Chapter 384: 383. The Changing of the Guard in Tianli

Chapter 384: 383. The Changing of the Guard in Tianli

The retreat of the Great Ming Empire relieved the Little Ming Court in Tianli of their predicament, preventing a swift demise from their two-front battle.

However, their struggles were far from over.

The previous great battle had already inflicted severe losses, damaging them to their very core.

Even with this respite, it would be difficult for them to maintain their current state.

Messages from the Great Tang cultivators in Tianli mentioned that due to the establishment of a nation with strong geography, the spiritual energy in Tianli was severely depleted. Unlike other places in the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, this place lacked abundant spiritual energy, regardless of its safety.

Currently, Tianli was in a state of severe scarcity, and it would take more than a short while to replenish it.

Usually, the Little Ming Court could just barely sustain themselves.

But now, after the great battle, they would struggle to endure further consumption.

Nevertheless, the Little Ming Court in Tianli proved to be resilient.

As soon as the Great Ming Empire retreated, the Little Ming Court, disregarding their own losses, assumed a counteroffensive stance, intending to reclaim their lost territory.

However, the Great Tang, or to be more precise, Dragon-Tiger Mountain, also had their own traditions to uphold.

Among the three Great Cultivators of Dragon-Tiger Mountain who had reached the Ninth Heaven, two of them, Xu Yuanzhen and Tang Xiaotang, were completely unaffected by the Great Ming Empire's retreat.

They simply continued their own battles, seemingly unrelated to the larger conflict.

These two had no intention of turning Tianli into a buffer zone between the Great Tang and the Great Ming.

The great battle in Tianli continued, less grandiose than before but even more intense.

With Xu Yuanzhen and Tang Xiaotang joining forces, the Little Ming Court, who was already on their last legs, showed signs of approaching their end.

There were differing opinions within the Tang imperial family regarding this matter.

However, Heavenly Master Lei Jun did not interfere with Xu and Tang on Dragon-Tiger Mountain, and the court could only dispatch troops to guard the Tianli gateway in the East Sea as a precaution.

Lei Jun had no intention of stopping Xu Yuanzhen and Tang Xiaotang.

To him, the cultivators in Tianli were also quite unnerving...

As for the Great Ming side, if Gao Ming and the others did not retreat, Lei Jun would have to give it more thought.

But with the Great Ming Empire retreating due to internal reasons, Lei Jun was no longer in a hurry.

In the unlikely event of an accident, Xu Yuanzhen and Tang Xiaotang's strength would be sufficient to handle it.

Especially since Tang Xiaotang possessed the Tianxin Insightful Scripture, making her very sensitive to related matters.

The only small problem was that, according to Xu Yuanzhen's and Tang Xiaotang's personalities, they might still rush towards danger even if they were aware of it.

Fortunately, Yuan Mobai and Wang Guiyuan had left Dragon-Tiger Mountain together earlier.

After helping Xiao Hang destroy the Ye Clan's last large-scale resistance in Qingzhou, Yuan Mobai retired, leaving the matters in Qingzhou to Xiao Hang and the court officials.

He then headed south to the East Sea and directly entered Tianli through the void gateway.

After leaving Suzhou, Wang Guiyuan originally intended to return to the mountain.

However, due to the situation in Tianli, although he bid farewell to Abbot Miaokong and the others from Tianlong Temple, he did not immediately return west. Instead, he secretly remained on the shores of the East Sea by himself.

Wang Guiyuan did not enter the Tianli gateway, but he secretly guarded the East Sea, awaiting Xu Yuanzhen, Tang Xiaotang, and Yuan Mobai. He was there to support them in case of any unforeseen events.

With both Yuan Mobai and Wang Guiyuan already in Tianli, Lei Jun had no urgency to go to the East Sea.

He remained in the ancestral court of Dragon-Tiger Mountain, managing the affairs of the court while awaiting news from the east.

During this period, Lei Jun continued his cultivation.

Tang Xiaotang was not currently in the mountains, but Lei Jun could study the Pure Yang Talisman and other spiritual talismans she had left behind.

With his natural intuitive comprehension, Lei Jun had already gained a substantial understanding of their intricacies, even with just the basic spiritual talismans.

