Chapter 396: 395. The Separation of the Immortal and Mortal Realms (Part 1)

Chapter 396: 395. The Separation of the Immortal and Mortal Realms (Part 1)



Compared to the dark and mysterious Xuanling Qi, the newly born Danling Sanqi was graceful and vibrant, like the essence of all things in the universe refined and purified.

Lei Jun continued to sit cross-legged, not stopping his cultivation.

The heavenly furnace transformed by the Great Vehicle Dao Scene continued to refine everything within the Xuanhuang Universe.

And from this, the Danling Sanqi became even more graceful and spread out over a wide area.

When the Danling Sanqi spread to a certain extent, under Lei Jun's mental control, these graceful currents came to a halt.

Then, using the Danling Sanqi as raw material, Lei Jun continued to refine it with the heavenly furnace transformed by the Great Vehicle Dao Scene.

Gradually, the spreading currents regrouped and began to manifest even more dazzling brilliance.

The brilliance displayed purple, gold, and cyan colors, constantly flowing and intertwining.

It seemed as if all the essence of the world was contained within it.

As the brilliance stabilized, it appeared like a magnificent cloud of smoke and mist.

This was called the "Three Lights Smoke and Mist."

It was a mysterious art of preserving the essence of objects, achieved by a Great Vehicle High True of the Talisman Seal Sect's Nine Heavens after reaching the second level of the Nine Heavens realm, using the Danling Sanqi as a foundation for cultivation.

Any techniques used by external enemies within the Nine Heavens cultivator's Great Vehicle Dao Scene would mostly be preserved by the Three Lights Smoke and Mist.

Although it could only be maintained for a short time and was limited to the Great Vehicle Dao Scene, it often yielded remarkable results in actual combat.

Of course, this technique was not just for combat.

For cultivators, the foundation of all techniques lay in their personal cultivation.

During daily practice, the ability of the Three Lights Smoke and Mist to preserve the essence of objects benefited cultivators in revisiting and comprehending the exquisite nature of the universe.

At this moment, Lei Jun continuously refined the Danling Sanqi into the Three Lights Smoke and Mist, then carefully contemplated it.

His Three Lights Smoke and Mist was also somewhat different from that of others.

As the Three Lights Smoke and Mist flowed, it seemed to contain another layer of profound mysteries within its depths.

As Lei Jun sat cross-legged, within the Xuanhuang Universe, currents began to gather and gradually formed a Taiji diagram, standing upright behind him.

The Taiji diagram quietly turned, displaying the transformation of yin and yang.

The Three Lights Smoke and Mist gradually concentrated on one end.

Among them, a trace of mysterious invisible existence seemed to be peeled away and landed on the other end of the yin and yang.

The invisible power gathered on a large scale and gradually turned into a tangible form.

In contrast to the brilliant and graceful Three Lights Smoke and Mist, the opposing force appeared condensed and dark, displaying a grayish-white color.

And the power and intent within it were similar to the bright yellow Yuanji Magnetic Sea in Lei Jun's former Shenting Universe, but even more refined.

"It's taking shape, but I need to contemplate it further," Lei Jun said, nodding slightly as he sat cross-legged.

At the first level of the Nine Heavens realm, he cultivated the Xuanling Qi and achieved not only the Xuan Dark Dust, which all other Great Vehicle High Trues of the Talisman Seal Sect had refined, but also the profound Nine Heavens Heart Thunder.

These two were mutually generative and complementary, corresponding to Lei Jun's previous achievement of natural enlightenment by reaching the utmost heights and depths, and with the assistance of the Two Extremes Immortal Body, he ultimately achieved two profound mystical arts.

Now, at the second level of the Nine Heavens realm, the corresponding conditions no longer applied.

However, unexpectedly, his efforts bore fruit.

The Danling Sanqi, with its ability to preserve the essence of objects, captured the instant brilliance of the Three Lights Smoke and Mist.

And the corresponding phenomenon was an instantaneous extreme eruption.

But such an eruption was inseparable from the constant silent nurturing during daily cultivation.

This state of mind was in harmony with Lei Jun's Two Extremes Heavenly Yuan Talisman.

The Danling Sanqi itself was a result of refining the cultivator's Great Vehicle Dao Scene into a heavenly furnace, constantly refining their knowledge and the spiritual nature of all things.

