https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-369-Unparalleled-in-the-Southern-Lands-Second-Update-/12599261/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-370-Enlightenment-Ascends-Natural-Progression-Unveiled-Part-2-/12599493/
Chapter 370: Enlightenment Ascends, Natural Progression Unveiled (Part 1)
Chapter 370: Enlightenment Ascends, Natural Progression Unveiled (Part 1)
The Nine Springs rose to the heavens, while the Yellow Springs descended to the netherworld. In a cyclical dance, they finally achieved the balance that Lei Jun envisioned.
It was not a state of absolute harmony, for that was not what Lei Jun sought. These two great treasures, one above and one below, each served a distinct purpose.
Overall, the trend was upward.
This way, it was easier to resonate with the profound sky, the vast starry river, and the majestic heavens depicted in the Heavenly Chapter Tablet.
That was also Lei Jun's current destination.
Accompanied by the soaring Nine Springs, Lei Jun returned to the lofty heights, to the "Heavenly Palace," which seemed to no longer exist, yet remained enchanting.
He sat cross-legged amidst the heavens.
In the distance, the vast starry river flowed, its myriad transformations laid out before his eyes.
Beneath him, streams of light, invisible to the mortal eye, flowed ceaselessly between heaven and earth.
Countless Dao essences from all corners of the world converged into ancient and profound talismans. Through these ever-shifting illusory streams of light, the Dao was imparted to Lei Jun from above.
At that moment, Lei Jun's spirit and thoughts were vibrant. He constantly absorbed the various principles and ideas from the outside world, nourishing his spirit, while also imparting his own insights and understandings back to nature.
In and out, up and down, back and forth, the cycle continued endlessly.
Lei Jun didn't feel like he had suddenly attained enlightenment or had a eureka moment.
His mind was clear, his thoughts unrestrained, and he felt as if he had experienced countless worldly changes, enriching his knowledge and understanding.
In this scenario, questions and conjectures that had plagued him before now found their answers naturally as his accumulation and progress flourished.
Where he once had a single solution, now multiple options presented themselves.
Where he once wavered between multiple choices, he now clearly discerned the optimal path, no longer swaying between alternatives.
Where he once felt a plan was already refined, new insights now presented themselves, allowing further refinement.
Where he once studied a matter or object from various angles, he now discovered even more perspectives.
As soon as a thought arose, Lei Jun could foresee myriad possibilities and outcomes, selecting the one that satisfied him the most.
And the option that satisfied him the most often didn't require verification, as it inherently represented the optimal outcome.
Lei Jun didn't feel like he had explicitly crossed a particular threshold or climbed a specific step.
However, upon reflection, he realized that many things had changed irreversibly.
This was the enlightenment of the Natural Progression, surpassing even the Quietude Layer… Lei Jun gently closed his eyes, contemplating in silence.
Compared to his previous self at the Quietude Layer, he didn't feel like there had been a qualitative change. His personal intuition suggested that his thoughts had merely become clearer, more agile, and more profound.
However, this enhancement encompassed all aspects.
A hundred feet up, yet another step forward.
At that moment, Lei Jun gazed upon the distant starry river, witnessing its transformations.
The stars shifted silently, but to Lei Jun, their mysteries and patterns began to unravel.
He then turned his attention closer, where the mountains and rivers, a single tree or a solitary stone… even the most ordinary and mundane things now held profound lessons and mysteries suitable for his cultivation.
At this stage, the majority of the Dao traditions and divine abilities held no more secrets from Lei Jun's perspective.
Even though he couldn't instantly master them due to the limitations of his body, most divine abilities were within his grasp after a few glances, allowing him to discern their intricacies and judge their strengths and weaknesses.
At that moment, Lei Jun first looked up towards the heavens, and then lowered his gaze towards the earth below.
The starry river in the sky seemed to tremble for a moment in response to Lei Jun's actions.
