https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-318-Treading-Cautiously-into-Opportunities-Part-2-/12588664/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-319-318-Primordial-Magnetic-Sword-Realm-New-Divine-Art-Conception-Part-2-/12588677/
Chapter 319: 318. Primordial Magnetic Sword Realm, New Divine Art Conception (Part 1)
Chapter 319: 318. Primordial Magnetic Sword Realm, New Divine Art Conception (Part 1)
The Crown Prince could only feel helpless.
During his first trip years ago, he had to cut his journey short and return to the imperial capital of Luoyang due to an assassination attempt.
Now, after so many years, this was only his second trip away from home.
And once again, he had to turn back before reaching his destination.
At least, on his previous trip, he had managed to visit Pure Yang Palace, Shu Mountain Sect, and Celestial Master's Mansion in succession.
This time, he hadn't even reached his first destination, the Southern Putuo Monastery, before having to turn back.
Such bad luck was truly frustrating, and there was no one to reason with.
Fortunately, Crown Prince Zhang Hui remained calm and did not act willfully. He agreed to turn back and was accompanied by high-level cultivators like Ye Cheng from Qingzhou and Master Kong Nian from Xuantian Temple, ensuring a safe journey home.
Lei Jun and the others from the Celestial Master's Mansion were relieved that they didn't have to turn back and help with the escort.
After sending their well-wishes, Lei Jun and his group continued southward.
The sudden change of events at Lu Ping Mountain did not dampen Lei Jun and his disciples' mood.
They maintained their previous pace, traveling and stopping along the way to admire the scenery.
After some time, the trio returned to Dragon and Tiger Mountain.
As they traversed the peaks of Dragon and Tiger Mountain, still some distance away from the main peak, Lei Jun said to Zhuo Bao Jie and Lin Shan, "Hu Jie, go back to the mansion with Brother Lin. I'll go pay a visit to the Xuanji Temple."
"Yes, Master," Zhuo Bao Jie replied.
The senior disciple responded first, then asked curiously, "Master, has Daoist Priest Nie come out of seclusion?"
"Indeed," Lei Jun confirmed.
Xuanji Temple was located on the north side of the Dragon and Tiger Mountain range, some distance from the main peak where the Celestial Master's Mansion was situated. It could be considered the closest branch of the Celestial Master's Mansion.
This temple was established by Nie Fang, who had come to the mortal world of the Tang Dynasty from Tianli.
Nie Fang served as the temple's master, but he had only a handful of disciples. Strictly speaking, their lineage was not the Taoist Fu Lu sect, but a relatively obscure branch of the Taoist Yan Shi sect in the mortal world of the Tang Dynasty.
With the permission of Celestial Master Tang Xiaotang, Nie Fang and his Xuanji Temple were now considered a separate branch of the Celestial Master's Mansion.
According to the rules, Lei Jun, as the newly appointed Patrol Elder, was tasked with visiting and inspecting the various branches of the Taoist Fu Lu sect, and Xuanji Temple was one of them.
Moreover, due to their proximity, it was customary for Lei Jun to include Xuanji Temple as the first stop on his itinerary.
However, a few months ago, when Elder Lei had just emerged from his mountain seclusion, Nie Fang was also in seclusion and not receiving visitors.
Aside from Nie Fang himself, there weren't many disciples in the Xuanji Temple, so they couldn't accommodate Elder Lei's visit.
Lei Jun didn't press the matter and decided to skip Xuanji Temple, planning to visit another day.
But during his return journey, he sensed that Nie Fang had recently come out of seclusion.
Since it was on the way, Lei Jun decided to include this last stop on his itinerary before returning to the mountain.
Zhuo Bao Jie and Lin Shan returned to the main peak where the Celestial Master's Mansion was located, while Lei Jun bid them farewell and leisurely made his way toward Xuanji Temple.
The master of Xuanji Temple, Nie Fang, having received the notification, arrived early at the temple's entrance to welcome Lei Jun.
Compared to when he had first arrived in the mortal world of the Tang Dynasty, Nie Fang now looked much more relaxed and at ease, both in terms of his complexion and demeanor. He no longer seemed like a trapped beast constantly on guard.
However, the young Daoist's gaze remained sharp and bright.