During Lei Jun's refinement process, he inevitably infused a large amount of yuan magnetic power.

Thus, building upon the dual foundation of his Two Extremes Immortal Body and natural enlightenment, he silently refined the Danling Sanqi with the principles and intents related to yuan magnetism, gradually transforming it into a completely new and profound art that corresponded with the Three Lights Smoke and Mist.

However, compared to the perfect harmony between the Xuan Dark Dust, the Nine Heavens Heart Thunder, and the utmost heights and depths at the first level of the Nine Heavens, the changes at the second level required Lei Jun to spend more time carefully contemplating and continuously experimenting before he could finally shape it.

He was thoroughly immersed in this process.

For Lei Daochang, this was one of the greatest joys of the path of cultivation.

As time passed, Lei Jun accumulated more and more Xuanling Qi and Danling Sanqi, making them increasingly dense.

The refined Three Lights Smoke and Mist became more and more profound and subtle, gradually reaching the point where it could be controlled at will, manifesting with a single thought.

And the corresponding profound phenomenon gradually took shape, becoming more and more complete and refined.

During this cultivation period, Lei Jun also took out two other treasures.

One was the Guangmo Sword, the heirloom treasure of the Great Unity Lin Clan.

The other was the Hanhai Sword, the heirloom treasure of the Great Unity Xiao Clan.

Both were Confucian famous swords, refined by the two great clans of the Great Unity with a large amount of heavenly materials and treasures, manpower and resources, and the blood and sweat of countless generations.

In terms of quality, they were not inferior to the Solitary Sword and the Sword of Righteousness passed down by the Lin Clan and the Xiao Clan outside of the Great Tang, respectively.

However, due to the differences between Confucian scholarly swordsmen and the martial swordsmen and Daoist sword-controlling cultivators, the Guangmo Sword and the Hanhai Sword had different focuses compared to the Mountain River Sword, the Celestial Master Sword, and the Purple-Green Twin Swords.

Although Lei Jun's previous use of the Guangmo Sword and the Hanhai Sword to perform the Yuan Magnetic Flying Sword was also powerful, it caused significant damage to the swords themselves.

Therefore, he intended to refine these two treasures once again.

Lei Jun sat cross-legged, and the two swords with an ancient style hovered quietly in mid-air.

One of the swords had a blade that was completely black, emitting a dim light, but its coldness was piercing. This was the Guangmo Sword, and occasionally, a cold light would flash within the blade, turning the black sword transparent like ice and snow, as if a world was contained within, filled with icy landscapes.

The other sword had a relatively wide blade, glowing with a bright yellow light, exuding a scorching and violent aura. It was the Hanhai Sword, and its sword intent seemed to carry the mighty winds of the great desert.

The two Confucian famous swords seemed to be in a confrontational stance, their auras clashing.

After observing for a moment, Lei Jun's body was surrounded by surging lightning.

The lightning split into two colors.

One side was pitch-black.

The other, a radiant gold.

As the Xuanxiao Five Thunder Falu and Shenxiao Pure Yang Falu circulated, the gloomy Xuanxiao Immortal Lightning and the scorching Pure Yang Immortal Lightning were born together.

Then, the two types of divine lightning, one yin and one yang, began to progress sequentially, refining the Guangmo Sword and the Hanhai Sword respectively.

Xuanxiao Immortal Lightning was used to nurture and temper the Guangmo Sword.

Pure Yang Immortal Lightning, on the other hand, was employed to nurture and temper the Hanhai Sword.

The two renowned Confucian swords trembled in unison, expressing their resistance.

However, Lei Jun remained patient.

Under his manipulation of spiritual power, black and golden talismans gradually emerged on the surfaces of the two swords as time passed, seemingly engraved upon them.

Building upon this, Lei Jun further condensed four pairs of Two Extremities Heavenly Origin Falu, generating a vast amount of Primordial Magnetic Force to nurture the two swords.

He employed the yin lightning to nourish the Guangmo Sword and the yang lightning to nourish the Hanhai Sword, augmenting their respective might. This approach differed from the conventional method of seeking a balance between yin and yang.

After all, the way he intended to wield these two renowned swords was unlike that of the orthodox Nine Heavens Great Confucians...

