Chapter 311: 310. The Master-Disciple Lineage Across Generations

Chapter 311: 310. The Master-Disciple Lineage Across Generations

"Everyone, please rise."

As Lei Jun and his disciple landed, they returned the greetings of the gathered Yuhe Sect disciples with a partial bow.

Lei Jun's eyes fell on a female Taoist priest dressed in a blue robe among the crowd, "Zhao Shibo, it's good to see you again."

The woman in the blue robe was Zhao Xuan, the current leader of the Yuhe Sect.

Lei Jun had interacted with her during a previous ceremony when she returned to the ancestral court of Longhushan.

Zhao Xuan smiled, "I am well, Elder Lei. Your arrival has brought great honor to our Yuhe Sect."

Standing behind Lei Jun, Zhuo Baojie bowed respectfully, "Greetings, Shibo Zhao."

He then greeted the others from the Yuhe Sect, who quickly returned their greetings.

Although Zhuo Baojie was young and held a lower status, he was already a formally ordained disciple of Longhushan, possessing the cultivation realm of the Fourth Heaven.

If he were to be sent to a branch like the Yuhe Sect, he would undoubtedly be an elder.

Among those present, only a handful of red-robed ordained elders could be compared to him, aside from the leader Zhao Xuan.

The rest, wearing yellow robes and being transmitted disciples, would have to pay their respects and follow Zhuo Baojie's orders if they met him outside of this setting.

After exchanging greetings with Zhao Xuan and the others, Lei Jun and his disciple were led to the mountain gate of the Yuhe Sect.

Upon their arrival, they were greeted by the remaining Yuhe Sect elders, along with other transmitted disciples and a group of young Taoist disciples in gray robes, who bowed to Lei Jun in greeting.

Later that day, Lei Jun and his disciple rested within the mountain gate of the Yuhe Sect.

"Lu Boyuan?" Lei Jun turned to a Yuhe Sect disciple who was accompanying them.

The disciple respectfully replied, "Elder Lei."

The man appeared to be in his thirties or forties, looking more mature than Lei Jun remembered, no longer resembling the young Taoist priest from before. However, his features remained largely unchanged.

In the early years, after Lei Jun obtained the third volume of the Heavenly Book, he had once encountered several disciples of the Yuhe Sect in Youpeng Mountain.

Lu Boyuan was among them.

As for Chen Xi and He Bin, who had accompanied Lu Boyuan at the time, they had either been killed by the Gaos of Zezhou or eliminated by Lei Jun himself for betraying his whereabouts.

Back then, Lei Jun had warned them not to venture near the main peak of Youpeng Mountain.

However, only Lu Boyuan heeded his advice.

Time flew by, and more than twenty years had passed.

The Gaos of Zezhou had fallen into decline due to Lei Jun, proving that the past was indeed like smoke and clouds.

"My fellow disciples, Chen and the others, went to the main peak of Youpeng Mountain and never returned. It was only because of your guidance, Elder Lei, that I was spared from that fate," Lu Boyuan reminisced, filled with emotion as he recalled those events.

At that time, Lei Jun was still young and had a lower cultivation level, so he kept the fact that he had killed the Gaos of Zezhou a secret.

As a result, the Yuhe Sect disciples were unaware of the specific fate of Chen Xi and He Bin, believing that they had perished in the Youpeng Mountains due to some natural disaster.

Now that the Gaos were long gone, Lei Jun didn't feel the need to bring up the past.

Hearing Lu Boyuan's words, he merely said calmly, "The mysteries of heaven are unpredictable, and the laws of fate are unfathomable. As cultivators, we can only exercise extra caution."

"Yes, I will heed your teachings, Elder Lei," Lu Boyuan replied.

Zhao Xuan, the leader of the Yuhe Sect, nodded and smiled gently.

After a brief moment of sitting together, Zhao Xuan invited Lei Jun and his disciple to rest while she took her leave with her disciples.

Before departing, Zhao Xuan extended an invitation, "Elder Lei's arrival is a rare opportunity for our disciples. I wonder if Elder Lei would be willing to grace us with his presence and impart the righteous teachings of Longhu?"

Lei Jun politely declined, "Zhao Shibo, your praise is too kind. I am unworthy of such an honor.

