guy in front of him, his furry sleeves and collar peeking out from under his deep red Daoist robe, and said, "Don't be preoccupied with the fact that when you reach the Fivefold Heaven Dao Palace realm, you will once again focus on physical cultivation and enjoy a more comfortable phase. Always aim high and keep your feet on the ground, taking one step at a time."

Zhuo Bao Jie's expression turned solemn as he bowed, his little paws coming together in front of his chest as he showed respect to Lei Jun, "Disciple will heed Master's teachings."

Lei Jun nodded slightly.

Perhaps Zhuo Bao Jie would come across other opportunities in the future as well.

However, during his cultivation journey, it would be best for him to maintain a calm and stable mindset.

The little bear cub spoke again, "Master, regarding the first law of one's innate path, disciple wishes to choose the 'Treading the Ley Lines and Bowing to the Big Dipper' technique."

Lei Jun inclined his head, "Good."

This wasn't purely a tradition unique to Lei Jun's lineage. Within the entire Celestial Master's Mansion, 'Treading the Ley Lines and Bowing to the Big Dipper' was one of the most popular choices, with the highest selection probability.

And for Zhuo Bao Jie, who was inclined towards the path of physical cultivation, 'Treading the Ley Lines and Bowing to the Big Dipper' was the most suitable first law for his innate path.

Previously, at the Triple Heaven realm, he had created his own Spirit Devouring Talisman, but now, upon reaching the Quadruple Heaven realm, he had returned to the orthodox path.

Although he insisted on not taking a human form, his attempt at walking the ley lines and bowing to the Big Dipper in his bear form did look a little comical...

"Has little Zhuo reached the Third Layer of the Triple Heaven realm?" Chu Kun asked with a smile, having returned to the mountain gate these past two days and seeing Lei Jun instructing Zhuo Bao Jie in cultivating the 'Treading the Ley Lines and Bowing to the Big Dipper' technique.

Zhuo Bao Jie circled the altar once before returning to his original position and stopping. He then bowed respectfully to Chu Kun, "Uncle-Master."

Lei Jun asked, "You returned later than expected. Did something delay your family's relocation?"

Chu Kun shook his head, "Not exactly. Some unrelated matters caused a slight delay."

He asked, "What is Big Brother doing now?"

Lei Jun replied, "He should be in seclusion, cultivating."

He instructed his disciple Zhuo Bao Jie to meditate and calm his mind, then left the courtyard with Chu Kun to visit Wang Guiyuan.

Seeing Chu Kun return, Wang Guiyuan asked, "Third Junior Brother, you returned later than expected. Is everything alright?"

Chu Kun reassured him, "Senior Brother, don't worry. I didn't encounter any danger. I stayed a little longer in the coastal region to assist with disaster relief efforts."

After the three senior brothers were seated, Chu Kun spoke, "A huge change occurred in the East Sea this trip, causing consecutive tsunamis that greatly affected the coastal regions. Fortunately, the imperial court had arranged for people to prepare in advance."

However, there were still some problems.

As expected, there were some instances of corruption.

It even affected the disaster relief efforts, which was why Chu Kun stayed to help reinforce the embankments and guard against tsunamis, resulting in his delayed return.

Fang Yue, who had accompanied him, also stayed to help.

Fang Yue had originally planned to return to Jianye to continue handling the affairs of the new academy, but he ended up staying to lend a hand.

For cultivators, the rice used for disaster relief was insignificant.

However, among the materials used to reinforce the embankments and block the tsunamis, there were many precious heavenly treasures.

Afterwards, the Tang imperial court's handling of the situation was generally strict.

However, on the other hand...

"The masters of Tianlong Temple also have quite an appetite..." As Chu Kun spoke, he quietly observed Wang Guiyuan's expression.

Although he had heard plenty of gossip about Tianlong Temple from his elders and older members of the Chu family back when he was in Chu territory, this trip had still surprised him.

The embankments stretched for miles, and aside from officials, other local powers were also involved in the disaster relief efforts.

North of Yuhang and Mingzhou, as well as in Songjiang and other places, the disaster relief efforts were mainly handled by the two major local powers, the Chu family and Tianlong Temple.

As a result, there was also some news about them.

Upon hearing this, Lei Jun glanced at Wang Guiyuan.

Wang Guiyuan's expression remained unchanged, and he didn't seem surprised, "How many people?"

Chu Kun replied, "Not many have been confirmed, just a few. But Master Faping, who was in charge of leading the group, and Elder Miaohui, who came later to handle the related matters... well, they're very protective of their disciples."

In other words, they were biased and might even be covering for them... Lei Jun understood.

In that case, it was hard to say how many people were actually involved.

But there was a problem.

"The cultivation path of Tianlong Temple is the Buddhist path of vows..." Lei Jun turned to Wang Guiyuan.

Wang Guiyuan sighed, "People are different, and their vows are also different. Making vows and fulfilling them doesn't always lead to good karma. Of course, it's impossible to say that there's no influence at all."

