https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-345-Speculation-from-an-Enemy-Part-1-/12598081/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-347-The-Difficulty-and-Advancement-of-Divine-Arts/12598084/
Chapter 346: The Ancient Han Dynasty Still Thriving? (Part 2)
Chapter 346: The Ancient Han Dynasty Still Thriving? (Part 2)
The stone of the great universe, named for its stony appearance, resembled a strange rock with a rugged surface.
However, after Lei Jun activated it with his spiritual power, the initially fist-sized rock instantly transformed into a cloud-like, mist-like entity, devoid of color and substance.
The nebulous mass drifted and came to a halt, spanning only a few feet in diameter, as if it had form and substance, no longer expanding outward.
Yet within that misty entity lay a vast expanse, an entire universe within.
Lei Jun, with controlled breathing, drew the ethereal mass into his body.
But soon after, he exhaled it completely, releasing it back out.
With each inhalation and exhalation, the mass showed no signs of diminution.
Meanwhile, Lei Jun's divine cosmos became even more stable, exhibiting signs of actively expanding outward.
After familiarizing himself with the spirit power of the stone, Lei Jun proceeded to expand his divine external cosmos.
The vast external cosmos he manifested during battles with foes was immense.
But now, as he cultivated alone, a small, opaque black sphere, no larger than a fist, floated in the air within the quiet chamber.
On the surface of the black sphere, stars twinkled, and celestial bodies revolved, resembling a miniature universe.
As Lei Jun refined the stone of the great universe, his divine external cosmos underwent continuous transformations, its surface adorned with luminous flowing talismans, seals, and inscriptions.
After repeated cycles of inhalation and exhalation, when Lei Jun drew in the nebulous mass and consumed it once more, he did not exhale it again.
His divine external cosmos became more agile and dynamic while also growing more stable and robust overall.
Within the yellow cosmos, the bright yellow Yuanji Magnetic Sea churned and seethed.
The dual divine cosmos, achieved through the fusion of the two cosmic dusts, now exhibited signs of instability.
During battles with enemies, Lei Jun's external cosmos was extraordinarily powerful, far surpassing his foes' expectations.
However, when cultivating alone and further solidifying and enhancing his external cosmos, he also had to exert greater effort.
If the stone of the great universe could continuously benefit a person, Lei Jun's current cultivation would be much smoother.
But for cultivators, similar treasures often only presented an opportunity for enhancement once.
Otherwise, with two stones working in tandem, Lei Jun's dual divine cosmos would have progressed and changed even faster.
Nonetheless, Lei Jun did not mind this.
This single stone of the great universe was already an immense help, saving him cultivation time and enabling him to attain the eighth-layer perfect realm ahead of schedule.
As the nebulous mass was thoroughly refined and absorbed into his body, its spirit power would continue to nourish Lei Jun's external cosmos.
Lei Jun, with a calm mind and peaceful spirit, cultivated quietly.
The fourth senior uncle, Yao Yuan, remained in seclusion within the forbidden ancestral grounds in the back mountains, while Xu Yuanzhen and Tang Xiaotang were currently not on the mountain.
Master Yuan Mobai devoted a significant portion of his energy to researching pill refining and medicine concocting for disaster relief, together with Sun Mingjing, Yu Cheng, Ji Dongquan, and others.
With the experienced and adept Upper Grandmistress Shangguan Ning assisting, along with Zhang Jingzhen, Chu Kun, and Lin Shan sharing the burden, Lei Jun could focus on the major decisions while letting go of the minor details in managing the daily affairs of the Celestial Masters' Mansion.
Of course, there were some matters that others could not replace him in.
For instance, as the Celestial Master, he had to open the altar and expound on the Fa, imparting wisdom and resolving doubts for all the disciples of the sect.
In the past, Li Qingfeng and Tang Xiaotang had both performed these duties.
Lei Jun did not reject these responsibilities; on the contrary, he approached them with enthusiasm.
Generally, when the Celestial Master opened the altar to expound on the Fa, he would explain the Authentic True One Great Canon, the fundamental text for cultivation in the Celestial Masters' Mansion, emphasizing the importance of fundamental cultivation over the mastery of talismans and battle techniques.
In addition to elucidating on the Authentic True One Great Canon, Lei Jun also added a new class.
He primarily taught about the Five Thunder Talismans, the Yin Five Thunder Righteous Talismans, and the Xuanxiao Five Thunder Rites—the lineage he had founded himself—delighting the disciples of the Mansion.
The related talismans and techniques had already been incorporated into the Mansion's legacy.
Over the years, many younger disciples had chosen to study the lower and intermediate levels of the Five Thunder and Yin Five Thunder Talismans.
Among them were those who had made these spirit talismans their lifelong pursuit.
Now, hearing the teachings of the Celestial Master himself, the founder of this lineage, these disciples of the Celestial Masters' Mansion were overjoyed and benefited greatly.
Strictly speaking, Lei Jun's personal disciples currently only included Zhuo Baojie.