It was a boon that Tang Xiaotang's talismans were extremely profound, with unique qualities closely related to her Pure Yang Immortal Body.

With any other method, Lei Jun would have already been able to master it on his own by now.

Based on his current understanding, Lei Jun quietly contemplated the divine abilities he would possess after attaining the Ninth Heaven of the Great Vehicle Realm.

In addition to studying scriptures, Lei Jun continued to refine various treasures and artifacts.

Many of his ideas were perfected back when he was in the Eighth Heaven realm.

At that time, he could already attempt to refine them.

Due to his cultivation base, he would just need to spend more time, thought, and energy.

This would inevitably affect his original cultivation.

Most cultivators in this world often chose to actively plan these matters after gradually reaching a platform stage in their cultivation, and this was the reason why.

Lei Jun was still far from the platform stage, and his age was on his side.

But once he successfully reached the Ninth Heaven of the Great Vehicle Realm, many things would become easier as his cultivation base and strength increased, no longer requiring as much energy and time.

After refining the Upper Clarity Jade Canopy Bamboo and the Star River Celestial Net, Lei Jun waved his hand again.

With a flash of purple light, seven flying swords appeared in the air, arranged in the formation of the Big Dipper. These were the Seven Star Swords, the treasures he had obtained from Chen Donglou.

Previously, the Seven Star Swords had clashed directly with the Yellow Spring Sword wielded by Li Linxue, sustaining some damage. Thus, they had been undergoing restoration and refinement during this period.

Because Dragon-Tiger Mountain's resources had been prioritized for the damaged Heavenly Master's Robe, Lei Jun's Seven Star Swords and the Great Clarity Eight Scenic Treasure Robe still required some time for restoration.

However, the resources obtained from the Lin Clan in Youzhou and the Ye Clan in Jinzhou accelerated this process.

Through Lei Jun's constant refinement and restoration, the Seven Star Swords gradually regained their brilliance in recent days.

Seeing this, Lei Jun took out the Dou Mu Star Iron obtained from Shu Mountain in the Yellow Spring.

After retrieving the Celestial Treasure, a heavenly artifact obtained from the Lin Clan in the distant land of Youzhou, Lei Jun controlled the vibrant Emerald Flame, making it burn fiercely and transform into a sea of fire.

However, the Starseed Sword, the Doumu Star Iron, the Celestial Treasure, and other artifacts did not enter the Emerald Flame, which was his specialty in refining.

On the contrary, all the artifacts ascended together.

In the sky, the crimson-colored Celestial Fire flowed and gathered into a wheel, resembling a brilliant sun.

The two types of Celestial Fires, Yin and Yang, one above the other, worked in perfect harmony to begin the continuous refinement of the artifacts.

The purple light on the surface of the Starseed Sword began to converge and eventually disappeared without a trace.

Only the sword shadows scattered in the pattern of the Big Dipper remained, faintly visible within the blazing fire as if they had merged with the burning stars.

The Doumu Star Iron and the Celestial Treasure also gradually melted in the fiery inferno.

They seemed to follow the Starseed Sword, devoured by the burning stars, but they did not enter the core of the stars. Instead, they lingered on the surface, enduring the repeated refinement of the heavenly fire.

As the heavenly fire turned, the green yin fire below also condensed into a massive fireball, appearing serene yet heavy, unlike the raging heavenly fire.

One crimson and one emerald, the two enormous fireballs began to rotate slowly, with Lei Jun at their center.

His spiritual power flew out of his body, transforming into black and white energy, guiding the heavenly and earthly fires.

Gradually, a vast Cosmic Diagram formed, centered on Lei Jun.

The Cosmic Diagram rotated silently.

The stars condensed from the heavenly fire burned incessantly, and all the materials gathered within them.

However, compared to the earthly fire on the other side, it did not seem imbalanced.

On the contrary, as they revolved, they formed a profound and peculiar concept, constantly empowering the artifact that Lei Jun wanted to refine.

After an unknown period, everything suddenly stopped.

The Cosmic Diagram ceased its rotation, and the heavenly and earthly fires went out together, as if they had been extinguished simultaneously.

Lei Jun reached out and pointed, and brilliant starlight fell into the Cosmic Diagram.

