Seeking Fortune And Avoiding Calamity, Starting From The Heavenly Master's Mansion Chapter 366: The Great Tang Dynasty's Pillar (Part 1) - Novel Cool

Chapter 366: The Great Tang Dynasty's Pillar (Part 1)

Chapter 366: The Great Tang Dynasty's Pillar (Part 1)

Regarding the current state of the Sumeru Vajra Department, Lei Jun did not withhold any information as he narrated the details.

However, most of the achievements announced to the public were primarily used to highlight the merits of the Grand Preceptor of the Tang Dynasty.

Lei Tianshi didn't attach much importance to such matters.

Tang Xiaotang glanced at Lei Jun with a slight hint of annoyance.

While she didn't mind being in the spotlight, she preferred to earn her fame through her own efforts.

Lei Jun's humility wasn't exactly what she wished for.

However, as the matter involved many secrets of Lei Jun and the TianShiFu, Tang Xiaotang, as the Grand Preceptor, had no choice but to take all the credit and blame upon herself.

"Venerable Sima..." Lu Zhen, Lu Jinduan, and the others looked at each other, unsure how to react to this new information.

Xiao Hang's eyes narrowed as he realized the implications, "The Achyuta Elephant, the Mother Diagram... The strength of the Sumeru Vajra Department is far greater than we anticipated. We truly owe our victory to the Grand Preceptor and Lei TianShi."

"Perhaps they were overconfident or became overly conservative," Lei Jun mused, "This time, the self-assessment of the Sumeru Vajra Department was off the mark. Otherwise, the outcome could have been quite different."

The Mother Diagram was one thing, but if Venerable Sima had brought the Achyuta Elephant to the human realm and joined forces with the Vajra Department Master, the battle would have been far more challenging.

The difficulty wouldn't have lied in Venerable Sima's mastery over the Achyuta Elephant, but in the combination of the Vajra Department Master's wielding the Five-Clawed Vajra Pestle with the Achyuta Elephant.

If the Vajra Department Master himself possessed both the Five-Clawed Vajra Pestle and the Achyuta Elephant, the result would have been greater than the sum of their individual powers.

Among the five divisions of the Vajra Realm in the Sumeru, the Vajra Division was already renowned for its emphasis on the true intent of vajra, excelling in both offense and defense, and its indestructible nature.

If Department Master Gala Tao combined his power with that of the Achyuta Elephant, his defense would be almost comparable to the Taoist Dan Ding's Five Qi Unifying the Cauldron.

Given the gap in their realms, even with Lei Jun's mastery over the Great Two-Yi Array, the Reverse-End Esoteric Array, and the Black Bodhi Fruit, there would be no guarantee of breaking through the opponent's defense.

While it might not have led to a definite reversal of victory and defeat, the increased difficulty could have impacted the final outcome.

"Regardless," Lu Zhen praised, "Today, the Longhu Mountain TianShiFu has emerged victorious over the Sumeru Vajra Department."

"General Lu is too kind," Lei Jun replied with a slight smile.

He then inquired about another matter, "I heard that His Highness Huayang has fallen?"

At these words, Lu Zhen's expression turned solemn, "His Highness Huayang, unfortunately, met his end while defending the country and resisting foreign humiliation."

Tang Xiaotang's eyes flashed with a hint of disdain as she heard these words, and she let out a soft hum.

"It is indeed regrettable and heartbreaking from the perspective of countering foreign humiliation," Lei Jun agreed with a nod.

Lu Zhen sighed inwardly.

Huayang Wang Zhang Rui was a skilled practitioner from the Zhang-Tang Imperial family whom the Empress had favored after her ascension to the throne.

However, ever since the incident where Xu Yuanzhen of the TianShiFu challenged Ye Moke, the old clan head of the Ye family in Jinzhou, to a duel, the secret dealings between Huayang Wang Zhang Rui and the Ye family had been exposed.

The Huayang Wang faction had kept a low profile ever since.

In this northern campaign, the Yinshan defense line had fallen earlier than expected, leading to the retreat of the Tang Dynasty's cultivators.

During the retreat, they were relentlessly pursued by the enemy, resulting in further casualties among the Tang cultivators.

The highest cultivator among those who fell was Huayang Wang Zhang Rui.

Thinking of the past, one couldn't help but sigh at the vicissitudes of life.