He was dressed in the standard cyan robe of a branch sect master of the Celestial Master's Mansion, and he led several others behind him in greeting Lei Jun.
Lei Jun returned the greeting with a half bow. "The Xuanji Temple is already beginning to flourish."
"We still have a long way to go. I fear we've fallen short of Elder Lei's expectations," Nie Fang said humbly.
Lei Jun's gaze swept past Nie Fang to the several disciples standing behind him. They were dressed in gray robes and stood in a straight line, their faces a mix of excitement and tension as they faced the high-level elder from the main sect of the Celestial Master's Mansion.
Fortunately, although Lei Jun didn't wear the warm and gentle smile that his master, Yuan Mobai, was known for, he didn't frown at the young disciples either.
His calm and relaxed demeanor quickly put everyone at ease, and the disciples' nervousness faded.
Inside the Xuanji Temple, Lei Jun and Nie Fang took their seats, and the disciples served tea before retreating in an orderly manner.
"I apologize for not being able to welcome you immediately upon your arrival, Elder Lei. I was in seclusion at the time," Nie Fang said.
"It's quite alright," Lei Jun said with interest. "Such occurrences are not uncommon, and as fellow cultivators, we understand each other's situations. How were the results of your seclusion this time?"
"I would like to request Elder Lei's guidance," Nie Fang replied.
He led Lei Jun to the back of the Xuanji Temple.
There, in the mountains, a field had been cultivated, brimming with spiritual energy.
In the field, there seemed to be figures working.
But Lei Jun didn't need to look closely; he could sense that they were not living beings.
They were mechanical beings.
"Wooden instead of metallic?" Lei Jun asked.
"These are indeed wooden," Nie Fang answered. "It's not that I've given up on metal, but I'm still experimenting with other suitable materials."
The mechanical beings working in the field at that moment were indeed wooden, but not made from ordinary wood. They were crafted from various spirit woods that Nie Fang had tested over the past two years to find the most suitable materials for his creations.
Each mechanical being had different parts sourced from different spirit woods, all carefully selected and constantly improved by Nie Fang.
Through this process, Nie Fang's own cultivation and strength had become more stable and enhanced.
Lei Jun observed closely and noticed that the mechanical beings' movements as they harvested the spirit grasses were orderly yet flexible, almost as if they possessed sentience.
If not for Lei Jun's higher cultivation level and keen spiritual sense, it would have been difficult for others to distinguish these figures from real people from a distance.
"I plan to send this batch of spirit grasses to the main sect at Dragon and Tiger Mountain after they are all harvested," Nie Fang said.
Nie Fang's Xuanji Temple was affiliated with the Taoist Fu Lu sect, and accordingly, it also honored the commands of Dragon and Tiger Mountain, while gathering resources from all directions to supply the head temple.
In return, Nie Fang and Xuanji Temple would receive some support from the head temple, the Celestial Master's Mansion, from time to time.
"Were the Yin-Yang Warming Jade items allocated by the Mansion useful?" Lei Jun asked.
"Indeed, thanks to the Mansion's allocation of the Yin-Yang Warming Jade, I was able to conduct more attempts. My recent seclusion has yielded some progress," Nie Fang replied.
As the two walked around the spirit field, Lei Jun casually asked, "Among the Taoist disciples, are there any suitable candidates to inherit your legacy?"
Nie Fang had established Xuanji Temple, and he could accept disciples on his own.
The few gray-robed young disciples they had met earlier had joined in this manner.
However, they couldn't yet be considered Nie Fang's personal disciples.
"They all have a certain degree of spiritual talent, but more time is needed," Nie Fang replied honestly.
Although his Xuanji Temple was affiliated with the Taoist Fu Lu sect, his lineage was not strictly that of the Fu Lu sect.
While the disciples he had chosen were carefully selected, their talents couldn't be said to be exceptionally high.
After all, those with truly remarkable talents would directly join the head temple at Dragon and Tiger Mountain.
Those who sought alternatives would opt for the Zixiao Sect in the nearby Yunxiao Mountain Range.
Even finding overlooked talents was not easy for Nie Fang and Xuanji Temple.
However, since he himself had not yet achieved great success in his cultivation, he was not in a hurry.