Soon, in the center of the diagram, dazzling starlight as brilliant as the central star in the heavens shone brightly.

In the white light, the set of Starseed Swords had disappeared, replaced by a giant sword over seven feet long, emerging from within.

Lei Jun calmly gazed at the seven-foot-long sword, its radiance resembling the North Star in the northern sky. He nodded slightly and said, "From now on, it shall be called the North Star Sword."

The North Star Sword hummed in the air and then returned to its usual state. As the sword light flowed and turned, the starlight shone upon everyone, and a cold aura radiated from it.

This sword was in its initial form and still in the transitional stage from a sword embryo to a true magical sword treasure. It required further continuous tempering and nurturing.

With a thought from Lei Jun, the Celestial Fire and the Emerald Flame reappeared, and the heavenly and earthly fires combined to continue refining the North Star Sword.

What was different from before was that, in addition to the Celestial Refining Method and the Flame Refining Technique, Lei Jun had also condensed two Yin-Sky-Origin Techniques, which were placed on both sides of the North Star Sword.

The four techniques worked together to refine this newly born treasure.

After laying the foundation with his own techniques, Lei Jun then referred to the Shu Mountain Sect's treasure refining methods for the subsequent nurturing process.

Previously, Zhang Taegang had represented the Shu Mountain Sect and come to Dragon Tiger Mountain to obtain a talisman edict from the Celestial Master's Mansion to worship and ask Tang Xiaotang about the refinement of pure Yang magical treasures and magical weapons.

As a return gift, in addition to corresponding gifts, the Shu Mountain Sect also exchanged a large number of treasure refining and artifact refining insights with the Celestial Master's Mansion.

This was indeed the forte of the Daoist School's treasure refining sect.

Although Lei Jun, as a practitioner, could not directly use it, he could incorporate it into his own methods after referencing and modifying it, which would be useful during the current refinement of the magical treasure.

Leaving the four techniques to refine and nurture the North Star Sword, Lei Jun continued with his subsequent arrangements.

He sought to improve and enhance the dark side of the heavenly book.

This time, under the auspices of the Emerald Flame, Lei Jun added the Celestial Fire and the Immortal Thunder to the heavenly book, in addition to the Immortal Thunder Technique.

Over time, it could be said that this extraordinary treasure was mostly under his control.

Lei Jun's manipulations and changes here did not currently affect the few people in the secret side of the Heavenly Tome.

Just like in the main chapter of the Empress' Heavenly Tome universe.

As time went on, Kang Ming, Meng Shaojie, and Nie Fang gradually became familiar with each other.

Especially Meng Shaojie and Nie Fang, who had become quite close, although they had not yet revealed their identities to each other.

Compared to them, Kang Ming was more cautious.

However, over the years, he had interacted quite a bit with Meng Shaojie and Nie Fang.

Even the establishment of the Eastern Dynasty in the mortal realm could be partly attributed to their efforts.

At this moment, Yue Bo Nie Fang was not present.

With the war in the Western Plains, he had finally returned and did not have the leisure to be distracted by other matters.

Luohou Kang Ming, in exchange for Ji Du Meng Shaojie's previous assistance in some matters, introduced him to the current situation in the Eastern Dynasty.

"The Four Regions of the Eastern Dynasty have chaotic phenomena, but there is still a possibility of reunifying the mountains and rivers in the future." Meng Shaojie exclaimed in surprise.

Kang Ming calmly replied, "The Five Regions of the Eastern Dynasty is not impossible, but it may not be the current dynasty."

Meng Shaojie asked curiously, "Does that mortal realm also need an heir of the Ancient Order from the Sacred Mountain?"

Kang Ming replied, "Indeed, it is the Treasury Department, which is one of the Five Departments of the Sacred Order alongside the Vajra Department of the Great Tang in the mortal realm, and it has been present in the Eastern Dynasty for several decades longer than the Vajra Department."

Lei Jun listened quietly to the two of them, deep in thought.

Treasury Department...

He remembered that when he and his junior sister, Tang Xiaotang, had counter-attacked the Sacred Mountain, there had been a master from another department of the Sacred Order who had stayed behind.