Now that the situation had stabilized, there was still a lot of tedious work to be done in the aftermath.

With the destruction of the Vajra Temple, the Sumeru Vajra Department would no longer pose a threat, and the Buddhist Hand Seal lineage would temporarily lose its sacred ground in the Tang Dynasty.

However, there were still numerous subordinate temples and monasteries that served as branches of the Vajra Temple and the Sumeru Vajra Department.

The Tang Imperial Court, in addition to wiping out the remnants of the enemy's main force, also had to cleanse these branches of the Buddhist Hand Seal lineage from the Western Regions.

While it didn't mean completely incorporating the Western Regions into the Tang Dynasty's territory, the Tang Imperial Family was leaving its mark as it eradicated the influence of Buddhism in those lands.

Lu Zhen and Princess Zhang Ying of Shanyang remained specifically to oversee this task.

The Longhu Mountain TianShiFu didn't station any of their key members here, but instead, Lei Jun and Tang Xiaotang tacitly allowed the Pure Yang Palace to assist the Tang Imperial Family in their endeavors in the Western Regions.

This decision left the elders of the Pure Yang Palace, like Lu Jinduan, with a sense of helplessness.

Lei Jun, Tang Xiaotang, and the TianShiFu were ultimately not the same as Huang Xuanpu, Fu Dongsen, and the Human Dao Nation...

However, those who remained in the Western Regions also took on the task of monitoring the site of the Vajra Temple, staying vigilant for any signs of the reopening of the void portals and the return of Sumeru.

Lei Jun, Tang Xiaotang, and their entourage from the TianShiFu, including Chu Kun, made their way back to the Central Plains from the Western Regions.

Out of courtesy, they stopped at the old capital of Chang'an on their journey and requested an imperial audience with the current emperor residing there.

Empress Zhang Wantong received the Grand Preceptor and the Celestial Master in Chang'an.

"Your Majesty, I wish you good health," Lei Jun greeted with respect.

In their presence, the Empress spoke candidly, "I will be staying in Chang'an for a period of rest. During this time, I will need both of you to assist in managing the affairs of the realm."

Standing by her side, Chu Yu smiled at Tang Xiaotang, "I request that the Grand Preceptor take up the task of touring the realm on the Emperor's behalf, to bring stability to the four directions."

The Empress would be residing in Chang'an for an extended period of rest.

Celestial Master Lei Jun, too, would be returning to Longhu Mountain to recuperate.

Xu Yuanzhen, the Great Protection Dharma Guardian of the Xuan Tian Guangmiao, was still in the East China Sea and hadn't returned.

The Tang Dynasty found itself in a rare state of vulnerability, and it truly needed a stabilizing presence to awe the potentially restless forces.

Undoubtedly, the Grand Preceptor of the Tang Dynasty was the best candidate for this role.

However, Tang Xiaotang herself scoffed, "I wanted to go to the East China Sea."

The depths of the East China Sea beckoned to her, where Xu Yuanzhen was enjoying himself in Penglai.

Now that the situation in the west had been resolved, Tang Xiaotang's thoughts turned to returning to the East China Sea and Penglai.

Yet, she didn't object to Chu Yu's proposal in the end.

Touring the realm on the Emperor's behalf wasn't merely a casual journey.

It meant further earning the support of the Tang Emperor, beginning to receive more blessings from the earth veins and dragon veins, which would aid her cultivation.

For Tang Xiaotang, these were trivial matters, and even without these advantages, she was confident that her cultivation would progress by leaps and bounds.

What truly piqued her interest was another matter that Chu Yu brought up.

The latest news from the Southern Wilderness spoke of disturbances in the earth veins.

There were frequent occurrences of spatial distortions near the sealed Door to the Earth Sea, where the forces of the Nine Li had once been suppressed.

If the Door to the Earth Sea were to reopen, it would mean the possible return of Lei Yan and other Nine Li experts to the mortal realm.

Tang Xiaotang found the prospect of finding Lei Yan intriguing.

However, to the east, in Penglai, there was also the Western White Emperor, with whom she shared a grudge.

In the end, the deciding factor that kept her rooted in the Central Plains instead of venturing out to sea was the discussion she had with Lei Jun about the current state of the Tang Dynasty.