Lei Jun said, "It doesn't seem to be a big influence."

Although Master Faping wasn't as accomplished as Master Faming, he was still a high-level monk of the Triple Heaven realm from Tianlong Temple, and he was the leader of the group of monks who had come to help with the embankments and disaster relief efforts.

As for Elder Miaohui, she was of the same generation as Abbot Miaoxin, Elder Miaokong, and Elder Miaoyi, and she had cultivated to the Eighth Layer of the Heaven realm.

Lei Jun couldn't help but wonder if they had always been like this or if they had gradually changed over time.

"People are different," Wang Guiyuan repeated those words, "I've heard that the atmosphere in the temple has improved slightly in recent years."

Lei Jun suddenly remembered Wang Guiyuan's simple evaluation of Abbot Miaoxin.

He fell into thought, "Will Abbot Miaoxin handle this matter properly?"

Chu Kun, who was standing beside him, also seemed to have thought of something, "Elder Miaohui's master is Tianlong Temple's Grand Elder, Master Yun Hui..."

Master Yun Hui was the Grand Elder of the previous generation of Tianlong Temple, and he was also the nominal number one expert of Tianlong Temple before this year's Dragon-Tiger Mountain Convention. He had cultivated to the Eighth Layer of the Heaven realm.

It was only this year, with the reappearance of Master Faching, that the public's perception of the lineage of Tianlong Temple's experts changed, adding another Eighth Layer of the Heaven realm cultivator to their ranks.

In recent years, Master Yun Hui had rarely appeared due to his old age, and he seldom involved himself in external affairs.

However, when it came to Tianlong Temple's Stabilizing Sea Divine Needle, whether inside or outside the temple, he was the first person that came to mind.

It was only this year, with Master Faching's stunning appearance, that discussions arose, but since Master Faching hadn't returned to Tianlong Temple, the people of Tianlong Temple could only feel helpless about it.

"Master Yun Hui himself is not tainted by greed or obsession, but when it comes to 'anger'..." Wang Guiyuan shook his head, "...well, in Third Junior Brother's words, he's very protective of his junior disciples, so..."

Chu Kun comforted him, "Master Yun Hui is already very old. These days, most of Tianlong Temple's affairs are handled by Abbot Miaoxin. With the surge of heavenly spiritual energy, the Buddhist path of vows will surely continue to produce outstanding young monks. With Abbot Miaoxin, Elder Miaokong, and Master Faming guiding them, things will surely become clearer."

"He shares the same suspicions as Lei Jun."

It was clear that his senior master brother favored Abbot Miaoxin, Elder Miaokuang, and the others.

But instead of staying at Tianlong Temple, he had no intention of returning.

Although he carried a hidden agenda, his current situation was obviously better than before.

If Abbot Miaoxin and Dharma Master Faqing returned to Tianlong Temple and supported him, many things would be much smoother.

Although it might also trigger internal strife, it was still better than the current situation...

Lei Jun and Chu Kun exchanged a glance, both choosing to skirt around the topic without prying further.

Later that evening, their senior sister, Xu Yuanzhen, finally returned to Dragon and Tiger Mountain.

"That Ming Dynasty, which dominates the human realm, is quite something," she said, her expression tinged with disgust.

Lei Jun asked, "Is it the same as the whole of Tianli, with Confucianism and its strict moral codes dominating?"

Xu Yuanzhen replied, "Indeed, influenced by the country's fortune, it even affects the rotation of the void realm, making it hard to find a sect. I have had some contact with them, but I have not been able to enter their doors."

She sat down casually, "But it's no problem for me. This trip back, if I have some free time later on, I'll prepare some things, and next time I go, I'll be able to break right in."

Lei Jun looked at her expression and clearly saw the corners of her mouth turn up slightly, revealing her keen interest.

Apparently, her failure to enter the Ming Dynasty's human realm had only piqued Xu Yuanzhen's curiosity further.

So much so that she was uninterested in searching for other void realm entrances and instead planned to create one herself.

However, there were other matters she needed to attend to first.

"Yellow, Mysterious, Simple..." Xu Yuanzhen nodded and spoke slowly, enunciating each word.

She usually spoke quickly, her words falling like raindrops on a jade plate, rarely drawing out her words like she was doing now.

Tang Xiaotang hummed, "It's a pity the Celestial Master's Robe returned a little late, otherwise, I would have loved to face him."

Xu Yuanzhen said, "It's not the Celestial Master's Robe that's a pity, it's me."

The sudden invasion of the Han people of the Lonely Eagle Kingdom into the Great Tang human realm had caught almost everyone off guard.

At that time, Xu Yuanzhen had already entered Tianli.

If not for the Lonely Eagle Kingdom suddenly stirring up trouble in the Northwest, distracting the Tang court's attention along with the Tianli of the East China Sea, and if Xu Yuanzhen herself had been there, the Human Path Nation would not have attacked Dragon and Tiger Mountain.