That master had not expected Lei Jun and Tang Xiaotang to be able to kill the master of the Vajra Department, Galen, and his mentor, the Venerable Cisong, in such a short period of time, and to have destroyed the Department Mother Chart and the Akashic Constellation by conquering the Land of Elyria in the Vajra Department in a short time.

That master had chosen to stabilize the turbulent Sacred Mountain first.

But by the time he arrived at the Land of Elyria, it had already been reduced to ruins, and in the end, he had no choice but to watch Lei Jun and the others leave as the River of Time burst and once again disturbed the Sacred Mountain.

According to some monks of the Vajra Department, the master who had stayed behind in the Sacred Mountain at the time was none other than the master of the Treasury Department, Archon Valtor.

In the Sacred Mountain, the five departments of the Sacred Order each operated in their own mortal realm, and aside from interacting with each other in the Sacred Mountain, they rarely interfered in the affairs of other realms.

The Vajra Department managed the Great Tang mortal realm.

The Lotus Department managed the Great Song mortal realm.

And the Treasury Department was in charge of the Eastern Dynasty?

Lei Jun listened with interest as Kang Ming introduced the situation to Meng Shaojie.

The other party had been in the Eastern Dynasty for quite some time, and although he had been keeping a low profile and reducing his interactions with others, in order to improve his situation, he had already gathered a lot of relevant information.

Firstly, for Kang Ming, the history of this realm was probably the closest to that of the Great Tang mortal realm, with a difference of only about a hundred years between the two.

Even the time of the revival of spiritual energy was relatively close.

Then, what caught Kang Ming's attention was that in recent years, there were about six or seven known Supreme Experts in the Eastern Dynasty.

The current Emperor was undoubtedly the first expert in the world, although many people considered him to be old and senile.

On the other hand, the Crown Prince, with his wise reputation and extraordinary talent, had become the second Supreme Expert in the imperial family, following in the Emperor's footsteps.

In recent years, the Emperor had been indulging in the depths of the palace, rarely making public appearances, and most of the governance of the country had been maintained by the Crown Prince.

Similar to the Great Tang mortal realm, the Eastern Dynasty was also filled with powerful families.

The famous clans of the Great Han now numbered twelve great clans.

Their existence naturally attracted the attention of the Sumeru Treasure Department, the Great Han's Dragon-Tiger Mountain, and the Grand Southern Empty Temple. However, the three holy lands of Buddhism and Taoism were also at odds with each other.

Although the Great Han Crown Prince traveled far and wide to mend and console, he was ultimately alone and lacking in influence.

The Emperor in the depths of the palace was a detached spectator.

Nowadays, with the increasing smoke of war in various places in the Great Han, there are signs of an impending chaotic era.

In contrast, there are even rumors that the Interstitial of the Ten Lands, fraught with disasters, is about to appear.

In this chaotic era, the Yellow Heaven Dao has found an opportunity to grow stronger in the cracks.

However, Kang Ming still dares not slack off in the slightest.

Moreover, he has a huge hidden worry.

Meng Shaojie had never heard Kang Ming mention this, but Lei Jun roughly understood the situation:

"The cultivation method of the Great Han's Dragon-Tiger Mountain's Tian Shi Fu is actually the inheritance of the ancient Fu Lu School."

"They rely on the ancestor master's bestowment of the Lu."

Such a situation would naturally arouse people's suspicions, curiosity to explore the mystery, and vigilance.

Because it highly implies that there is someone above backing them...

It was only because the Han Emperor was indulging in the depths of the palace at that time and had no heart to pursue the matter.

And when the Crown Prince came of age, with the successive appearances of the Nine Heavens and Ten Lands, such as Da Tong and Sumeru, the Crown Prince was also too busy to delve into it.

However, both Kang Ming and Lei Jun attached great importance to it.

Lei Jun's consciousness withdrew from the universe of the dark side of the Heavenly Book, and as he gazed at the shadowy palace, he silently pondered upon the news from the Great Han that Kang Ming had conveyed.

Later, visitors waiting outside the mountain interrupted Lei Jun's train of thoughts.

Besides Meng Shaojie, there was also the Crown Prince, Zhang Hui.

"Your student is unworthy, but during my travels, I chanced upon some spiritual objects by coincidence. After preserving them, I bring them as a congratulatory gift for Master's ascension to the Ninth Heaven of the Daoist Gate." Meng Shaojie happily said.