"By the way, is there any lineage of the Shaman Ghost Dao within Tianli, or perhaps in the Ming Dynasty?" Lei Jun asked.
"There isn't any in Tianli. As for the Ming Dynasty, I have only seen a few brief records in ancient books, which are almost legendary," Nie Fang replied.
Lei Jun often guided him in his cultivation, and the two of them frequently exchanged insights on their practices.
The Yan Shi technique cultivated by Nie Fang was a new Taoist lineage that emerged from the fusion of the ancient Mo family's mechanism techniques, the Taoist Fu Lu sect, and the Taoist External Elixir Artifact sect. Thus, it incorporated characteristics from all three.
From the perspective of the Taoist Fu Lu sect, to a certain extent, it was similar to refining talismans, but instead, they crafted mechanisms.
The crafted mechanism beings possessed the characteristic of spiritual talismans that communicated with the world, absorbing spiritual energy from nature to power their actions.
However, in terms of life cultivation, it focused more on the 'life' aspect and less on the 'fostering' aspect.
From the perspective of the Taoist Artifact sect, it was like refining a humanoid artifact, using one's own spiritual essence to merge with it and thus control it.
But it was relatively loose, unlike the External Elixir Artifact sect where the external and internal were seamlessly integrated. It was more like refining multiple artifacts and then assembling them into a mechanism being.
The Yan Shi technique that Nie Fang had obtained was incomplete, a mere fragment of the original.
Therefore, as his personal cultivation level increased, he constantly explored and supplemented his practice.
With his extraordinary talent and foundation, he gradually achieved success in this aspect.
Along the way, he couldn't avoid drawing parallels and seeking guidance from other Taoist lineages.
The Taoist lineage of Dragon and Tiger Mountain, for example, provided further inspiration for Nie Fang's practice.
This was the famous Dragon and Tiger Dual Spirit technique of the Celestial Master's Mansion.
The Dragon and Tiger Dual Spirit technique commanded the dragon and wind tiger, with protective laws on both sides, possessing spiritual intelligence and formidable might.
Currently, the person with the deepest attainment in this technique within the Celestial Master's Mansion was the eldest senior sister, Xu Yuanzhen.
She chose her innate technique and supernatural powers, always opting for the most common and versatile combinations.
From the Golden Pass Talisman, Riding the Wind Talisman, and Roaring Thunder Talisman of the Lower Three Heavens to the Treading the Poles and Fighting the Stars, Dragon and Tiger Dual Spirit, and the Five Thunder Rightful Law Talisman of the Middle Three Heavens, they could all be considered the most classic combinations of the Celestial Master's Mansion disciples.
However, no matter what technique she used, the subtle changes she made caused seemingly identical techniques to exhibit far greater power in her hands than in those of others.
Lei Jun's innate technique did not include the Dragon and Tiger Dual Spirit, but as a non-innate technique, he was also proficient in it.
Although Nie Fang couldn't cultivate the true Dragon and Tiger Mountain lineage techniques, with Lei Jun's guidance, he benefited immensely from using the stone from another mountain to polish his jade.
The reason Lei Jun brought up the Shaman Ghost Dao lineage was that there were also some aspects of their lineage that could be referenced in relation to the Yan Shi technique.
However, as far as Nie Fang knew, there had never been any lineage of the Shaman Dao in Tianli.
To be precise, Confucianism, or Neo-Confucianism to be more specific, dominated, and other Taoist lineages were extremely rare.
Buddhism, Taoism, and Shamanism had all declined.
There were quite a few martial arts cultivators, but their status had always been relatively low, and most of them were of lower cultivation levels.
Even other Confucian lineages were obviously inferior compared to Neo-Confucianism.
"I'm not sure about the specific situation in the Ming Dynasty, where the orthodoxy of the Ming Dynasty lies. I've only come across some related records occasionally in ancient books, indicating that there used to be some surviving Shaman Door lineage there," Nie Fang said.
Lei Jun walked with his hands behind his back, "Hmm, it's also getting harder to find the lineage of Shaman Ghost Dao here in the Tang Dynasty."
...The reason for this had something to do with their Celestial Master's Mansion.
The Jin Cheng Stronghold, the sacred site of the Shaman Ghost Dao lineage in the southern wilderness of the Tang Dynasty, had a strained relationship with the Celestial Master's Mansion.
