Chapter 449: A Favor Granted

Chapter 449: A Favor Granted

"Sect Master Brother?" Li Wanqiu looked at Shen Xi in surprise.

Shen Xi remained calm. "I can no longer enter Penglai. The Tang Dynasty's Longhushan Celestial Master's Mansion has already deeply infiltrated it. If they truly intend to eradicate all traces of the ancient Fulu School's lineage, I believe they have the capability to track us down in this mortal realm. However, after the Penglai Incident, they haven't made any further moves."

Li Wanqiu fell into deep thought upon hearing this.

Shen Xi continued, "Perhaps it's because of the Wanfa Zongtan."

Li Wanqiu raised his head. "From the Northern Black Emperor to the later Western White Emperor and Southern Red Emperor, they have all once plotted against the Wanfa Zongtan and the Celestial Master's Seal of the Longhushan Celestial Master's Mansion, haven't they? But we haven't..."

Shen Xi said, "There have been related discussions between Central Yellow Emperor Yan Kejiji, White Emperor Han Qingtao, and Red Emperor Li Hang as well."

Although he wasn't clear on the specific details, Shen Xi could still speculate based on the remnants of Penglai. Regardless of whether it was the Human Realm Country or the restoration of the Celestial Palace, they would need either the Celestial Master's Seal or the Wanfa Zongtan to achieve great things.

He had no interest in getting involved in such matters, so he rarely participated in the later secret discussions between Yan Kejiji, Li Hang, and Han Qingtao.

Whether or not the Southern Jin Human Realm Country succeeded wasn't of great importance. As long as Gongsun Daoqi could maintain his life and the Southern Jin Shushan Sect could withstand the pressure from the Buddhist sects on both the northern and southern fronts, that would be enough.

However, the bad news was that the changes in Penglai had caused Gongsun Daoqi's injuries to relapse.

Li Wanqiu hesitated before speaking, "Sect Master Brother, do you think that the Longhushan Celestial Master's Mansion might have other plans and that's why they haven't caused trouble for us? Perhaps they are leaving us as bait, luring us into a trap? Or maybe they are wary of Xumi and Shabha and don't want to make big moves in our mortal realm?"

"It's not entirely impossible, but the chances are slim," Shen Xi replied.

He looked at Li Wanqiu and slowly said, "The Lin Clan of Jiangzhou in the alternate mortal realm linked to ours has been making frequent movements recently due to major shifts in the imperial court of that mortal realm. There are rumors going around that it involves celestial experts who existed before the end of the great Han dynasty, and the Longhu Mountain Celestial Master's Lineage of the Tang Dynasty holds considerable influence and is likely to emerge victorious, or at least be among the last ones standing."

Shen Xi had taken notice of the frequent activities of the Lin Clan of Jiangzhou, but his knowledge of the specifics was still limited at the moment.

However, just based on the information currently available, a breathtaking outline could already be drawn.

Hearing Shen Xi's words, Li Wanqiu's face turned pale with shock. "Does the Longhushan Celestial Master's Mansion of the Tang Dynasty have cultivators above the Nine Heavens now?"

"According to the current knowledge of the Lin Clan of Jiangzhou, they don't," Shen Xi replied.

Li Wanqiu was even more shocked. "This is really... truly..."

Even with the Penglai Incident, he still felt astonished and incredulous.

However, if the Longhushan Celestial Master's Mansion of the Tang Dynasty was indeed so powerful, then their lack of retaliation against the Southern Jin Human Realm Country seemed to indicate that they were indeed not interested in getting involved in such affairs.

This made Li Wanqiu and the others' previous worries seem unfounded.

Shen Xi said, "All of this is just speculation for now. The truth will only be known after I meet the current Celestial Master of Longhushan."

"Sect Master Brother, you speak reasonably," Li Wanqiu said, "but it's still somewhat risky for you to go there in person."

For many years, the Southern Jin Shushan Sect had been known as the One-Man Holy Land.

This was because Shen Xi stood alone at the top, while the others were mostly mediocre.

Of course, the actual situation wasn't as exaggerated as that.

Facing the pressure from the Buddhist sects on both the northern and southern fronts, the Southern Jin Shushan Sect had used the Southern Jin Human Realm Country to secretly hide a portion of their strength, including people like Gongsun Daoqi.

