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Chapter 348: Layer Four of the Eightfold Heaven, the Upper Realm of the Divine Court (Part 1)
Chapter 348: Layer Four of the Eightfold Heaven, the Upper Realm of the Divine Court (Part 1)
For a Daoist Talisman practitioner, the most significant power leap in the Eightfold Divine Court realm occurs when they advance from the Middle Realm to the Outer Realm of the Divine Court in terms of combat prowess.
Subsequently, progressing from the Outer Realm of the Threefold Layer to the Upper Realm of the Fourfold Layer involves further solidifying and refining their ability to shrink and expand their external Divine Court universe, which can now interfere with the physical world.
Upon attaining the Upper Realm of the Divine Court, their external universe becomes even more robust.
Enemies enveloped by this universe find it harder to break free, and foes from the outside world face greater challenges when attempting to breach it.
Additionally, Daoist Talisman practitioners can attempt to proactively capture nearby opponents and pull them into their Upper Realm of the Divine Court.
Lei Jun, the new generation Tian Shi, took over the Tian Shi Mansion, and his residence was automatically transferred to the private quarters within the Tian Shi Mansion.
Secluding himself once more, he channeled all the spiritual energy veins of Longhu Mountain, focusing them on his body.
The surrounding spiritual energy and sentient beings seemed to revolve around him alone, as if he were the sole master of the universe.
At this moment, he no longer needed to enter the underground veins of Longhu Mountain personally.
A large amount of yuan magnetic force in the veins was influenced by the Tian Shi Mansion, automatically converging on the mountain.
Affected by Lei Jun's profound spiritual power, this yuan magnetic force did not expand outward but concentrated into a single line, endlessly rising.
Above the main peak of Longhu Mountain, purple lightning crackled, and illusory brilliance intersected, with the Upper Clarity Thunder Palace Cave always appearing like an immortal mansion in the clouds, vast and majestic.
At this moment, the thunder, fire, and stars in the sky also converged into a single line, descending from the air and blessing the current Tian Shi, Lei Jun.
Lei Jun's Divine Court universe was not released outward but was completely retracted into his body.
His pupils were deep and ever-changing at this moment, as if two identical universes existed within his eyes.
The bright yellow Primordial Magnetic Sea grew stronger.
In the black void of the universe, stars kept drifting away and scattering.
The entire universe seemed to be endlessly expanding, as if it knew no bounds.
Suddenly, the various spiritual powers from the heavens above and the earth below were simultaneously cut off, no longer empowering Lei Jun.
A black, opaque sphere appeared, centered on Lei Jun. The surface of the sphere sparkled with starlight, and various celestial bodies gathered. Countless talisman techniques crisscrossed like orbits encircling the opaque black ball, constantly moving and changing.
The opaque black sphere remained at a size of about three zhang in diameter, not expanding further. Its aura was profound and peaceful.
The black ball appeared seamless.
However, if someone were observing, they might notice that this enormous opaque black ball seemed rather incongruous.
It looked like two identical but mismatched black hemispheres forcibly fused together.
As time passed, the talisman techniques on the surface of the black ball increased, gradually turning it into a dazzling sphere.
At a certain moment, all the brilliance was absorbed into the massive opaque black ball.
It was also at this moment that the seemingly mismatched hemispheres merged, becoming seamless and perfect, no longer bearing the discordant appearance it once had.
The black ball contracted, resembling a complete and novel universe, retracting into Lei Jun's body.
Lei Jun, who had kept his eyes open, now gently closed them, his gaze entirely inward.
It was as if the two identical universes that existed within his eyes had vanished.
After a while, when Lei Jun reopened his eyes, they had returned to normal, with no trace of the cosmic phenomenon.
Lei Jun's external appearance remained unchanged from before.
However, everything within him had transformed drastically.
Today, he had achieved the Upper Realm of the Fourfold Layer of the Eightfold Heaven.
Lei Jun exhaled slowly, a smile spreading across his face.
Counting from when he cultivated the Inner Realm of the First Layer of the Eightfold Heaven, it had taken him about twelve years to reach the Upper Realm of the Fourfold Layer.
This speed was even faster than that of his senior female cousins, Xu Yuanzhen and Tang Xiaotang.
