https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-416-The-True-Might-of-the-Head-of-the-Xuan-Sect-Part-2-/12600457/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-417-The-Heavenly-Master-Takes-Control-of-Penglai-Part-2-/12602005/
Chapter 417: The Heavenly Master Takes Control of Penglai (Part 1)
Chapter 417: The Heavenly Master Takes Control of Penglai (Part 1)
Bridges, which connect the earthly realm to the divine, are the primary means of cultivation for the Taoist Fulu School.
Communication with the natural world has always been the main path of cultivation for Fulu School Taoists.
Upon reaching the perfection of Five Qi Converging to the Mysterious, one can build the Bridge to the Profound, symbolizing the establishment of a bridge between the Cave God and Cave Profound realms.
Once the Bridge to the Profound is achieved, ascending it marks that the cultivator is just half a step away from the Cave Profound realm, greatly aiding their further advancement.
Therefore, it is often said that among all the cultivation paths in the world, aside from the Confucian School of Scholarship's Nine Heavens and five layers of perfection, allowing one to rise effortlessly to the heavens, the easiest path to the celestial realm above the Nine Heavens is the Fulu School's Nine Heavens and the perfection of the Bridge to the Profound.
Naturally, achieving the celestial realm is difficult. Even for the exceptional scholars of the Confucian School and the high cultivators of the Taoist School, opening the gates to immortality and ascending to sainthood remains a rare feat.
However, taking that final step towards greatness has always been the most challenging. Thus, gaining a half-step advantage is already a significant boost.
In terms of combat, the completion of the Bridge to the Profound further enhances the Fulu School cultivator's communication with the natural world, resulting in smaller spellcasting consumption and more potent mystical powers.
The spellcasting of Fulu School Taoists is often closely tied to their surrounding environment.
Those who have achieved the External God's Court and higher realms of cultivation are no longer constrained by these difficulties when residing within their own God's Court universe or Grand Dao Realm.
However, whether it is the expansion of their God's Court universe or the external projection of their Grand Dao Realm, both exert a significant toll on the cultivator's spiritual energy and mental stamina.
Consequently, the external environment remains crucial for Fulu School cultivators.
When Lei Jun entered the Earthly Sea earlier, he expended great effort to dispel the black mist, benefiting not only his perception but also spellcasting for himself and other Fulu School cultivators like Tang Xiaotang.
In the Yellow Springs, due to the legacy of the Nine Springs Ascendant Pavilion and the true flames of the Nine Abyss passed down by the elders of the Heavenly Master's Mansion, such obstacles are fewer.
After a Fulu School Taoist achieves the Bridge to the Profound, such concerns are no longer a significant hindrance.
With the Bridge to the Profound, the Grand Dao high cultivators of the Fulu School can conveniently draw upon the natural world regardless of their location.
"I'm actually more curious about your movement techniques and evasive abilities when you eventually reach the Five Qi Converging to the Mysterious stage." Xu Yuanzhen said casually.
"I'm quite interested in that as well, but I suspect it will still require considerable effort." Lei Jun replied.
Upon reaching the pinnacle of the Nine Heavens in the five major Taoist sects, one can, to a certain extent, make up for some of their shortcomings in actual combat.
Not all shortcomings will be eliminated, but improvements and enhancements are definite.
With the Dan Ding Sect's Five Qi Converging to the Origin, the constraint of the Grand Yuan Dan's fixed position is overcome, and the Danxia Primal Light enhances their attacks' lethality, reach, and area of effect.
The cultivators of the Forge Artifact Sect gain the bodies of scattered immortals upon reaching the Five Qi Converging to the Immortal stage, also known as the Small Immortality. Besides enhancing their understanding of time and space, it also greatly increases the resilience of their already agile immortal souls.
In addition to improving the Fulu School cultivators' communication with the natural world and reducing their spellcasting consumption, the Bridge to the Profound also enhances their agility, connecting them to the heavens, underworld, sun, and moon. By ascending the bridge, they can traverse the four directions with greater speed and agility.
From an observer's perspective, it appears as though the Fulu School cultivator's speed and evasive abilities have significantly improved.