As I have just taken on the role of a patrolling elder, I must first visit various places and pay my respects to the senior members of other sects.

There will be plenty of time in the future, and I will frequently travel outside the mountains. When that time comes, I will trouble Yuhe Sect again, and I hope you will not reject my visit then."

Zhao Xuan smiled and bowed slightly, "You are always welcome, Elder Lei."

The disciples of the Yuhe Sect followed Zhao Xuan as she exited.

As they walked away, one of the elders spoke in a low voice, "We have long heard that Elder Lei's temperament differs from that of his master, Elder Yuan. It seems that Elder Lei is indeed more distant and aloof compared to Elder Yuan."

"I don't see it that way," Zhao Xuan said, glancing at Lu Boyuan, who was walking beside her.

The other elders of the Yuhe Sect looked thoughtful upon hearing this.

"Elder Lei's cultivation and strength, his clear mind and extraordinary memory, make it unsurprising that he remembers Boyuan and the events of those days," one of them remarked.

Zhao Xuan continued, "It's rare for him to be willing to talk about this matter. Indeed, Elder Lei's personality is distant and aloof, but he is very gentle towards his fellow sect members and fellow cultivators.

There are numerous rumors about him, and we often hear of his kindness towards his fellow disciples and his concern for the younger generation, both in the past and in recent years."

After a moment of reflection, the Yuhe Sect disciples nodded in agreement, "What the leader says is true. Elder Lei transcends the mundane and remains untainted by worldly matters, but he has always valued the bonds of his sect and fellow cultivators."

The group did not delve further into the topic.

However, the fact that Lei Jun was sent out as a high-ranking elder to patrol the sect held a very clear symbolic meaning.

Such a person, with exceptional talent and strength, a calm and peaceful personality, and a caring attitude towards his fellow sect members and juniors, would undoubtedly inspire admiration and joy if he were to ascend to that position in the future.

Lei Jun could roughly guess the thoughts of the Yuhe Sect disciples, but he didn't inquire further.

During his stay at the mountain gate of the Yuhe Sect, he toured the area with his disciple, Zhuo Baojie.

Later, as the days passed, Lei Jun and his disciple bid farewell to the Yuhe Sect, preparing to embark on their journey to the next destination.

However, before that, at midnight on the tenth day of the second month, they first arrived at the Qingyu Mountain area on the north bank of the Yuhe River.

At the eastern foot of the mountain range, Lei Jun stood with his hands clasped behind his back.

High above in the distant sky, the Grand Ultimate Law Mirror hung perpetually.

However, at this moment, Lei Jun didn't need its help to find what he was looking for.

With his current cultivation and strength, if he focused his search on the eastern foothills of Qingyu Mountain, knowing that something unusual might be afoot, it would be challenging for any target to escape his perception and scrutiny.

Soon, Lei Jun had a target in his sights.

His gaze fell upon the forest.

However, he didn't make any immediate moves.

As the time mentioned in the divination drawing approached, a dry spirit spring hidden among the rocks suddenly gushed forth.

The spring water was bone-chillingly cold, yet clear and pure.

Under the moonlit night, it reflected the bright moon above, exuding a quiet and serene coldness.

"Master, what is that?" Zhuo Baojie asked in surprise.

Lei Jun replied, "It's a Yin Moon Cold Spring vein. It seems to have been dry for many years, but recently, due to the surge of celestial spiritual energy and the changes in the river veins and mountain veins, this Yin Moon Cold Spring vein has also been affected and revived tonight."

Zhuo Baojie was curious and looked around with interest.

He suddenly noticed that within the spring water, tendrils of white mist were rising, exuding an extreme cold aura.

At the Fourth Heaven realm, as Zhuo Baojie was in the process of condensing Sha, he was very sensitive to this, and he exclaimed in surprise, "Master, that's... Sha Qi?"

Lei Jun nodded, "Indeed. It's a type of icy Sha Qi called Ice Spring Reflecting Moon Sha, and it's very rare.

It seems that this vein has been revived due to the influence of the earth veins, but it's highly unstable, and Sha Qi has already formed.

After tonight, the vein itself will be destroyed by the Sha Qi that it gave birth to, and both will be annihilated."