Lei Jun smiled, "There's no need to be so polite, Mr. Meng."

Appreciating his sincerity, Lei Jun did not feign modesty and gladly accepted Meng Shaojie's congratulatory gift.

It was a spiritual object known as the Crossing Star Brilliance, an indisputable rare treasure born in the vast void outside the mortal realm, rarely found in the human realm according to legends.

Lei Jun's heart stirred as ideas regarding its usage and destination emerged.

Compared to Meng Shaojie, Zhang Hui's visit this time was rather low-key, keeping a low profile.

"I also prepared some gifts, but compared to Qing Yan's, they are truly insignificant. Please don't blame me, Master."

Zhang Hui smiled, "Please forgive me, Master, and I shall make it up to you later. But for now, I have another spiritual object to present."

Above his head, light radiated and a page appeared.

Lei Jun fixed his gaze.

Although the light was mysterious, the words that appeared were still vaguely discernible:

"Two."

Thus, it was the Heavenly Book Two, which stood alongside the Heavenly Book Three.

Lei Jun swiftly comprehended the principles and concepts within.

If his Heavenly Book Three corresponded to the Yin and Yang of the Two Instruments, then the Heavenly Book Two or the Tai Yin Moon Essence, as Zhang Hui was, corresponded to the Five Elements of Creation.

Within it was contained the myriad phenomena of the world.

Lei Jun nodded slightly at Zhang Hui and then asked, "Have you ever perused the third page of the Heavenly Book?"

Zhang Hui replied, "Master misunderstood, this is to celebrate your ascension."

Lei Jun said, "Mr. Zhang need not worry, this poor Daoist acts in accordance with the heavens and the will of the people."

Above his head, light also shimmered, revealing the Heavenly Book Three.

Zhang Hui bowed, "Master's calm and peaceful heart is the realm I aspire to reach."

Zhang Hui could sense the guidance and pointers that Lei Jun was imparting, and he thanked him.

Meng Shaojie was not surprised by the Heavenly Books that appeared above the two of them, but he took his leave.

Lei Jun stopped him, indicating that there was no need to avoid suspicion, and that he could observe without restraint.

Gazing at these two dear friends, the Heavenly Master Lei could not help but marvel at the wondrous workings of fate, which were truly beyond measure.

Zhang Hui, in the universe of the Heavenly Book, was the holder of the Heavenly Book Two, the Tai Yin Moon Essence.

Meng Shaojie, on the other hand, was the second person to receive the favor of the dark side of Lei Jun's Heavenly Book, the Hidden Star Ji Du of the Yin Shadow.

Coincidentally, it was the opposing star of the Tai Yin Moon Essence.

As if there was an unseen heavenly will at play.

However, their current situations were reversed. Meng Shaojie continued to read extensively and travel far and wide, living under the sunshine as he always had.

On the contrary, Zhang Hui had become a "black-listed person", living in the shadows and avoiding the attention of others.

Lei Jun harbored these thoughts, but his expression remained unchanged as he entertained the two of them.

During this time, news arrived from the Tian Li gateway in the east.

Lei Jun perused it, his expression unchanged.

He glanced at Zhang Hui and Meng Shaojie, and then calmly said, "The Tian Li of the Nine Heavens has changed hands."

Zhang Hui and Meng Shaojie were astonished.

Lei Jun continued, "The Tian Li Xiao Ming Court could not withstand the pressure from our Master Xu, Master Tang, and my master, as well as other Daoist friends from the Great Tang. They have retreated back to the human realm of the Great Ming."

Before Zhang Hui and the others, Lei Jun, the Heavenly Master, remained calm and indifferent.

In his heart, however, he marveled, "As expected of you, or should I say, as expected of you."

It was obvious to anyone with a brain that this was Master Xu Yuanzhen's doing.

With the Great Ming Empire's withdrawal, the pressure on Tian Li was reduced by half.

But the pressure exerted by the Great Tang surged, and with Master Xu possibly moderating her actions, they ended up pushing the Tian Li Xiao Ming Court back to the human realm of the Great Ming.

PS: 6k for 3 chapters, a little shorter today, please forgive me.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end