Normally, such a pace would not be achievable.
Especially considering that Tang Xiaotang's pure yang immortal body gave her a slight advantage over Lei Jun's two-yin immortal body when it came to diligent cultivation.
However, over the years, Lei Jun had perfected valuable treasures such as the Vanjixi Gourd, Zifu Hazy River, and Taiyu Cosmic Stone, all of which helped Daoist Talisman practitioners quicken their cultivation within the Upper Three Heavens.
With these consecutive boosts, Lei Jun was able to reach such a realm in about twelve years.
Moreover, he still possessed the supreme treasure, the Five Qi Three Caves Xuan Yuan Crystal, obtained from Huang Xuanpu.
With the help of this treasure, Lei Jun would have a much easier time facing the tribulations when attempting to break through from the Eightfold to the Ninefold Heaven in the future.
However, that was not for now.
Even with the Five Qi Three Caves Xuan Yuan Crystal, advancing to the next level was not as easy as walking on flat ground.
To challenge the Great Vehicle realm of the Daoist Ninefold Heaven, a cultivator needed to further accumulate and perfect their Upper Realm of the Divine Court, thus laying the foundation for the transition from the Upper Realm of the Divine Court to the Great Vehicle Dao Realm.
Only with this foundation could one then discuss increasing the chances of successfully overcoming the tribulations with the help of the Five Qi Three Caves Xuan Yuan Crystal.
Otherwise, it would be like trying to cross a river without a source of water or climb a tree without roots.
Lei Jun now had to look back on his past and further summarize, improve, and refine his current understanding.
Fortunately, he had saved a lot of time in the first four layers of the Eightfold Heaven, and Lei Jun estimated that with the support of the Five Qi Three Caves Xuan Yuan Crystal, he could confidently attempt to break through to the Ninefold Heaven before the age of seventy.
With such achievements from his hard work over the years, Lei Jun was delighted.
However, his joy soon faded, and his mind returned to tranquility.
The path of cultivation was long, and there was no end to learning. A vast journey still lay ahead.
And that was what made it so alluring.
Lei Jun calmly nurtured his spiritual power.
In the following days, he maintained the same lifestyle as before, studying his cultivation and techniques daily, managing the affairs of the mansion, and teaching his junior disciples, including his personal disciple Zhuo Bao Jie.
Time slowly passed, and Lei Jun celebrated his sixty-third birthday.
As winter approached and the new year drew near, the Tian Shi Mansion prepared for another Consecration Ceremony.
The Consecration Ceremony was held once every three years. This was the second time Lei Jun, as the Tian Shi, would preside over the ceremony during his tenure.
The mansion was bustling with activity, and everything was proceeding smoothly.
Lei Jun remained calm and composed throughout, maintaining his usual tranquility.
This demeanor impressed everyone within and beyond the mansion, especially the elder members of the Tian Shi Mansion.
During the early years of the previous Tian Shi, Tang Zhenren's tenure, she had managed to keep her composure and displayed a keen interest in various ceremonies.
However, as time passed and the novelty wore off, she started to lose focus and delegated the responsibility of hosting the ceremonies to the senior elders.
In contrast, the current Tian Shi maintained a consistent attitude, neither exhibiting the eagerness of Tang Zhenren in her early years nor the subsequent lack of interest.
This, instead, reassured everyone.
Although it was uncertain how long Lei Tian Shi would remain in his position, his stability was expected to surpass that of the previous Tian Shi, Tang Zhenren.
"Master, this is the list of candidates for the upcoming Consecration Ceremony, jointly submitted by the Daoist Academy and the fellow members of the mansion who intend to take on disciples." Chu Kun reported to Lei Jun.
After perusing the list, Lei Jun nodded slightly, "Not bad."
Chu Kun continued, "In recent years, with the rising prestige of our sect, we have attracted many young disciples with exceptional qualifications. This year, we have one candidate who possesses both a spiritual root bone and superior enlightenment, four with only spiritual root bones, and three with superior enlightenment."
As one of the three major sacred sites of the Taoist sect, the Longhu Mountain Tian Shi Mansion had always maintained a high threshold for accepting new disciples.