In a sense, if these two Confucian swords were considered living beings, then Lei Jun, the Celestial Master, was putting them through a unique and intense training regimen.

The Celestial Master Sword, passed down by the elders of the Celestial Master Mansion, was also meant to generate sword light for combat, rather than relying solely on its physical form for slashing and cutting.

However, when wielded by Lei Jun, the effectiveness of the Primordial Magnetic Flying Sword might not necessarily improve, but its ability to withstand pressure and its overall performance far surpassed those of the Guangmo Sword and the Hanhai Sword.

The most crucial reason for this was that, over the years, the Celestial Master Sword had been imbued with the Nine Heavens Divine Lightning while also being tempered by it.

Subsequently, when the Celestial Master Sword was nurtured by Lei Jun using the Primordial Magnetic Force, the process became much smoother compared to that of the Guangmo Sword and the Hanhai Sword.

At the moment, Lei Jun was simply following a proven approach.

However, taking into account the unique characteristics of each sword, Celestial Master Lei Jun chose to refine them further using the Xuanxiao Immortal Lightning and the Pure Yang Immortal Lightning respectively.

For the time being, the endeavor had gotten off to a promising start.

Nonetheless, this was not something that could be accomplished overnight.

In the days to come, this process would be carried out consistently and persistently.

However, as the Guangmo Sword and the Hanhai Sword were imbued with his distinctive style and utilized in this manner, some Great Confucians might deem it a waste of precious treasures if they were to find out...

At this moment, a Confucian scholar had arrived at the Celestial Master Mansion on Dragon and Tiger Mountain, seeking an audience with Celestial Master Lei Jun.

The visitor went by the name of Ling Hui. With a refined and elegant demeanor, he appeared to be around thirty years old, although his actual age was much older. Lei Jun was familiar with this individual, as he was one of the talents that had emerged during Empress Zhang Wantong's establishment of the Imperial College.

Although he did not possess the same breathtaking genius as Meng Shaojie, both Xiao Chunhui and Fang Yue, the successive Grand Sacrificers of the Imperial College, held Ling Hui in high regard.

It had been over forty years since the establishment of the Imperial College.

During this period, the talented students who had graduated from the college had begun to make their mark in the Tang court, showcasing the capabilities of a new generation and becoming an indispensable force in the imperial court.

Even after Xiao Chunhui's departure, these students from humble backgrounds continued to rise steadily, gradually approaching the core of the imperial court and eventually becoming a part of it.

Moreover, their numbers were increasing, and more and more exceptional individuals were emerging from their ranks.

As far as Lei Jun knew, apart from Meng Shaojie, who had chosen to venture out into the world, the two most outstanding graduates of the Imperial College at present were Song Hang, who had officially taken over Xiao Chunhui's position, and Ling Hui, who stood before him.

"I apologize for my boldness in seeking an audience with you, Celestial Master. I hope you will forgive me," Ling Hui said as he greeted Lei Jun with respect.

Lei Jun replied, "Ling Xiushi, your humility is unnecessary. There is no need for such formalities."

After expressing his gratitude to Lei Jun, Ling Hui stated his purpose for the visit, "I have been ordered by the Empress to go to Datong to assist Elders Chu and Zhang of your sect in managing the mundane affairs there. However, due to my youth and inexperience, I fear that my thoughts may be inadequate. Thus, I have taken the liberty of disturbing you, Celestial Master, to seek your guidance."

Lei Jun responded, "Ling Xiushi, your words are too kind. Indeed, many of our sect's disciples and followers travel between the Tang Dynasty and Datong. However, I have no intention of unifying the Five Kingdoms and Sixteen Kingdoms of Datong into a single entity. As you have been entrusted by the Empress to govern that region, I only ask that you show leniency and compassion toward the people."

Ling Hui assured, "I will keep the Celestial Master's teachings in mind."

Given the current situation in Datong, if the Celestial Master Mansion had no intention of unifying the Five Kingdoms and Sixteen Kingdoms into one, it would essentially be impossible for the Sixteen Kingdoms of Datong to become a part of the Tang Dynasty.

This decision came as a surprise to some.

As Ling Hui descended the mountain and reached the foot of Dragon and Tiger Mountain, he paused and looked back at the mountain.