But now, as the head of the sect, the Celestial Master, in a sense, all the younger disciples could be considered his successors.
Lei Jun had no reservations about expounding on the Fa regarding the spirit talismans and techniques he had created himself.
The Two Cosmic Principles Rites and the Heaven-Earth Penetrating Rites involved numerous secrets and had far-reaching implications concerning interactions with external forces, so Lei Jun temporarily kept them confidential, quietly deducing them on his own, intending to include them in the sect's legacy once it was safe to do so.
As for the Xuanxiao Five Thunder Rites, the Yin Five Thunder Righteous Talismans, and other such spirit techniques, there were no related concerns at present.
In the process of imparting these spirit techniques to his juniors, Lei Jun himself gained new insights and a deeper understanding of his own spirit techniques.
The Celestial Master's Mansion had a long history of cultivating and refining its techniques, creating a harmonious and mysterious environment. Each generation built upon the knowledge of the previous one, distilling the essence and refining the art, making it increasingly concise and profound.
The former Celestial Master, Tang Xiaotang, had also summarized her understanding and created her own spiritual insights and techniques, forming a complete and coherent system that benefited her successors.
However, compared to Tang Xiaotang, who had worked backward from a higher level of understanding, Lei Jun, who had started from the basics and developed upward, was even better at imparting his knowledge to the junior disciples.
Nevertheless, Lei Jun now faced a similar challenge as Tang Xiaotang.
His Yang Huo Tiger and Chen Yang Zhongtian Fa, just like Tang Xiaotang's Shenxiao Chunyang Fa and Tianhuang Chunyang Fa, also began with a great spiritual insight.
To create a legacy that was easy to pass on, he needed to simplify and then rebuild the complexity, a process that he thoroughly enjoyed.
While Lei Jun remained unconcerned about external perceptions, the Celestial Masters' Mansion, under his leadership, exuded a peaceful and detached aura, feeling somewhat uninvolved with the world.
He continued on his path of enlightenment, cultivating his art, and guiding his disciples.
As winter turned to spring and then to summer, the weather gradually warmed.
One day, in the Tian Shu Universe, the Seven Lights gathered once more.
This time, Chen Xing Wednesday was absent, but the other six were present.
The Sun, who Lei Jun had identified as Empress Zhang Wan of the Great Tang, brought up a query she had posed earlier, regarding the presence of the other four divisions of the Vajra Realm, aside from the Vajra Department, as promoted by the Buddhist teachings in the Western Region.
Lei Jun currently had no definite leads on this matter.
Previously, while organizing Zong Cuo Shangren's belongings, he had learned that the issue of serfdom tended to worsen within the influence of the Buddhist teachings in the Western Regions. However, the items that Zong Cuo Shangren had carried were limited, and they were insufficient for Lei Jun to uncover more secrets about Buddhism in the Western Regions.
Nevertheless, Lei Jun had some speculations.
Penglai, one of the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, was connected to at least two different human realms up to that point: the Great Tang and the Great Ming.
Huang Xuanpu and the Western White Emperor, whose true identity was most likely that of the master of the Shu Mountain Sect in the Great Ming, were both related to Penglai.
If there were other so-called Emperors who were plotting their own Daoist countries in different human realms, then the number of human realms connected to Penglai would be even higher.
Huangquan, another of the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, was rumored to have abducted a large number of people from another human realm to populate the underworld.
Furthermore, in the Great Tang, Huangquan might also be connected to two different human realms.
Therefore, it was possible that there were even more human realms related to or interconnected with the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths.
"I'd like to inquire about something concerning the Shu Mountain Sect in Huangquan," the Moon said. "It's not about the Soul Banner this time."
The Soul Banner was indeed a powerful magical treasure used by the Shu Mountain Sect in Huangquan to set up the Grand Yin Underworld Nine Palace Immortal Formation. However, it no longer contained evil souls like that of Wang Kun, the elder of the Shu Mountain Sect in the Great Tang.
While this was a relief, there might be other reasons for this change, and it was too early to make a definitive conclusion.
The Moon continued, "I'm curious about a rumor that the Shu Mountain Sect in Huangquan has derived the concept of the Five Paths of Reincarnation from the Daoist teachings, referring to the Heavenly Path, the Human Path, the Animal Path, the Hungry Ghost Path, and the Hell Path.
Currently, it seems that the Five Decline Grand Dao Bell, one of the Six Treasured Items of the Shu Mountain Sect, which ended up in Huangquan, corresponds to the Heavenly Path.
The bone boat, which was damaged by the previous Celestial Master, is likely related to the Human Path.
The Soul Banner corresponds to the Hungry Ghost Path.
The fierce and ruthless flying sword treasure probably corresponds to the Hell Path.
With four of the Five Paths manifested, is there a fifth supreme treasure in the Shu Mountain Sect that corresponds to the Animal Path?"
Lei Jun nodded inwardly, as he had also speculated about this matter.