While there were numerous seekers of the Dao across the land, only the most outstanding among them would pass the initial selection to enter the Daoist Academy at the foot of the mountain.
Most of the exceptional disciples were scouted by the Taoist masters during their travels and then brought back to the mountain, resulting in the current talented pool.
The disciples eligible for the Consecration Ceremony were even more extraordinary.
Any one of them would be highly sought after by other branches of the sect, such as the Purple Cloud Sect or the Celestial Void Sect, if they were sent to places like the Yunxiao Mountains or Tianxu Mountain.
Lei Jun recalled the Consecration Ceremony he had attended over forty years ago. In terms of talent, the average level of this year's batch was considerably lower than that of his time.
This was partly due to the abundant spiritual energy in the current environment and partly because of the increasing prestige of the Longhu Mountain Tian Shi Mansion in recent years.
The overall quality of the disciples had evidently improved along with the rising tide.
Although there were no saintly root bones or enlightened minds among them, the group was still satisfactory.
The Consecration Ceremony was held once every three years, and as long as they maintained their current momentum, with a sufficient talent pool as a foundation, the Tian Shi Mansion's position would become more stable.
Moreover, there were indeed some outstanding talents among them.
"The candidates for next year's Investiture Ceremony are also promising," Lei Jun said to Chu Kun.
Chu Kun replied, "Xin Beiyuan and Zhang Xiuyin."
After the Huang Tian Dao returned to the orthodoxy, some of its members had already participated in the Consecration Ceremony there. Their return to the Longhu Mountain Tian Shi Mansion mainly involved a change in identity, and among them were those who had already built their foundations or even cultivated to the Threefold Heaven Law Altar realm.
Xin Beiyuan was one of them.
Therefore, he met the requirements to participate in the upcoming Investiture Ceremony.
As for his identity, it was not an issue.
Just as Tang Xiaotang had not hindered Li Zhengxian's disciple, Xu Rui, from receiving the Investiture, Lei Jun would not stand in the way of Xin Beiyuan or any other former Huang Tian Dao disciples.
After returning to the orthodoxy of the Longhu Mountain Tian Shi Mansion, Xin Beiyuan focused solely on his cultivation, rarely venturing out or descending the mountain.
He had his own master, who had passed away long ago, and he did not transfer his allegiance to another master upon his return to the Tian Shi Mansion.
Fortunately, there were other senior members of the sect in the mansion who took on the responsibility of guiding and instructing him and his fellow former Huang Tian Dao disciples.
This was similar to how Kong Ming had taught and guided Xin Beiyuan and the others when they were still part of the Huang Tian Dao.
This was not unique to the former Huang Tian Dao disciples.
Traditionally, the disciples of the Tian Shi Mansion with deceased masters were guided by other senior members of the sect.
Even Tian Shi Lei Jun would occasionally inquire about the progress of such junior disciples.
"The Huang Tian Dao's lineage of spells and techniques has indeed undergone significant changes over the years," Chu Kun remarked. "And some of their personal habits are also influenced by their previous living environment."
Lei Jun replied, "There is no need for them to forcibly change their habits. As long as they are willing, they should embrace and integrate what suits them best."
"Yes, Master," Chu Kun replied.
He then recalled something, "Oh, right, Master. I heard that the sealing of the Sea of Doors in the Southern Wilderness is almost complete?"
Lei Jun nodded, "Due to the unrest in the Sea of Doors, it was extremely difficult to seal the void portal, which is why it took so long. Fortunately, our persistent efforts have finally borne fruit."
Chu Kun asked, "What about Tang Zhenren?"
Lei Jun shook his head slightly, "Xiaotang severely injured Li Yan, but with the help of Bi Li Clan Chief Li De, they managed to escape through the treacherous environment of the Sea of Doors. Although Xiaotang is still a bit dissatisfied, at least she has avenged herself from that incident."
Chu Kun inquired, "After the Sea of Doors is sealed, will Tang Zhenren return to the mountain?"
Lei Jun replied, "I just spoke to her, and she doesn't plan to return to the mountain for now. She's considering a trip to the Northern Lands later."