Below, the earth seemed stable, but according to Lei Jun's perception, the Yellow Springs seemed to stir in response to his elevated enlightenment.
Lei Jun's perception was accurate.
In the Yellow Springs, within the Inner Shu Mountain, chaos unfolded:
"Who disturbed the Yellow Springs? Where? For what reason?"
The Inner Shu Mountain's sect leader, Ji Yao, who had been focusing on nurturing a treasure, was startled as the Yellow Springs itself seemed to be affected.
While stabilizing the impacted treasure, he sternly ordered: "Find out immediately!"
The Inner Shu Mountain disciples, who had been staggering and unsteady, promptly acknowledged the order and began their search.
……………………
"Quite some time has passed," Lei Jun smiled.
Seated high in the heavens through the Heavenly Chapter Tablet, Lei Jun, with the aid of the ascending Nine Springs and the descending Biku Jade, continuously delved into the Dao essences of all things, refining himself.
While his personal sense of time had blurred, a significant duration had passed in the mortal world since he entered seclusion.
Fortunately, his public pretext had always been that of recuperating from his injuries, and most of the disciples at the Heavenly Master's Mansion were aware of this situation.
Hence, Lei Jun's prolonged seclusion had minimal impact on the affairs of the mansion.
High in the heavens, within the "Heavenly Palace," where only the traces of law remained, Lei Jun sensed the evolution of the Dao and the laws of this place.
"The Heavenly Palace" was still remarkable.
However, the opportunity to enhance one's enlightenment had been exhausted.
Below, the merging Biku Jade and Nine Springs Ascending Pearl had, after a long period of continuous operation and attrition, finally dwindled and started to fade away.
Lei Jun's figure began to descend, reappearing at the Wanfa Zongtan, the Heavenly Master's Mansion's altar on Dragon and Tiger Mountain.
Above his head, a talisman inscribed with the Lifespan Prolonging Art appeared first.
The talisman shimmered with starlight, and the starlight, in turn, bathed Lei Jun, empowering him.
Soon, a statue of the Dou Mu Star Goddess took form.
Unlike before, where the statue enveloped Lei Jun, it now sat facing him, right before his eyes.
Lei Jun's thoughts continued to buzz with minor adjustments.
The Life Star God gradually shrank in size, while the starlight surrounding it grew more intense.
Eventually, the Life Star God became almost identical in size to Lei Jun himself.
Then, the Lingguan Lu, Tianxing Lu, and Huanxing Liedou talismans appeared one by one.
Lei Jun contemplated and fine-tuned them simultaneously.
Later, the Two-Yin Heavenly Origin Talisman and the Celestial Communication Earth-Penetrating Talisman also made their appearances, undergoing adjustments and improvements by Lei Jun.
However, the Thunder Law Heavenly Script Talisman and the Xuanxiao Five Thunder Talismans did not manifest.
In their place, a purple Yang Thunder Dragon and a black Yin Thunder Dragon appeared out of thin air, intertwining above Lei Jun's Life Star God.
With the entwining of yin and yang twin thunders, the might of the Life Star God surged.
Nevertheless, the twin dragons of yin and yang thunder did not linger long on the Life Star God.
As they detached, their forms began to shift, gradually transforming into a complete thundercloud.
The yin and yang twin dragons, also known as the yin and yang twin thunders, were absorbed within.
The entire thundercloud displayed shades of purple and black.
Yet, it bore no resemblance to the yin-yang symbol.
Instead, it appeared as if the two colors had fused into one.
Purple and black thunderbolts intertwined and blended.
Lei Jun nodded slightly at the sight.
Although he already possessed the Yin-Yang Shiao Aurora and had elevated his physical body's vitality with the help of the yin and yang twin dragons, he now had additional ideas about the coordination between the Nine Heavenly Thunders and the Xuanxiao Immortal Thunder, testing each one.
Later, the thundercloud formed by the fusion of the Yang Thunder Dragon and the Yin Thunder Dragon quieted, not even emitting the slightest rumble.