In truth, the cultivator's body undergoes transformations as they ascend and descend the bridge, blending reality and illusion. If an opponent fails to grasp the fluctuations between reality and illusion, their attacks against the Fulu School cultivator often miss their mark.
Lei Jun's prowess in movement techniques and evasive abilities is already unparalleled among the current generation of the Dragon Tiger Mountain lineage in the Great Tang, surpassing even the average of martial arts masters at the same cultivation level.
Hence, Xu Yuanzhen anticipated that Lei Jun's further enhancement in these areas upon ascending the Bridge to the Profound would propel him to even greater heights.
"Regardless, we should congratulate Senior Sister. With the completion of the Bridge to the Profound, the celestial realm is within her grasp." Lei Jun spoke.
"It's fine for now. The biggest advantage is that it will facilitate my investigation into why Zhang Wantong has slowed down and why those ancient immortals have remained dormant," Xu Yuanzhen said.
"So, have you found anything?" Lei Jun asked.
"Their prolonged dormancy is related to the current human realm's divergence into different historical timelines. As for Zhang Wantong, the reason doesn't seem to lie within herself, and she has always been secretive about many things, not just one or two," Xu Yuanzhen replied.
Her speech was as rapid as ever: "However, from what you've said, the opponent she encountered doesn't seem ordinary either."
"According to Her Majesty the Empress, there might be a connection with Kunlun," Lei Jun said.
Xu Yuanzhen nodded: "Yeah, Kunlun is quite an interesting place."
"The secrets that Luo Shixiong's disciple, Hua Wei, holds, and the situation in the Great Han's Dragon Tiger Mountain might be related to Kunlun as well. From what we can tell, Kunlun might be the place where the most traces of our Taoist lineage remained after the Great Han dynasty's end, and there might even be an unbroken lineage extending to the present day," Lei Jun analyzed.
Commonly, it is said that among the Nine Heavens and Ten Earthly Realms, the Taoist cultivators of old controlled three places: Kunlun, Penglai, and Yellow Springs.
However, the Shu Mountain lineage in the Yellow Springs is, to a certain extent, a branch that diverged during the end of the Great Han dynasty, just like the Shu Mountain Sect in the Great Tang, the Shu Mountain Sect in the Great Ming, and the Shu Mountain Sect in the Great Han.
As for Penglai, it is mostly ruins that have only been entered in the last one or two hundred years by Huang Xuanpu, Han Qingtao, and others.
Furthermore, upon careful inspection by Lei Jun and Xu Yuanzhen, they discovered that a significant proportion of the relics in Penglai belonged to the Ancient Celestial Palace.
"We'll pay our respects to Her Majesty again upon her return to the human realm, and inquire about one or two things," Lei Jun said.
Xu Yuanzhen nodded nonchalantly.
"As for Senior Sister encountering that person, is it something we need to worry about..." Lei Jun pondered, not feeling particularly anxious.
Emperor Zhang Wantong was not entirely reliable in certain aspects.
However, if the matter concerning Tang Xiaotang was truly of great importance, she wouldn't have been so vague in her remarks.
Unless, she truly felt that the Great Tang Dragon Tiger Mountain had already become too powerful and needed to be restrained and guarded against.
But the problem is...
She doesn't value the Zhang-Tang dynasty nearly as much as the world thinks.
Lei Jun has gradually come to understand this in recent years.
On the one hand, her ascension to the throne was a result of circumstance and opportunity. On the other hand, rather than saying she herself desired that position, it's more accurate to say that she didn't want certain other people to attain it.
This mentality is somewhat similar to that of Master Sister Xu Yuanzhen when the position of Heavenly Master was vacant.
The two of them may have some common ground in this regard.
However, on the surface, they don't seem to be on good terms.
As for the Emperor's previous mention of Tang Xiaotang, her tone sounded more like a casual reminder than a warning or alert.
If it were Master Sister, she might not even bother to mention it, waiting instead with schadenfreude...
As expected, when Lei Jun mentioned this matter, Master Sister Xu Yuanzhen remained nonchalant: "If Xiaotang is unhappy, she can just strike out. At most, she won't be able to land a hit."