Chu Kun was taken aback, not immediately understanding why Tang Xiaotang would want to travel to the Northern Lands after leaving the Southern Wilderness, which required crossing the entire Tang territory.
"Chang Tian Canglang," Lei Jun explained.
Chu Kun paused for a moment, then recalled some old stories.
During the battle in Jinzhou that destroyed the Ye Clan's ancestral land, there was also an outbreak of demonic chaos in Guanlong.
Tang Xiaotang had brought the Tian Shi Sword to support the efforts in Guanlong, where she not only slew a great demon of the Eightfold Heaven with her Eightfold Heaven cultivation, but also fought against Chang Tian Canglang, a northern demon on par with a human cultivator of the Ninefold Heaven.
Now that Tang Zhenren had also reached the Ninefold Heaven realm, she was taking the time to settle old scores with former foes.
If it weren't for the Su Mi Vajra Sect suffering a significant loss in the Great Yin and Yang Nine Palaces Spirit Formation in Nanzhao, with the sect leader, Gala Tuo, using his own reputation to smooth things over for Tang Zhenren, she might have headed west to the Western Regions after finishing her business in the Southern Wilderness.
As for the Cangzhou Ye Clan, Tang Xiaotang was no longer in a hurry.
If anything, she was eager to see if there would be more amusing developments similar to Ye Feishan's death...
Unable to enter Lisu Mountain and other places, Tang Zhenren, who had not yet had her fill of adventures abroad, decided to head north to find Chang Tian Canglang.
Soon, news arrived from the northern lands.
The northern demons who were affiliated with Chang Tian Canglang mostly suffered bad luck as Tang Xiaotang went after them one by one.
The demon hordes avoided her like the plague.
However, it was unclear if Chang Tian Canglang was avoiding conflict or was simply unaware of the situation, as he remained uncharacteristically quiet, causing Tang Xiaotang some trouble in tracking him down.
On Longhu Mountain, Lei Jun focused on maintaining smooth communication with Tang Xiaotang and refrained from interfering otherwise.
Time passed quietly, marking the fourth year of Lei Jun's leadership as the Celestial Master.
On the fifteenth day of the first month, after the New Year, Lei Jun's first Conferment Ceremony as the official Celestial Master commenced as scheduled.
Although not as grand as the previous Celestial Master succession ceremony, this event still attracted a large number of guests.
Outside of Longhu Mountain, other disciples from the various branches who met the criteria gathered at the mountain gate ancestral hall to participate in this conferment ceremony.
The guests were already familiar with the key disciples participating in this Conferment Ceremony.
Apart from a few former Huang Tian Dao disciples like Xin Beiyuan, the one who attracted the most attention was Zhang Xiuyin, the senior disciple of Elder Zhang Jingzhen of the Celestial Master Mansion.
Zhang Xiuyin, like his master, was from the Zhang Tang Imperial Clan, and on top of that, there had been rumors circulating in recent years that Zhang Xiuyin had a strained relationship with his own clan, the Weyang Royal Family.
Representatives from the Weyang Royal Family were present at this Conferment Ceremony, acting as if nothing was amiss and chatting casually, giving no indication of any conflict with Zhang Xiuyin.
Zhang Xiuyin himself, however, did not show any particular reaction.
He maintained a low profile and kept to himself, just as he had done since he entered the gates of Longhu Mountain, focusing solely on his cultivation.
The warm attitude of the Weyang Royal Family representatives and Zhang Xiuyin's cold indifference seemed to inadvertently confirm the outside world's speculation about their relationship.
Zhang Xiuyin remained oblivious to all of this.
His master, Zhang Jingzhen, also did not seem inclined to intervene, leaving the representatives feeling helpless.
As the Celestial Master, Lei Jun did not interfere with Zhang Jingzhen and Zhang Xiuyin's plans.
Under his supervision, the Conferment Ceremony proceeded smoothly and concluded without incident.
It seemed rather uneventful.
Everything went according to plan, and the atmosphere remained calm and peaceful.
The guests who had come to observe the ceremony nodded in approval.
Since Lei Jun had taken over as the Celestial Master, he had maintained a low profile, and there had been few disturbances.
At least, that was the case when it came to matters outside of the Celestial Master Mansion.
(End of Chapter)
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