The peaceful and indifferent expression on the Celestial Master's face concealed his thoughts, making it difficult to fathom his true intentions.

Perhaps it was simply because the Taoists valued non-intervention.

Or perhaps there was another reason.

Ling Hui had no way of knowing for sure.

However, he was certain that he would need to heed Lei Jun's words during his time in Datong.

This approach might lead to a more relaxed and less centralized Datong.

Common sense dictated that this would not be conducive to maintaining stability in Datong, especially with the Han human realm still looming in the background.

Fortunately, Datong was not only successively presided over by Lei Jun and Shangguan Yunbo, but it also had Xu Yuanzhen, who was present in the Han human realm.

Aside from her startling appearance at the Han Dragon and Tiger Mountain Celestial Master Mansion, which had caused them to seal off their mountain, Xu Yuanzhen had not caused any other major disturbances during this period.

As a result, the Han Dynasty turned a blind eye to her presence.

At least she wasn't like Celestial Master Lei Jun and Grand Preceptor Tang Xiaotang, who were constantly causing a ruckus...

With this, the Han Dynasty naturally wouldn't dare to harbor any designs on Datong.

As long as everyone exercised restraint, peace could be maintained.

On the other hand, Ling Hui, who was affiliated with the Tang Dynasty, couldn't help but feel a sense of trepidation when he thought of Xu Yuanzhen, the immortal from the Celestial Master Mansion.

Overall, her reputation had been growing in recent years.

However, compared to Lei Jun and Tang Xiaotang, who were constantly present in the Tang human realm, Xu Yuanzhen's fame seemed somewhat illusory.

But even after roughly piecing together her actions over the years, Ling Hui still felt a sense of awe:

The destruction of the Lin Clan's ancestral land in Youzhou.

The challenge issued to Ye Moquan, the elder of the Ye Clan in Jinzhou.

The encirclement and suppression of Huang Xuanpu, the Emperor of the Human Realm of Guocountry.

The opening of the spatial gateway connecting the Tang human realm to Penglai.

And later, the creation of a passage between the human realm of the Ming Dynasty and Guicang, effectively dooming the small Ming court in Guicang...

As he reflected on these events, Ling Hui couldn't shake the feeling that Xu Yuanzhen, the Immortal Guardian of Xuantian Guangmiao, always made a startling move when she acted, and the longer she remained quiet, the more unsettling it felt.

The source of unease was that, at any given moment, the other party might suddenly make a drastic move...

Aside from Ling Hui, who went to pay his respects at Dragon Tiger Mountain before assuming his post in Datong, there were others who had recently arrived in and departed from the Great Tang.

The esteemed elders of the Han Shu Mountain Sect, He Yuhang, and the esteemed elders of the Han Pure Yang Palace, Zhao Haoran, along with their respective disciples, were preparing to embark on their journey back to the Han human realm after concluding their sojourn in the Great Tang.

In contrast to them, the high monks of the Han Putuo Temple and the Han Hanging Temple remained relatively serene.

He Yuhang, Zhao Haoran, Wang Jianan, and the other Daoists experienced a melange of emotions.

In a private meeting, He Yuhang of the Shu Mountain Sect conferred with Zhao Haoran of the Pure Yang Palace, his curiosity getting the better of him. He inquired, "Brother Zhao, while you were at the Pure Yang Palace in the Great Tang, did you happen to see... did you see..."

His words trailed off, but Zhao Haoran seemed to intuit his inquiry.

Very few things could elicit such a reaction from He Yuhang.

"Our sect's branch in the Great Tang also has a decree to pay homage to the Dragon Tiger Mountain Heavenly Master's Mansion," Zhao Haoran replied in a hushed tone.

Upon hearing this, He Yuhang drew a deep breath and fell into a contemplative silence.

Zhao Haoran, too, remained silent, allowing his words to sink in.

The Dragon Tiger Mountain Heavenly Master's Mansion, a branch of the Talisman Sect, reigned as the paramount leader of the Daoist sects in the Great Tang human realm.

This leadership was acknowledged and respected by both the Shu Mountain Sect and the Pure Yang Palace of the Great Tang.

"Whether it's our sect's branch here or your sect's presence in the Great Tang, both have endured the so-called 'Human Daoist Country' upheaval," Zhao Haoran spoke after a lengthy pause.