Only a fraction of their true power was revealed to the outside world.

Nevertheless, as the Southern Jin Shushan Sect's top cultivator and their only Nine Heavens Great Vehicle Golden Immortal, Shen Xi remained a pillar of support for the sect.

If something happened to Shen Xi, the Southern Jin Shushan Sect would not only lose half their lives but might also fall into a state of decline.

Given the current backdrop of the Two Jin Humans, even things that seemed certain required extra caution from Shen Xi and Li Wanqiu.

"Your concerns are valid, but we don't have much time to waste," Shen Xi said.

Gongsun Daoqi's condition was becoming increasingly unstable, and with the news of the frequent activities of the Lin Clan of Jiangzhou spreading, it was possible that people from other forces had also learned about it. This could lead to even more changes.

"Sect Master Brother..." Li Wanqiu hesitated for a moment before speaking softly, "Even if the Longhushan Celestial Master's Mansion lineage doesn't mind our sect cultivating the ancient Fulu School, they would, at most, turn a blind eye. They wouldn't support or encourage us to do so, let alone lend us a helping hand, right?"

Shen Xi remained silent, his expression unchanged.

Li Wanqiu's words struck at the heart of Shen Xi's greatest worry during this period, more so than his own safety on this journey.

However, even so, he had to make this trip.

"I'll go there and back quickly to avoid being summoned by the current emperor or having my intentions discovered by the monks of Xixi Tian," Shen Xi said as he bid farewell to Li Wanqiu and headed straight for Jiangzhou.

Upon arriving in Jiangzhou, Shen Xi kept a low profile to maintain secrecy. He concealed his figure, making himself almost invisible.

The spatial gateway was still some distance away from the Lin Clan's ancestral land. Once they left the ground of the Lin Clan's ancestral land, it would be difficult even for Lin Xiaoyi himself to detect Shen Xi, a cultivator with a higher level of training.

Shen Xi had no intention of fighting anyone. He concealed his presence, blending into the void as if he had melted into it.

He quietly passed through the spatial gateway, leaving the Two Jin Humans and heading for the Current Han Human Realm.

Shen Xi already knew that there was also a Shushan Sect in the Current Han Human Realm, thanks to his contact with the people of the Great Han Jiangzhou Lin Clan who had traveled to the Two Jin Humans.

However, he didn't have any extra time or energy to interact with the Shushan Sect of the Current Han at the moment.

On the side of the Two Jin Humans, he was operating in secret and couldn't afford to stay away for too long, nor did he want more people to know about his actions.

But Shen Xi didn't go straight to Longhushan either.

He went to observe the Bashu area of the Current Han Human Realm first.

As expected, after the Current Han Human Realm connected with the Tang Dynasty Human Realm, there had been frequent exchanges between the Shushan Sects of the two realms, in addition to the Longhushan Celestial Master's Mansion lineage.

Currently, there was a representative of the Shushan Sect of the Tang Dynasty in the Current Han Human Realm.

Xie Yiyi looked at the young Taoist priest in front of her, dressed similarly to her in plain cloth and straw sandals, with a hint of surprise. "I am Shen Xi, a cultivator of the Shushan Sect from the Southern Jin." Shen Xi introduced himself briefly.

Xie Yiyi had come to the Great Han Dynasty to investigate the fellow sect member who had borrowed the Purple Micro Sword previously.

Although the Shushan Sect of the Tang Dynasty suspected that it was their senior Chen Donglou, the sword had returned after the incident, but Chen Donglou himself had never reappeared.

Xie Yiyi had come to the Current Han to contact the Shushan Sect and investigate the matter, but she still hadn't found any concrete clues or evidence, leaving everyone perplexed.

It was at this moment that she suddenly encountered Shen Xi.

The person before her was undoubtedly a Taoist cultivator of the Nine Heavens Great Vehicle Golden Immortal level from the Taoist School of Alchemy, a direct descendant of the Shushan Sect.

As a cultivator of the sword, Xie Yiyi was especially perceptive.

Before her stood a Great Vehicle Golden Immortal of the Ninth Heaven, a master of the sword.

Southern Jin?

He must be from another Mortal Realm...