Unfortunately, Huangquan was shrouded in mystery, and there was no stable channel to gather information at the moment.
Moreover, Zong Han, the "Ghost King" who had colluded with the Shu Mountain Sect in Huangquan, had disappeared without a trace before the outbreak of the war between Bashu and Nanzhao.
Now, many parties were searching for him.
Monday's question remained unanswered for the time being, and everyone remained calm, awaiting Lei Jun, the Taiwei Jinwu, to continue.
Lei Jun asked, "My question is similar to the previous ones, and it concerns the Nine Heavens, Ten Earths, and other human realms. Any information is welcome, and the reward will depend on the value of the intelligence."
The Future Mile, the Shouxing Thursday, spoke up, "I also wish to inquire about news related to the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, but I am specifically interested in news from the Saha World. Anyone?"
Lei Jun looked towards the Shouxing Thursday, represented by the planet Jupiter.
Saha, Sumeru, and Avici were all places associated with Buddhism in the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths.
Compared to Avici, one of the Ten Earths known for its perilous nature, where opportunities and calamities coexisted, Saha, which was on par with Sumeru as one of the Nine Heavens, was undoubtedly much safer.
Future Mile's question implied that he might already have some leads. Chen Xing Wednesday was absent, but Shen Quibing of the Huo Xing Tuesday was present after missing several gatherings.
"I have quite a few questions, but first, I'd like to ask if anyone has information about the Blood Dragon Scale?" Shen Quibing inquired.
Lei Jun pondered this question.
The Blood Dragon Scale was a valuable treasure sought by high-realm martial arts cultivators.
Typically, it was more suitable for martial arts cultivators who specialized in striking techniques rather than those who focused on body refinement.
It was unclear if Shen Quibing intended to use it himself or was seeking it for someone else.
He had already reached the eighth level of the martial path.
"I have it," replied Future Mile, the Shouxing Thursday.
Shen Quibing hesitated, "But I don't have any information about the Saha World, one of the Nine Heavens."
Future Mile asked, "Can you search for spiritual objects in the Earthly Sea?"
Shen Quibing considered this for a moment, "It depends on what exactly you're looking for."
Future Mile said, "We can discuss this privately later."
Lei Jun gazed at the symbol representing Shen Quibing, the Huo Xing Tuesday, and speculated that his connections in the Earthly Sea were likely related to the Wuli tribe, one of the Nine Li tribes.
This individual's methods were unexpectedly unconventional.
"Does anyone have Six Yang Essence?" asked Fang Yue, the Zhenxing Saturday, who had remained silent until the very end.
Lei Jun's heart stirred at these words.
The Six Yang Essence was infinitely useful to Confucian cultivators, but this treasure had been extinct in the Great Tang for many years, with no signs of reappearing in the world.
Fortunately, Lei Jun had obtained a small amount of Six Yang Essence from Xxingzi, who had come from the Great Ming Dynasty, during their previous encounter.
Lei Jun arranged to speak privately with Fang Yue.
Upon learning that Lei Jun possessed the Six Yang Essence, Fang Yue fell into thought, "I happened to obtain a spiritual object over a year ago while traveling in the Northern Lands. Through this object, one can access an independent cave heaven and blessed land. From what I can tell, it does not belong to a Great Tang cultivator, and I suspect it was left by a senior from one of the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths or another human realm. However, the cave heaven and blessed land contain few clues, as the furnishings are simple."
He paused briefly before continuing, "I suspect that the owner of this place might have passed away."
Lei Jun asked, "Why do you think it belongs to someone from another human realm, apart from ours?"
Fang Yue explained, "The remnants of writings there indicate that the owner came from the Han Dynasty, but... from what I observed, everything there seems very recent, within the last hundred years."
Lei Jun understood upon hearing this.
In the Great Tang, if one traced back through history, the end of the Han Dynasty was already several thousand years ago.
No wonder Fang Yue was suspicious.
"I am willing to trade this spiritual object for the Six Yang Essence," Fang Yue said. "However, the items within the cave heaven and blessed land are of limited value. I don't know if you would be satisfied with the exchange. If there is anything else you need, as long as I have it, I can give it to you."
Just as Lei Jun was about to respond, a light bulb flashed in his mind, and words appeared:
【Under the Tang moon, the Han dynasty in the distance, Dongyang courtyard, gather together in the middle of autumn,】
Then, three oracle sticks flew out and presented themselves to Lei Jun:
【Upper-middle sign, trade to get the Dongyang jade pendant, go to Dongyang courtyard on the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival, there is an opportunity to obtain a third-grade opportunity, no risk at the moment, but there may be subsequent cause and effect entanglements, be careful, auspicious.】
【Middle sign, no trade to get the Dongyang jade pendant, no extra gain or loss, flat.】
【Middle sign, trade to get the Dongyang jade pendant, go to Dongyang courtyard at a time other than Mid-Autumn Festival, no extra gain, lose six yang essence, flat.】
PS: 4k2 chapters, corresponding to last night
(End of Chapter)
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