If the void portals that had been sealed in the past were truly reopening, it indicated that the Tang Dynasty's fortunes were waning, and the overall situation was far from optimistic.

Tang Xiaotang, the Grand Preceptor of the Tang Dynasty, was a bit unreliable, but now that she had assumed the role of the protector of the Great Tang, she knew that she had to at least maintain a respectable facade.

Moreover, if something unexpected were to happen, and she, Tang Xiaotang, turned the tide and saved the day, well, the thought alone was thrilling.

Of course, it would be even better if nothing went wrong.

If, by some chance, she managed to escape that so-called Western Emperor, then there would be other opportunities to deal with her in the future.

She hoped that she would hold out for a bit longer, so that she, Tang Xiaotang, could be the one to finish her off...

After Lei Jun and Tang Xiaotang left, Chu Yu returned to meet with Empress Zhang Wantong.

The Empress was taking her medicine.

Setting down the jade bowl, she shook her head repeatedly, "The medicine prescribed by the Royal Physician is too bitter."

Concern flashed across Chu Yu's face.

"After all, it's a medicine for a Martial Immortal." The Empress herself remained calm, "Within a hand's reach, a person can rival a nation."

Not only was she a Martial Saint at the peak of immortality, but she also formed a combined force with that nine-layered sky giant eagle.

Chu Yu said solemnly, "The people of the Shamanic Order are trying to stabilize the Portal to the Underworld."

The Empress nodded slightly.

However, she didn't take it too seriously.

It wasn't that she didn't trust the people of the Shamanic Order, but the existence of the Portal to the Underworld was such that when it reopened, it would be like a tear between the two realms, causing immense destruction in an instant that was beyond human control most of the time.

It was far more difficult to stabilize and seal the Portal after it had calmed down than to temporarily stop it from opening.

"The preparation and gathering of a new batch of sacrificial offerings have been ongoing." Chu Yu continued, "But it will take some time."

Empress: "Mm, it's inevitable that the Yun Province suffered considerable damage this time."

Chu Yu sighed, "A large portion of it was prepared for the Vajra Department, but it didn't come in handy. However, since it's already been refined, we can only use it against the Buddhist Hand Seal lineage in the future."

Empress: "The Vajra is not limited to the Department. Keep it for now, there may come a day when it will be useful again."

Chu Yu: "Yes."

Empress rose to her feet, "You all have worked hard. My gratitude also extends to the elders of the Dragon's Peak."

She then stepped into the inner chamber.

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

Lei Jun and Tang Xiaotang left the Imperial City.

Tang Xiaotang would first return to the Imperial Capital of Luoyang to perform the necessary rituals at the Dragon and Tiger Temple, further enhancing the dragon veins and earth veins, before officially beginning her tour of the nation.

Lei Jun and Chu Kun, on the other hand, prepared to return to the ancestral court of the Dragon's Peak.

"I'll keep an eye out for any troublemakers." Tang Xiaotang chuckled mischievously.

Lei Jun: "Chaos in the world often stems from powerful demons."

Chu Kun pondered, "A few years ago, according to the reports from the court, aside from the Whale King of the North Sea, there's also a possibility that the Golden Shark will rise above the rest of the demons in the East Sea?"

Lei Jun: "Not just that, according to the news from the Shamanic Order, the Golden Centipede has also emerged."

Great demons, in addition to their own foundations, are often closely related to the suppression of higher-ups.

The rise of the Whale King of the North Sea was not only due to the secret assistance of a powerful figure but also because the Snow Country Bear King had been severely injured and was recuperating.

Similarly, the Golden Shark in the East Sea was able to rise because the Butterfly King had perished, creating a power vacuum.

In the Shamanic Order, with the Four-eyed Python Emperor absent and the Dragon-headed Evil Banyan fixed in one place, the situation immediately devolved into chaos among the group of demons.

In addition to the Golden Centipede possibly becoming a new nine-layered sky demon, Lei Jun had also heard that another powerful demon, the Cliff Scorpion, had gained prominence in the Shamanic Order.

However, if the Golden Centipede succeeded in ascending first, it might suppress the Cliff Scorpion.

Lei Jun: "Speaking of the Himalayas, that place is truly extraordinary."

He gave Wang Guiyuan a general description of the various scenes in the Himalayas.

The Ganges River, the Joyful Land, and so on—Wang Guiyuan remained calm as he listened to it all.