Xie Yiyi's mind raced with questions, but she heard that he had no intention of visiting the Great Han Shushan Sect or the Great Tang Shushan Sect. Instead, he wanted to visit the Longhushan Celestial Master's Mansion first.

Such an unusual move puzzled Xie Yiyi.

However, Shen Xi remained calm and explained, "I've heard that the Longhushan Celestial Master's Mansions of the Great Han and Great Tang have become one lineage. To avoid any disrespect, may I first visit the Longhushan of the Great Han Dynasty?"

Xie Yiyi replied, "I will try to contact the fellow Daoists of the Longhushan lineage first. Brother Shen, please forgive me."

Shen Xi quietly waited and said, "That is only reasonable."

Chu Kun, who was in the Longhushan Celestial Master's Mansion of the Great Han, was startled when he received the news.

The Sect Master of the Shushan Sect from the Two Jin Mortal Realms was here...

The Eastern Green Emperor.

Why was he here so boldly?

With Yuan Zhen currently in Kunlun, Chu Kun wasn't worried about a direct attack. After sending messages to Lei Jun and Yuan Zhen, he openly invited Shen Xi to be a guest at the Great Han Longhushan.

Shen Xi calmly accepted the invitation.

When the two met, Shen Xi stated his purpose for the visit.

"This matter is not within my jurisdiction," Chu Kun said. "If it's convenient for you, Sect Master Shen, please go to the Great Tang. Our sect's Master Brother has invited you."

Shen Xi replied, "That is also my wish. However, to avoid any misunderstandings, I had to go through some detours with the help of Xie Daoist and Chu Daoist."

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

Great Tang Mortal Realm.

Inside the Longhushan Celestial Master's Mansion.

Lei Jun was currently in the Upper Clarity Thunder Palace Cave Heaven.

The Great Vehicle Dao universe, with its profound yellow expanse, was unfolded.

Within the vast starry space, Lei Jun sat quietly with his legs crossed.

The Seven Pristine Spirit Breaths revolved around him, generating seven parts of white radiance.

Facing him was a brilliant golden rainbow, equally condensed and solid, like a solid object.

This was no longer the previous Infallible Golden Rainbow that Lei Jun had obtained from the Two Jin Mortal Realms.

That Infallible Golden Rainbow, originating from the Saha World and further refined in the Endless Realm, was ethereal and formless.

Then, it was refined by Lei Jun and incorporated into his body.

After that, through the polishing of the Seven Pristine Spirit Breaths, it formed the current rainbow, which seemed as solid as gold and iron, opposite to the seven parts of white radiance.

Its origin was clear, having been refined by Master Brother Wang Guiyuan, so Lei Jun saw no need to rename it. Thus, he still called this wonderful phenomenon the Infallible Golden Rainbow, just like the Seven Parts White Radiance, both of which originated from the Seven Pristine Spirit Breaths.

However, their functions were completely opposite.

Compared to the sharp and condensed Seven Parts White Radiance, the current Infallible Golden Rainbow was more similar to the Five-Colored Cloud, serving as a protective treasure.

With a thought from Lei Jun, the Seven Parts White Radiance disappeared, leaving only the Infallible Golden Rainbow surrounding him in a perfect sphere, without any gaps.

At first glance, it resembled a high-level cultivator from the Cauldron Sect deploying their Grand Cauldron Energy.

Then, a colorful cloud enveloped Lei Jun, covering him and the Infallible Golden Rainbow in its center.

With this, Lei Jun's defense became even stronger. Even without the Celestial Master's Robe and the Eight Treasures of Taiqing, his defense was still exceptional.

Hmm, to use Master Brother's words, it added just a tiny bit more sense of security... Lei Jun nodded silently.

All along, his strongest assets compared to cultivators of the same level were his attack and insight.

Following Lei Jun's consistent philosophy, his abilities in these areas far exceeded expectations.

Next was his agility and speed.

And further down... it was actually his recovery ability.

Possessing the Two Extremes Immortal Body Root and the Yin-Yang Infinite Star Splendor, Lei Jun's recovery speed far surpassed most of his peers.

The reason he sometimes showed signs of exhaustion was that he pushed himself too hard.