The opportunity presented by the upper-middle sign seemed to lie right here.

The reason the divination drawing specifically mentioned the time, "Midnight on the tenth day of the second month," was probably because if one arrived at the wrong time, they might miss the revival of the Yin Moon Cold Spring or the destruction of the spring by the Ice Spring Reflecting Moon Sha.

Lei Jun smiled and looked at his senior disciple, "You're quite lucky."

Zhuo Baojie was usually calm, but at this moment, his eyes shone with joy, eager to give it a try.

Under Lei Jun's intentional guidance, whether Zhuo Baojie could achieve the Fifth Heaven's Dao Palace realm of merging the trigram in the future remained to be seen, but at the Fourth Heaven's Yuan Fu realm, he was condensing Sha, following in his master's footsteps.

He had also chosen to condense the Yin and Yang Sha simultaneously.

This had to do with his natural endowment.

Although Zhuo Baojie wasn't particularly talented in the aspect of his divine soul, his Mountain Pi tribe had the innate ability to combine Yin and Yang, water, and fire, giving him a unique advantage in this area.

When Yuan Mobai had condensed Sha and merged the trigram, he had only focused on a single type, which was in line with his cultivation principle of taking the most stable and straightforward path without any detours.

Of course, there were numerous drawbacks and obstacles to simultaneously condensing the Yin and Yang Sha.

It wasn't something that any Mountain Pi could easily accomplish.

Fortunately, in recent years, Zhuo Baojie's third uncle, Chu Kun, had often brought back treasures during his "travels."

The Hao Ran Paper was one of his recent findings, and before that, he had also brought back other spiritual treasures.

Among them were items that excelled at combining Yin and Yang.

Lei Jun, whose root bone had evolved from the Yin-Yang Sacred Body to the Two Extremes Immortal Body, no longer had a need for such items.

Yuan Mobai studied them as a reference for his exploration of Taoist techniques and supernatural powers.

Then, Zhuo Baojie reaped the benefits, further solidifying his innate foundation.

It was also after this that Lei Jun communicated with Zhuo Baojie and decided on the path of condensing the Yin and Yang Sha, just like his master.

However, unlike Lei Jun's Azure Clouds Divine Thunder Sha and Nine Earth Yin Wind Sha, Zhuo Baojie's condensation of the Yin and Yang Sha followed the path of water and fire, the orthodox Water Yin and Fire Yang.

Over the past four years, Zhuo Baojie had successfully condensed the Fire Sha, obtaining it from the Xuan Yang Earthly Fire Sha within the Tian Shi Palace in the Tian Shi Mansion's blessed land, the Xuan Yang Cave.

However, he hadn't found a suitable Water Sha yet.

The Ice Spring Reflecting Moon Sha before them was just what he needed.

Although the Yin Moon Cold Spring was extremely cold, and lower-realm cultivators might even freeze to death if they dared to approach, it posed no threat to Lei Jun in his current state.

Back when his cultivation was still low, he often accompanied his master, Yuan Mobai, or his senior martial sister, Xu Yuanzhen, to collect treasures. With their help, most things were easily obtained.

The situation was similar for Lei Jun now.

With a casual gesture, he summoned the silent and profound black Yin Thunder, which gathered gently like water and landed on the spring eye in the mountains.

The silent thunder first collected the Ice Spring Reflecting Moon Sha.

Then, it coiled around and drew in the entire Yin Moon Cold Spring vein.

Neither the Sha Qi nor the vein was harmed, nor were they given a chance to resist.

The Sha Qi and the vein seemed to have a life of their own, like two writhing icy serpent dragons struggling within the black thunder, but they had no chance of breaking free.

The black thunder swept through the wilderness and then rose back into the air, forming two black Grand Ultimate Five Thunder Talismans before Lei Jun.

One talisman flickered with a faint blue light, while the other shone with a moon-white radiance, both emitting strands of cold air.

"Don't rush it. Slowly absorb and refine it," Lei Jun said as he handed over the talisman containing the Ice Spring Reflecting Moon Sha to his senior disciple.

Zhuo Baojie's face lit up with joy, and he quickly straightened his expression and adjusted his clothes and hat before respectfully accepting it. "Disciple will keep Master's teachings in mind."