The purple and black thundercloud hovered above Lei Jun's Dou Mu Star God without any further movement.
Next to appear were the emerald Yin Fire Tiger and the scarlet Yang Fire Tiger.
Lei Jun watched quietly as the two great true fires wove together before him, his mind filled with thoughts and contemplations.
To a certain extent, the Xuanxiao Five Thunder Talismans and the Xuanxiao Immortal Thunder could be said to have laid their foundations when Lei Jun was at the Lower Three Heavens stage, gradually honing and refining them step by step until their completion.
On the other hand, the Tianchen True Fire and the Chen Yang Zhongtian Talisman were something he had contemplated and created during his Upper Three Heavens stage.
Relatively speaking, the latter had a slightly weaker foundation.
Hence, when it came to the yin and yang harmony technique, Lei Jun started with the yin and yang twin thunder dragons.
Many of his ideas about the yin and yang twin fire tigers were still on paper.
However, now that his enlightenment had reached an unprecedented level in ancient and modern times, many of his concepts and speculations suddenly became clear.
The emerald and scarlet fire tigers, massive in size, seemed to be merging into one.
Thus, Lei Jun's various principles and secret techniques continued to evolve and improve.
As for the Seven Volumes of the Zhengfa Zhenyi Dadao Jing, which was his fundamental method, reading it again at this moment brought him new insights.
Consequently, Lei Jun's cultivation in the Four-Layered Divine Court of the Eighth Heaven's Divine Court Realm deepened further.
The stability of his Divine Court Universe gradually peaked within this realm.
It is often said that the Four-Layered Divine Court of the Eighth Heaven's Divine Court Realm can be considered a perfect Eighth Heaven.
This assessment is often made from the perspective of practical combat techniques.
However, from the perspective of Daoist cultivation, reaching the Four-Layered Divine Court does not mean one can immediately challenge the heavenly moat between the Eighth and Ninth Heavens.
Cultivators still need to diligently cultivate and accumulate, ensuring the stability of their Divine Court Universe before earning the initial qualification to aspire for higher realms.
At this moment, as Lei Jun's cultivation continued to progress, he could be considered a truly perfect Eighth Heaven cultivator, just a step away from becoming a Daoist Great Sage of the Ninth Heaven.
Indeed, the enhancement of his enlightenment brought great convenience to his daily cultivation... Lei Jun nodded slightly.
Previously, he had estimated that he could challenge the Ninth Heaven realm within his sixties.
Now, before his sixty-eighth birthday, a glimmer of hope had already appeared.
Unless something unexpected happened, Lei Jun was confident that he could challenge the Ninth Heaven within the year.
"It's been roughly fifty years since I came to Dragon and Tiger Mountain, or this world," he calculated.
"Fifty years of cultivation, from having no foundation to reaching the Ninth Heaven realm."
For a moment, Lei Jun felt as if he had lived a completely different life.
However, such emotions quickly faded.
His attention soon returned to his cultivation.
"If I can successfully cultivate the Ninth Heaven realm, then my Divine Court Upper Realm can transform into a Great Sage Dao Realm."
Lei Jun pondered silently.
Quietly, he unleashed his Divine Court Upper Realm, but only within a limited range, unlike the heaven-devouring spectacle during battles.
Due to various reasons, Lei Jun's Divine Court Universe was different from that of other Daoist Talisman Sect cultivators.
Even if there were another cultivator with a Two-Yin Immortal Body, Clear Quiet Enlightenment, cultivating the Daoist Talisman Sect's techniques, their results would likely differ greatly from Lei Jun's due to individual differences in enlightenment and a variety of experiences.
To some extent, Lei Jun's Divine Court Universe, which was about to transform into a Great Sage Dao Realm, would also be unprecedented.
He had no reference for the changes that were about to occur, and he had to figure everything out on his own.
With his natural level of enlightenment, he gradually devised a plan.