However, after hearing about the strange changes in Mount Everest, he frowned slightly and fell into deep thought.

After a long while, Wang Guiyuan said, "It truly is extraordinary. Something must be suppressing Mount Everest from underneath..."

Chu Kun: "With one of the five divisions of the Diamond Realm in the Himalayas collapsed, I wonder how the other four will react?"

Yuan Mobai: "We should pay extra attention, but for now, we need to focus on the situation within the Great Empire."

He turned his gaze towards the direction of the Imperial City.

Just then, Lei Jun's expression stirred, and he took out two magical tokens that he carried with him:

"Little Sister and Lin Xianggong have both sent back messages."

After reading the messages contained in the tokens, the master and his disciples looked at each other in surprise.

"Has His Highness the Crown Prince reached the second layer of the Celestial Realm?" Chu Kun asked uncertainly. "I recall it hasn't even been two years since he attained the Celestial Realm, has it?"

Lei Jun: "That's right, it was early last year when he achieved the Celestial Realm. It hasn't been quite two years yet."

Chu Kun, astonished: "So fast?"

Although it was only a minor improvement in cultivation, the speed was still frightening.

Lei Jun, Tang Xiaotang, and Xu Yuanzhen had not reached such a level.

Wang Guiyuan: "Could it be due to some extraordinary treasure or opportunity?"

Lei Jun: "We can't be sure for now."

"Wait a moment..." Chu Kun suddenly realized something: "Could it be that he's... displaying the talent of a genius, accumulating knowledge and making a sudden breakthrough?"

Yuan Mobai: "That's also a possibility."

Lei Jun: "If it's due to some opportunity or treasure, then that's fine. But if not... then his accumulation of knowledge and sudden breakthrough didn't happen in the past two or three decades."

In the eyes of the world, Crown Prince Zhang Hui had been unremarkable in his youth.

Considering his identity, cultivating the art of leadership and receiving the blessings of the nation, his achievement of the Fourth Heaven at the age of nineteen was not exactly outstanding, though it wasn't mediocre either.

It was only after his first trip outside to travel the world that his cultivation progress began to speed up.

The official explanation was that the Crown Prince was worried about the internal and external disturbances of the nation and wanted to share the Emperor's burdens, so he became more diligent.

Thus, in the span of thirty years, he progressed from the Fourth Heaven to the Celestial Realm.

Although he had the advantage of the art of leadership, such speed was still rare.

Therefore, most people believed that the Crown Prince had studied philosophy and finally accumulated enough knowledge to make a sudden breakthrough.

After all, the Crown Prince was talented. His lack of remarkable progress in his youth could be explained as laying the foundation for his future achievements.

Later, when Crown Prince Zhang Hui displayed the talent of a genius, equivalent to the concept of a 'prodigy,' it confirmed everyone's speculation.

There were also rumors that the Crown Prince had been concealing his true abilities in his youth.

But now, it seemed that wasn't the case?

During the past thirty years when he made rapid progress, he might have still been in the accumulation phase, and only now was he reaping the rewards of his accumulated knowledge.

"That suggests that he not only possesses the talent of a genius.

Lei Jun, intrigued: "His comprehension ability is also top-notch. In philosophy, the highest level of comprehension is known as 'a mind like a painted landscape,' right?"

Yuan Mobai: "To be precise, the highest level is 'a world within the mind,' which corresponds to the concept of 'enlightenment.' However, it is also considered legendary, mentioned only in ancient texts, and hasn't been seen in reality for thousands of years.

The next level down, corresponding to the concept of 'illumination,' is 'a mind like a painted landscape.'"

The last person known to possess this level of comprehension was Fang Yue from the Jingxiang Fang family, who is now the Master of the Imperial Academy.

Chu Kun: "So, His Highness the Crown Prince has the talent of a genius, combined with a mind like a painted landscape. That would be equivalent to..."

"The question is, will we make it in time?" Lord Chu asked in a low voice.

Sir Lei replied, "Compared to the Crown Prince, the old king in the north is in a bigger hurry."

The Empress had never married and had no children of her own.

For Crown Prince Zhang, this was his last psychological safety net.

If the Empress were to marry and give birth to an heir, the situation would become uncertain.

As for Lord Zhang, time was of the essence, and he had to act quickly.

(End of Chapter)

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