Lei Jun kept the other talisman, which contained the Yin Moon Cold Spring vein, intending to bring it back to the ancestral court of Longhu Mountain and give it to his master, Yuan Mobai, who was also Zhuo Baojie's grandmaster.

In recent years, Yuan Mobai had been studying the method of cultivating and refining water and fire, Yin, and Yang.

"This is his preparation for his future breakthrough to the Ninth Heaven realm and the self-creation of his third divine ability."

"Therefore, there is no rush to make a decision right now. Instead, he will broadly accept various water and fire techniques, study them together, and wait to make a final decision in the future."

"Lei Jun, Chu Kun, as well as Xu Yuanzhen, Tang Xiaotang, and Wang Guiyuan, will all keep an eye out for related spiritual objects while they are out."

"This Yin Moon Cold Spring was almost corrupted by the Ice Spring Reflecting Moon Sha, but Lei Jun had been waiting here early on. By separating it at the first opportunity, he successfully preserved this strand of yin cold water vein and will be able to bring it back to Yuan Mobai."

"The water volume is indeed a bit low, so it would be difficult to use it for other purposes."

"But if it's just for Yuan Mobai to study its mystical properties, then there's no problem."

After putting everything away, Lei Jun used his own magical powers and talismans to create a facsimile of a Daoist altar.

Then, he lit incense and, together with his disciple Zhuo Baojie, each held a stick of incense to pay their respects to the natural world of Qingyu Mountain.

Just as Yuan Mobai had taught him in the past.

After all this, Lei Jun finally left Qingyu Mountain with his senior disciple.

Next, he continued his original plan to visit the next branch of the Taoist Talisman School.

Tianxu Mountain, Tianxu Sect.

Although his duty was to observe the four directions, Lei Jun was a newly appointed official, and his first trip out was mainly to familiarize himself with the faces of the various branches and to build good relationships, consolidating the connections between the various Talisman Sects and the Longhushan Ancestral Court.

So on this trip to observe the four directions, Lei Jun did not make any surprise attacks.

Before arriving, he contacted and notified Tianxu Sect's leader, Tu Guangyu.

Similar to the previous visits to the Zixiao Sect and the Yuhe Sect, Tu Guangyu, the leader of the Tianxu Sect, also came out of the mountains early with the core members of the sect to welcome them.

"Welcome, Elder Lei, for coming from afar," Tu Guangyu said with a smile.

He had a good relationship with Yuan Mobai and interacted closely with him over the years, often visiting the Longhushan Ancestral Court several times. Most of the time, it was Lei Jun and his fellow disciples who welcomed him.

So Tu Guangyu was also more familiar with Lei Jun.

Lei Jun's cultivation journey was something that Tu Guangyu had witnessed firsthand.

Recalling the young disciple who had once come to the Tianxu Sect to stay temporarily, the sect leader couldn't help but feel emotional.

"Greetings, Shibo Tu, on behalf of my master, I bring his regards," Lei Jun said.

After discussing official matters, Tu Guangyu privately invited Lei Jun to sit and chat, both of them appearing quite casual.

Hearing Lei Jun mention Yuan Mobai, Tu Guangyu smiled and asked, "Has Yuan Shidi found his heart's desire? It's been two years since I last saw him at the sect's initiation ceremony. How has he been doing?"

Lei Jun replied, "My master is doing well, please rest assured, Shibo."

Tu Guangyu nodded repeatedly, "That's good."

Looking at Lei Jun, he sighed, "The disciple has surpassed the master, Yuan Shidi must be very happy to have such a disciple.

Time flies, it's been almost thirty years since we first met, and the Li Clan's external war was also more than twenty years ago."

"Yes, time flies," Lei Jun nodded gently.

He looked at Tu Guangyu and said calmly, "Recalling the past, the days when Shimei Xia and I listened to your teachings together seem like just yesterday."

Tu Guangyu sighed, "So you already knew?"

Lei Jun nodded slightly, "My master and I were searching for Xia Shixiong and Shijie Xia, it was not because of the Tianxu Sect."

Tu Guangyu said, "I naturally believe you, and it's clear that the clan does not hold any grudges against the Xia family."