Lei Jun smiled at her words.
Tang Xiaotang's temper flares up and passes quickly.
If we're being strict, over the many years, there has actually only been one thing that has affected her state of mind.
It was when the previous Heavenly Master, Li Qingfeng, remained in seclusion for many years, causing Tang Xiaotang, as the incumbent Grand Master, to wait for over a decade, missing out on several initiations, and thus unable to become a true disciple of the Heavenly Master.
The matter was only put to rest when she directly became the Heavenly Master herself.
As for the subsequent events, there's nothing that a good battle can't resolve.
If it can't be resolved with one battle, then we'll have another.
Perhaps due to reading too many of those books from Blue Star before coming to this world, Lei Jun's thoughts began to wander in other directions.
There's nothing special about Tang Xiaotang's family background, otherwise Master Sister Xu would have brought it up by now.
It's simply a case of a golden phoenix rising from a humble village.
With a massive population base and a long history, such a thing isn't really that unusual.
As for the suggestion that there might be another person in this world who is also named Tang Xiaotang, or that Tang Xiaotang might be someone's reincarnation or avatar, there's no need for an in-depth investigation. It's something that Emperor Zhang Wantong can just directly say if it's true.
As for her cultivation physique, Tang Xiaotang has already achieved the Tai Chu Dao Ti, so if anyone's path is to be blocked, it's her blocking theirs.
Lei Jun considered a few other possibilities before dismissing them one by one.
He felt that there was no need to overcomplicate things: "Master Sister, what do you think is Little Sister's most proud accomplishment?"
Xu Yuanzhen: "Diligent in all four aspects, and discerning in the five grains."
Lei Jun: "...Even purely in terms of cultivation, Little Sister is still diligent in all four aspects, and discerning in the five grains."
Xu Yuanzhen: "Just remind her, and let her handle the rest herself."
The reaction of the Grand Master of Great Tang herself to this news was: "Unstable state of mind? What do you mean my state of mind is unstable?"
Compared to that, Tang Xiaotang was more perplexed, with a mix of excitement and eagerness.
Emperor Zhang Wantong's words had successfully piqued Tang Xiaotang's curiosity.
However, her inability to defeat Li Yuanheng and the close call with the ambush of the Great Wu of Kong Sang had affected her too deeply.
Thus, even though she was intrigued, Tang Xiaotang remained in that foreign khanate's mortal realm, not leaving just yet.
"Found some things from the Kong Sang Wu clan, so I'm sending Bao Bao back with them to show you guys." Tang Xiaotang sent Zhuo Bao Jie back to Great Tang.
Zhuo Bao Jie was sent by Lei Jun's order to deliver the Heavenly Master Sword and Robe.
The latter was fine, but she was very pleased with the former.
Lei Jun's Upper Clarity Immortal Bamboo was good, but she still felt more comfortable with the Heavenly Master Sword.
Although there were no battles at Lei Jun's side for the moment, Tang Xiaotang still instructed Zhuo Bao Jie to bring the Upper Clarity Immortal Bamboo and the Tai Qing Ba Xiao back to Lei Jun.
Lei Jun, who was in Penglai, later also received the items that Tang Xiaotang mentioned from the Kong Sang Wu clan.
They were bone-like objects crafted into a bottle-like shape, appearing as white as jade, and simultaneously exuding a charmingly graceful yet sinister aura.
Lei Jun pondered over their true nature with his own magical powers, falling into deep thought: "Tianjing, Didu..."
The Great Wu within Kong Sang were similar to the Jiuhai Juli people, not limited to the five lineages of the Wu clan, but instead forming two factions, with two peaks standing side by side, one called Tianjing and the other called Didu.
Within Tianjing and Didu, there were cultivators who practiced different Wu clan legacies, and the opposition between the two sides was rather severe.
The Great Wu who had ambushed Tang Xiaotang came from Didu, but the specific reason was unclear.
Tang Xiaotang's violent outburst had instantly killed a swath of Wu clan cultivators, leaving no survivors.
At the moment, it was also difficult to judge whether there were existences similar to the Xumi Shan Wisdom Honored Elder, or the great demon in the Guiyu like the one Lei Jun had encountered.