At that time, it truly would have been a rare opportunity, fleeting and easily missed.

But who would have thought that they would encounter a crushing defeat at the foot of Dragon and Tiger Mountain?

However, Huang Xuanpu and Fu Dongsen were able to retreat.

Although Xu Yuanzhen was now interested in the Ming Dynasty's human realm, before that, she intended to find Huang Xuanpu.

Although she looked down on the Human Path Nation, the related matters were not something she would be so concerned about.

With Huang Xuanpu, it was purely a personal grudge.

Although Li Qingfeng was not killed by Huang Xuanpu, the most direct cause of his demise was Huang Xuanpu's surprise ambush.

For Xu Yuanzhen, it was impossible for her to favor and tolerate the other members of the Li family just because of her personal connection to Li Qingfeng.

But since Li Qingfeng himself had perished, she would definitely give her master some closure.

"Although it hasn't been confirmed, according to the latest news from the Shu Mountain Sect, the Taiyi Pre-Heavenly Pagoda may have been retrieved by Fu Dongsen," Yuan Mobai said. "As for Qingxiaofu, they still seem to be missing."

Xu Yuanzhen asked, "Hmm, is that one clue, and what about Pure Yang Palace?"

Yuan Mobai replied, "There's been some turmoil, but at least they didn't suffer a complete defeat."

Tang Xiaotang interjected, "It's about the same."

Yuan Mobai sighed upon hearing this.

The current situation in Pure Yang Palace was worse than the Great Schism in the Shu Mountain Sect.

Huang Xuanpu's influence in Pure Yang Palace was deeper than Fu Dongsen's in Shu Mountain Sect.

In addition to the previous generation's Grand Elder Rong Guangchen, Huang Xuanpu's junior, the previous White Tiger Elder Guan Jing, was also his disciple and a spy for the Human Path Nation.

With Rong Guangchen, Gu Han, and Feng Yi having already defected, there were still a group of Human Path Nation believers within Pure Yang Palace.

After the Battle of Dragon and Tiger Mountain, Pure Yang Palace, which was at the front line in the Northwest resisting the Lonely Eagle Kingdom, underwent another upheaval.

In the end, the Empress herself arrived at Pure Yang Palace, and Guan Jing and the others perished.

However, the Empress did not cause further trouble for Pure Yang Palace and instead comforted the remaining members.

Lu Jinduan and the recovering Wang Xuan looked at each other, speechless, and could only gather their emotions to rebuild the shaky Dan Ding Sect, a sacred site of the Daoist School.

Somewhat unexpectedly, Huang Xuanpu's closed disciple, Yue Xiling, was not a member of the Human Path Nation.

But now, after Pure Yang Palace had gone through several upheavals, the outside world's gaze upon Yue Xiling was filled with suspicion and scrutiny.

Yue Xiling remained silent and, to avoid suspicion, did not participate in the reconstruction of Pure Yang Palace.

Furthermore, with Wang Xuan's mental and physical state still unstable, Pure Yang Palace was left with only Lu Jinduan, a peak cultivator, to shoulder the burden, leaving Elder Lu feeling helpless.

Among the Seventh Heaven cultivators, only a handful remained, including Jiang Yu and others.

Pure Yang Palace had sunk to its lowest point in over a thousand years.

What was worse was how the world now viewed them.

Who knew if there were still members of the Human Path Nation hiding among the remaining cultivators?

Even if there truly weren't, it would still be a convenient excuse for some people to suppress Pure Yang Palace.

It was plainly difficult for Pure Yang Palace to weather this low point.

"Yue Xiling might not be that important. Otherwise, the outcome would have been different when the Shu Mountain Sect split up," Xu Yuanzhen said casually.

On the way back to Shu Mountain to escort Liao Jie from the Southern Wilderness, Chu Yu had traveled with Wei Qiyue and Yue Xiling before meeting up with Zhang Dongyuan.

If Yue Xiling had been a problem, they could have intercepted Liao Jie on the spot.

Even if Chu Yu had escaped, the Shu Mountain Sect might not have split up at that time.

Although they had exposed Wei Qiyue and Yue Xiling, it was possible that Fu Dongsen and Hong Jie would have continued to hide their true allegiance.

"Speaking of which, the current emperor hasn't taken action in nearly twenty years," Yuan Mobai recalled. "The last time was during the Eastern Sea Demon Incident.

In the distant depths of the Northern Sea, a treasure tower rose and fell with the waves.

Within the tower, Huang Xuanpu stood tall in black and white Daoist robes, his demeanor relaxed and his aura peaceful.

Standing before him were two men dressed in plain cloth and straw shoes, their appearance resembling that of Shu Mountain Sect Daoists.

One of them was the former head of the Shu Mountain Sect, Fu Dongsen.

The other was the former Shu Mountain Sect elder, Liu Dongzhuo.

Liu Dongzhuo's face was filled with shame as he performed a Daoist bow. "Dongzhuo is incompetent and failed to keep Chen Yi safe.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end