The Xia family was a local aristocratic clan under a prestigious clan, and many of its members had joined the Longhushan Tianximufu.

Among them, Xia Bo, a fellow senior disciple of Yuan Mobai and Tu Guangyu, was a leading figure.

Xia Bo's nephew, Xia Xiushan, and Xia Qing were also once representatives of the younger generation of disciples in the Tianximufu.

However, Xia Bo married Li Hongyu, and the Xia family was always considered to be of the same lineage as the Li family.

Thus, in the last Li Clan external war, when the Li Clan was defeated and fled, it also implicated Xia Xiushan, Xia Qing, and the Xia family.

After the war, they disappeared without a trace.

Now, it had been more than twenty years.

But Lei Jun had long known the whereabouts of Xia Xiushan, Xia Qing, and the others, although he had never brought it up officially.

As Tu Guangyu said, the Tianximufu had never treated the Xia family badly.

In name, Li Hongyu was different from Li Song and Li Ziyang, and the clan had not officially expelled Li Hongyu, Xia Xiushan, and Xia Qing.

However, they had not contacted them to return to the mountains either.

Overall, everything had been left vague.

"Let's not talk about Li Hongyu for now, but Shibo Xia passed away in the Battle of Poyang Marsh, fighting for our sect against the Lin Clan of Jiangzhou," Lei Jun said.

"Xia Shixiong and Xia Shijie also did not leave any disgraceful marks, so the clan did not use the Wanfa Zongtan to seal their talismans and scriptures. However, the influence of the Li Clan is not limited to themselves, and it will take a long time, perhaps decades or even centuries, to eliminate their influence."

Although the Li Clan had become history, they had set a precedent in the Tianximufu.

This precedent might continuously inspire similar aspirations in future generations, leading to the emergence of new "Li Clans."

It would take a long time to completely stop such tendencies.

Whether it was Tang Xiaotang or Lei Jun himself who took over as the Celestial Master in the future, they could ensure that such an incident would not recur during their tenure.

However, the human heart was unpredictable.

To stabilize the hearts of the people, a long-term effort was needed.

During this period, it was crucial to avoid any signals being misread.

The cold treatment of Li Hongyu, Li Zhengxuan, and the Xia family was necessary to prevent any misinterpretations.

"Heavenly Master and Yuan Shidi, I understand your intentions."

Tu Guangyu sighed, "I only wanted to lend a helping hand to Summer Ziqing and the others because I remember their past at Tianxu Mountain."

Lei Jun said, "Shibo Tu has a kind heart, and there is no harm in this. However, it is still not appropriate to make it public."

Tu Guangyu nodded, "I understand this naturally."

He gazed out the window, "Over the years, Summer Shidi and the others have had it a little easier."

This was because the Heavenly Master's Mansion was now powerful, while the Yellow Heaven Dao had suffered a heavy blow.

Although the Heavenly Master's Mansion did not pursue them earlier, the Yellow Heaven Dao had targeted the remnants of the Li family and the Xia family for elimination.

Later, after being severely damaged by Lei Jun and Xu Yuanzhen, the Yellow Heaven Dao had no choice but to lie low and bide their time.

The situation of the Xia family improved significantly.

"Speaking of the Yellow Heaven Dao, what is the current stance of the Mansion?" Tu Guangyu withdrew his gaze from the window and looked at Lei Jun.

Lei Jun replied, "In my personal opinion, for those without blood feuds who are willing to return, the mountain gate will be open to them. However, each person will still need to be carefully vetted."

Tu Guangyu gently nodded, recalling the entanglements with the Yellow Heaven Dao over the years, as well as his former fellow disciples who had once been as close as siblings but had turned against Tianxu Mountain after joining the Yellow Heaven Dao. He sighed, feeling a sense of loss.

After a moment, Tu Guangyu looked at Lei Jun again, silently agreeing with his words.

Lei Jun's face was calm and serene, yet his eyes held a sharp intelligence and a keen awareness. He exuded a sense of warmth even as he displayed his keen insight and efficiency.

With such a successor, the Heavenly Master's Mansion would surely prosper...

After staying at Tianxu Mountain for some time, Lei Jun bid farewell and set off on his journey to the next branch of the Taoist Talisman School.