Golden Citadel had always been ostracized by various parties, and during the Great Southern Wilderness War, they had joined forces with the Blood River Sect, resulting in a joint attack from multiple factions.
The Celestial Master of Dragon and Tiger Mountain, Tang Xiaotang, had also intervened in the Southern Wilderness, nearly killing the Holy Master of Jin Cheng Sect, the "Ghost King" Zong Han.
Nowadays, Celestial Master Tang was traveling freely outside, and it was said that she had recently returned to the Southern Wilderness, where she had eliminated some remnants of the Jin Cheng stronghold.
So, it wasn't easy to find successors of Jin Cheng Village in the mortal world of the Tang Dynasty.
Nie Fang was steadfast and unwavering, but he also maintained a righteous and calm demeanor.
Therefore, Lei Jun didn't mind discussing the means of the notoriously ruthless Shaman Ghost Dao lineage with him.
Nie Fang remained calm and collected, "I'm also quite curious about this Shaman Door lineage, but the current situation is already much better than it was in Tianli. I believe that with a gradual and progressive approach, my cultivation will bear fruit."
"It's good that you have such a mindset," Lei Jun said.
Nie Fang bowed, "Thank you for your guidance, Elder."
After staying at the Xuanji Temple for some time, Lei Jun bid farewell and returned to the Celestial Master's Mansion, his own sect's headquarters.
"Return to Heaven's Hall and extend my greetings to Master. Invite him to visit Luoyang when he has the time," Lei Jun said to Yuan Mobai.
Yuan Mobai smiled and said, "I'm afraid it will have to be later. I plan to seclude myself for a period of time soon. In the meantime, the affairs of the Mansion will be left in the hands of Senior Sister Shangguan, Jing Zhen, and Chongyun."
Although Lei Jun, as an external patrolling elder, had certain duties outside the Mansion, it did not exempt him from his responsibilities as a high-ranking elder within the Mansion.
Being a high-ranking elder was his main role, while the patrolling elder position was more of a side task.
After completing the first round of external patrolling, he would spend the next period of time back at the Mansion, only considering a second round of patrolling at a later date.
Lei Jun said, "Master, the current emperor sent a Purple Mansion Streaming Efficacy this time."
The two Immortal Calabashes of Divine Qi they had obtained from the East Sea were split between Lei Jun and his master, one each.
With the help of the Immortal Calabashes, both master and disciple had made progress in their cultivation.
Lei Jun had advanced from the first layer of the Eightfold Heaven to the second layer, and he would continue to benefit from it in the future.
As for Yuan Mobai, who was originally at the second layer of the Eightfold Heaven, his secluded cultivation over this period of time seemed to be a preparation for breaking through to the third layer of the Eightfold Heaven's Divine Court External Realm in the Daoist Fu Lu sect.
The Purple Mansion Streaming Efficacy would undoubtedly be of great benefit to his pursuit of the Divine Court External Realm.
"Chongyun's kind intentions are appreciated, but it's unnecessary," Yuan Mobai smiled and shook his head. "Firstly, you also have your own cultivation needs. Secondly, the Divine Court External Realm I aspire to achieve is somewhat different from the past sages' extracellular cosmos. While the Purple Mansion Streaming Efficacy is excellent, it won't be of much help to me, so why waste it?"
"Oh? In that case, I wish Master success in this seclusion," Lei Jun said, realizing that his master wasn't being modest, and his curiosity about the Divine Court External Realm his master was about to achieve grew.
Thus, in the following days, Yuan Mobai entered seclusion for cultivation.
The daily affairs of the Celestial Master's Mansion were temporarily handled by Lei Jun, Shangguan Ning, and Zhang Jingzhen.
What was a little different from the past was that this time, Lei Jun took the lead in managing the Mansion's affairs, with Shangguan Ning and Zhang Jingzhen assisting him.
This change was not merely because Lei Jun had a higher cultivation level.
During this trip, whether it was visiting the various branches of the Daoist Fu Lu sect, going to Shu Mountain and Mount Zhongnan, or even traveling to the imperial capital of Luoyang, Lei Jun had gained recognition from all sides.
Both within and outside the Celestial Master's Mansion, his influence and prestige were gradually growing.
(End of Chapter)
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