"But... Why do these Wu clan legacies seem somewhat familiar?" Lei Jun recalled.
He remembered Tan Muwei, the Great Wu he had captured back in the Great Han mortal realm.
Over time and through evolution, similar legacies like the Heavenly Master Mansion and the Yellow Heavens Dao may have the same roots, but they gradually began to exhibit subtle differences.
The same was true for the Wu clan legacies.
The shamanic arts of the Jiuhai Juli Great Wu were quite different from those of the Nanhuang Wu clan in the South Wildlands of Great Tang.
Their shamanic energies would also be distinguishable from those of the Kong Sang Great Wu.
Even the Wu clan cultivators who had previously been active in the foreign khanate's mortal realm had legacies that didn't completely align with those of the Kong Sang Great Wu.
However, Lei Jun vaguely felt that the shamanic arts of Tan Muwei, the Great Wu he had captured in the Great Han mortal realm, were very similar to those of the Kong Sang Wu clan.
With the clues from the Kunwu Witches, Lei Jun still couldn't determine which faction Tan Mu favored between the Celestial Capital and the Earthly Capital.
However, it was clear that Tan Mu had some connection to Kunwu.
In other words, the Kunwu Witches had made contact with the Han Dynasty's mortal realm.
The witch sect in the Han Dynasty's mortal realm appeared to be in decline, as the Southern Wasteland was occupied by the Great Empty Temple. But Lei Jun suspected there was more to it, and now, Tan Mu's link to Kunwu further reinforced this suspicion.
"When I have the time, I should pay a visit to the Han Dynasty's mortal realm," Lei Jun mused.
For now, he continued to unravel the mysteries of Penglai.
The inner regions of Penglai were veiled in mist and underwent constant changes.
Even Huang Xuanpu and Han Qingtao, who had arrived earlier, hadn't had the opportunity to explore every inch of this vast sea. They could only search for them one by one.
As Lei Jun took control of Penglai, he, too, needed to slowly make sense of everything.
On the side of the Mountain Gate Ancestral Hall, Yuan Mobai had returned to the Mountain Gate to oversee matters after his trip to Bashu. Lin Shan led a group of elders and disciples from the mansion to Penglai to await Lei Jun and Xu Yuanzhen's instructions.
Ye Dongming and Li Miaozhen, who were already in Penglai, kept a low profile and seemed to be guests.
"The spiritual energy of Penglai is richer compared to the mortal realm, especially for our Taoist disciples," Lei Jun said as he instructed Lin Shan. "The disciples of the mansion can take turns coming here. Although the Nine Heavens are not as dangerous as the Ten Lands, the young disciples must not let their guard down. Treat it as a preliminary selection process and proceed with caution."
"I will obey the Master's order," Lin Shan replied.
The members of the Tian Shi Fu cultivated while also following their master's instructions, sorting through the relics and immortal islands of Penglai.
The people of the Taoist country had laid the foundation beforehand.
Although their paths diverged, some practices could still be adopted by the Tian Shi Fu of Dragon Tiger Mountain, with only a fraction needing to be discarded or modified.
With Lei Jun and Xu Yuanzhen currently in Penglai, there was no need to worry about the young disciples coming into contact with the remnants of the mortal realm's Taoist country.
Zhuo Bao Jie also stayed in Penglai, attending to his master while quietly cultivating himself.
Lei Jun nurtured the Upper Clarity Jade Canopy Immortal Bamboo and the Grand Purity Eight Scenic Treasures once again and casually asked, "Has your Master Tang started cultivating the Sparkling Spirit Seven Qi?"
"Yes, Master. Master Tang has already begun cultivating the Sparkling Spirit Seven Qi," Zhuo Bao Jie replied.
Cultivating the Sparkling Spirit Seven Qi indicated that Tang Xiaotang's cultivation had reached the fourth layer of the Nine Heavens.
Theoretically, she should have attained this stage earlier than Xu Yuanzhen reached the fifth layer.
It was just that Elder Tang had previously been busy creating trouble for Li Yuanheng, which delayed her progress.
(End of Chapter)
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