Along the way, Lei Jun traveled on a purple lightning cloud, his eyes fixed on the west.

During his conversation with Tu Guangyu, they had mentioned the Yellow Heaven Dao.

Currently, the Yellow Heaven Dao was also undergoing internal turmoil.

Humans had suffered a crushing defeat at Dragon Tiger Mountain.

Huang Xuanpu, Fu Dongsen, Liu Dongzhuo, and the others had no choice but to lie low and keep a low profile.

Their control over the Yellow Heaven Dao had weakened somewhat.

On the other hand, after years of effort, Kang Ming had successfully turned the tables on Warm Candle Qian, the former high-achieving elder of Pure Yang Palace, who had once nearly possessed him.

He had taken the final step and cultivated to the Yuan Ying realm, the seventh level of the Daoist Dan Ding School.

Kang Ming had completely refined the remnants of Warm Candle Qian's golden pill and the essence of his Yuan Ying.

He became the first person to have a Daoist Talisman School cultivation at the sixth level of heaven, while his supplementary Dan Ding School cultivation had broken through to the seventh level of heaven.

For Kang Ming, this was a favorable turn of events. With his cultivation reaching the upper three levels, not only would his lifespan increase significantly, but he would also have more confidence in facing the current state of the world.

Even with his Dan Ding School cultivation at the seventh level of heaven, he still had to act low-key.

However, he could now begin to plan for more.

For example, the Yellow Heaven Dao's new altar.

........................

Lei Jun decided not to interfere with Kang Ming's actions for the time being.

On the one hand, Kang Ming was willing to take great risks when necessary, but on the other hand, he was usually patient, cautious, and preferred to bide his time, observe, and gather information rather than act impulsively.

He was willing to wait for the right opportunities.

Lei Jun continued his tour of inspection.

The Grand Ultimate Law Mirror kept a constant watch, helping Lei Jun guard against potential enemies.

However, the journey remained peaceful, and no one dared to cause any trouble. Lei Jun smoothly visited the important branches and subsidiaries of the Longhushan Ancestral Court without incident.

After completing this round of visits, Lei Jun did not return to the mountain immediately.

He had other important matters to attend to regarding his position in the Mansion.

This summer solstice, the Shushan Sect would finally have a new leader.

Zhang Taigang, who was of the same generation as Lei Jun and Tang Xiaotang, would become the new leader of the Shushan Sect.

The rise of the younger generation of cultivators was becoming increasingly evident.

However, Zhang Taigang's appointment was not without challenges. He would have to deal with a massive problem.

The Shushan Sect's six great treasures, renowned throughout history, were now reduced to just three.

Thanks to Zhang Dongyuan's retrieval of the North Ming God Spear, the Shushan Sect barely had half of their treasures left.

There were only four cultivators at the Eighth Heaven realm.

The elderly Xu Duan.

Zhang Dongyuan, who came from a noble family.

The young and newly risen Zhang Taigang.

And Ye Dongming, who had barely crossed the Seventh Heaven realm to the Eighth Heaven realm, despite his young age, but who came from a prestigious family.

Although Ye Dongming himself drew a clear line between the Shushan Sect and the Cangzhou Ye family, the current situation of the Shushan Sect did not allow them to take any risks.

Zhang Taigang, who had cultivated to the Eighth Heaven realm at a younger age, was the only choice.

Lei Jun represented the Heavenly Master's Mansion in attending the ceremony.

Zhang Dongyuan, a high-achieving elder of the Shushan Sect, came forward to greet him: "Welcome, Xuan Xiaozi, please come this way."

Lei Jun smiled and returned the greeting, "Elder Zhang is too kind. Please forgive me for my abrupt arrival."

Zhuo Baojie, who stood beside Lei Jun, was equally polite and respectful. He took a step forward, offering a miniature pouch containing the congratulatory gift from the Heavenly Master's Mansion for Zhang Taigang's succession as the new leader of the Shushan Sect.

The Shushan cultivators who had come with Zhang Dongyuan to greet Lei Jun quickly accepted the gift and expressed their gratitude.

Under Zhang Dongyuan's lead, Lei Jun and his disciple proceeded toward the mountain gate of the Shushan Sect, Celestial Peak (Xiaoding).

PS: 6k2 chapters.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end