"Anyway, I already have the Five Qi Three Caves Xuan Yuan Crystal. As long as I prepare everything on my end, I can directly face the tribulation within half a year."
Lei Jun mused, "If I want the Great Sage Dao Realm to progress further and uncover more mysteries, it would be best to refine it even more..."
He already had a rough idea of the plan.
The Great Void Conjoined Lotus.
With this spiritual object's assistance, he could achieve his expected complete plan and cultivate an even more profound Great Sage Dao Realm while challenging the Ninth Heaven realm.
"This spiritual object has been absent from the Tang world for many years.
As of now, it has not appeared in the Tang world, nor is there any related news.
Fortunately, this item is not absolutely necessary for Lei Jun's cultivation.
'Probably within this year,' Lei Jun said calmly.
Whether or not he finds the Great Void Conjoined Lotus, according to his current natural progression, he will complete his final preparations within half a year.
So, let's just leave it to fate and not hinder our own progress.
Lei Jun emerged from his seclusion, his face restored to its healthy complexion.
To the naked eye, he appeared to have recovered.
However, to the elders of the Celestial Master's Mansion, like Shangguan Ning, his spiritual aura still seemed diminished.
Judging by his appearance, although his injuries seemed to have stabilized, he still needed some time to recuperate.
'I appreciate your efforts, Senior Shangguan and Zhang Jingzhen, during my recovery,' Lei Jun acknowledged.
Tang Xiatang, Xu Yuanzhen, and Lin Shan were not at the mountain gate ancestral hall.
Chu Kun had gone to witness the ceremony in the South Wildlands and was currently traveling there.
Yuan Mo Bai was also in seclusion.
Therefore, Shangguan Ning and Zhang Jingzhen had been managing the daily affairs of the mansion.
'You flatter me, Senior,' Shangguan Ning smiled, then turned slightly serious. 'Tang Xiatang has defeated the Sea King Chrysanthemum in the East Sea.'
'That's excellent. It will ensure peace along the East Sea coast for a while,' Lei Jun nodded slightly.
Previously, he had communicated with his little senior sister, Tang Xiatang.
The Grand Preceptor had displayed her mighty powers once more, successfully vanquishing the great sea demon.
However, the Sea King Chrysanthemum was extraordinary, and when it sensed danger, it fled into the deep ocean.
Tang Xiatang refused to let it go, continuing the pursuit, and the two had now traveled far away.
'I plan to contact Senior Sister Tang. As the Grand Protector of the nation, she is traveling far and wide, chasing a powerful demon without respite. It may not be appropriate,' Lei Jun said.
He understood that without Tang Xiatang's presence in the Central Plains, the nation would feel somewhat vulnerable.
'But she is currently in high spirits, chasing the great demon. I'm afraid it won't be easy to persuade her to return,' Lei Jun admitted.
He had anticipated this situation and, therefore, did not force the issue.
After ending his seclusion, Lei Jun noticed that the Heavenly Chapter Tablet had been bustling with activity lately.
However, the Sun Empress, the suspected leader, was absent during this gathering.
Aside from her, including Lei Jun, the other six members were present.
'It seems we are in a time of trouble. We must be vigilant and prepare for the unexpected,' Taiyin Monday spoke first. 'I won't beat around the bush. Does anyone here have the spiritual object, the Kirin Saliva?'
After asking, she did not expect an immediate response from the others.
After so many interactions, everyone was accustomed to making requests and discussing them privately later.
Although, in reality, everyone's guard against each other had significantly lowered, some habits were hard to break.
Taiyang Jinri, the suspected Sun Empress, was the second to speak: 'I have a matter to inquire about. It concerns the Ten Lands of the Nine Heavens and the Ten Lands. Specifically, regarding Luoyuan of the Ten Lands, which has deep ties with the Shamanistic traditions in ancient times. However, in this era, Luoyuan is witnessing frequent activities of powerful demons, not shamans.
(End of Chapter)
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