He Yuhang nodded slightly, "You're right, Brother Zhao. I've been feeling a bit..." He sighed, his thoughts lingering on the matter.

Zhao Haoran continued, "Regarding the issue of the Human Daoist Country, although there are no apparent indications of it in the Han Dynasty, we must still conduct a thorough investigation upon our return."

He Yuhang nodded gently, his eyes reflecting a myriad of unspoken thoughts.

The Han Dragon Tiger Mountain branch was itself an ancient Talisman Sect and had always held a dominant position.

This made it challenging for the Human Daoist Country to gain a foothold in the Han human realm.

However, nothing in this world is absolute.

The unexpected seclusion of the Han Dragon Tiger Mountain branch, where the entire sect retreated into seclusion and vanished from the Han human realm, had captured the attention of Zhao Haoran, He Yuhang, and other influential figures.

"However, from what I gather, although the Dragon Tiger Mountain Heavenly Master's Mansion in the Great Tang is formidable, they do not exert oppressive rule," He Yuhang exhaled slowly, his tone measured.

"Although our sect's branch here encountered a significant setback in the past, it is gradually recuperating, and the Dragon Tiger Mountain branch in the Great Tang has extended their aid," Zhao Haoran nodded slightly, acknowledging the support they had received.

"You are right, Brother He," He Yuhang concurred.

The Han group traversed the void portal beneath Xu Kong Mountain in Lu City, Shangzhou, passing through Datong on their journey back to the Han human realm.

To avoid arousing suspicion, they did not linger in Datong and refrained from asking questions or exploring the city. They hurried through, maintaining a low profile.

Both the Heavenly Master's Mansion and the Great Tang Dynasty assigned dedicated personnel to guide and bid farewell to the Han group.

"Please come this way, esteemed elders," said Qin Cawei, the elder from the Dragon Tiger Mountain Heavenly Master's Mansion tasked with overseeing their departure.

While she was more accustomed to tending to spiritual plants than entertaining guests, she had undergone the necessary etiquette training at the mansion, learning how to receive and send off visitors with propriety.

However, unbeknownst to others, Elder Qin of the Heavenly Master's Mansion felt a twinge of guilt in that moment.

"Thank you, Daoist Qin," He Yuhang, the esteemed elder of the Shu Mountain Sect, expressed his gratitude with utmost courtesy.

Qin Cawei replied, "Elder He, your kindness exceeds my worth. I am humbled by your praise."

Her gaze briefly rested on the sword hanging at He Yuhang's waist, her expression calm.

The sword, named 'Kaming', was He Yuhang's life-bound magic treasure.

However, as He Yuhang channeled his spiritual energy into the sword, neither he nor the other cultivators, including Zhao Haoran, noticed that the sword within its sheath had momentarily glowed with a bright light, only to swiftly fade back into obscurity.

The magic treasure within the sword sheath gave no other indication of its presence, as if nothing out of the ordinary had occurred.

Qin Cawei lowered her eyebrows, her guilt weighing on her.

The group swiftly passed through the void portal connecting Datong and the Han human realm, returning to the Han Dynasty without incident.

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

In the human realm of the Great Tang, at the Dragon Tiger Mountain Heavenly Master's Mansion...

Once again, visitors sought an audience with the Heavenly Master, Lei Jun.

The visitors included prominent figures renowned throughout the Great Tang.

Among them was Nie Fang, who had relatively less experience but had successfully broken through to the Seventh Heaven realm that year, attaining the Upper Three Heavens cultivation base.

As far as Lei Jun knew, Nie Fang was working on crafting a new Yanshi puppet to assist him in his breakthrough to the Seventh Heaven.

His primary Yanshi puppet had sustained severe damage during a battle at the Middle Three Heavens.

However, Nie Fang played down the incident, collecting the remnants of the damaged puppet and gathering various refining materials to pursue further insights and experiments.

The Xuanji Pavilion had also risen to fame within and beyond the borders of the Great Tang, expanding in scale and attracting a growing number of disciples.

Although it could not yet rival the three major Daoist sacred sites—the Heavenly Master's Mansion, the Pure Yang Palace, and the Shu Mountain Sect—the Xuanji Pavilion had been gaining momentum in recent years, capturing the attention of various factions.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end