To achieve extreme output and burst, resulting in attacks that exceeded everyone's expectations, Lei Jun's strategy was to strike first, fight fast, and end the battle swiftly.

If not for this approach, he wouldn't have achieved his awe-inspiring battle records.

His total amount of spiritual power and recovery speed were among the best in his realm, with few peers.

If an ordinary cultivator were to use his spells, they wouldn't last three moves, let alone one, before they exhausted themselves.

Or, conversely, if Lei Jun were to use the same intensity as most cultivators, with his roots and the ability to borrow the power of nature as a Fulu Sect cultivator, he could continuously recover his spiritual energy and qi. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that he could cast a single spell until both sides grew old and died of natural causes.

On the other hand, Lei Jun's self-defense abilities, though also outstanding and rarely injured, had not created a significant gap with his peers of the same level.

To some extent, this was related to his long-standing pursuit of striking first.

Now, with the addition of the Infallible Golden Rainbow, Lei Daoist's defensive abilities were becoming more and more remarkable.

He continued to refine and temper himself with the Seven Pristine Spirit Breaths, gradually enriching the Infallible Golden Rainbow.

Lei Jun's current seclusion wasn't a complete retreat from the world.

Mystically, he sensed something and began to withdraw his powers, leaving the Upper Clarity Thunder Palace Cave Heaven.

Deep within his pupils, the light of the Heavenly Penetrating and Earth-Saturating Fulu shone quietly, observing all directions through the Jade Clarity Heaven-Encompassing Law Mirror and the Star River Celestial Net.

A faint figure appeared in Lei Jun's vision.

It was none other than Shen Xi, the Sect Master of the Shushan Sect from the Southern Jin.

Out of confidentiality concerns, Shen Xi came alone to the Great Tang Mortal Realm and the Longhushan Celestial Master's Mansion.

Lei Jun and Chu Kun had given him a certain degree of trust, and Shen Xi did not betray that trust. He came directly to the Great Tang Mortal Realm to meet Lei Jun, the current Celestial Master, in secret.

"I am already aware of the situation of Sect Master Shen and your sect," Lei Jun said calmly. "Regarding the Penglai-related relics, Sister Yuan and I have made some arrangements. Even if there are related talismans scattered outside, they will gradually lose their effectiveness."

Shen Xi spoke softly, "Celestial Master, please show compassion and lend a helping hand to my master.

My sect is weak, and I have nothing to offer in return. Regarding your sect's Jade Clarity Mi Luo Cave Heaven, one of the three great cave heavens, it once appeared in the Great Jin Mortal Realm.

However, with the Great Jin Dynasty splitting into the Northern and Southern Jin, the whereabouts of the Jade Clarity Mi Luo Cave Heaven is currently unknown.

Before I came here, I had been searching for a long time but to no avail. Everyone in my sect will continue to look for it. However, my master's health is deteriorating, so I can only come to you first, Celestial Master. Please forgive me for my bold request."

"Our sect is indeed searching for the Jade Clarity Mi Luo Cave Heaven. Sect Master Shen, you've shown great consideration," Lei Jun said. "Our sect's relationship with the ancient Fulu Sect lineage is not as hostile as water and fire. There is no enmity between our sects, and you, Sect Master Shen, have been forthright and honest. I don't intend to make things difficult for your sect.

However, our sect's teachings have been amended long ago. Even if we give talismans to other Daoists, it is to enhance our connections and help each other, not to spread our teachings like the Daoist countries in the mortal realm."

Regarding Shen Xi's words, Lei Jun would have to observe further to make a judgment.

As the contemporary Celestial Master of Longhushan, he could allow the existence of the Southern Jin Human Realm Country, but he would never proactively continue to encourage the spread of the ancient Fulu School's teachings and bestow talismans upon Shen Xi and Gongsun Daoqi, replacing Shen Xi as the new Eastern Green Emperor.

He would also not alter the arrangements in Penglai.

To do so would be to leave a potential loophole not only for Shen Xi and Gongsun Daoqi but also for others, especially those who used to be affiliated with the Celestial Palace.

However, given their special circumstances, Lei Jun was willing to turn a blind eye and offer assistance to Shen Xi, who had taken the initiative to come to him.

Without keeping Shen Xi waiting, Lei Jun directly said, "As for this treasure, you can bring it back to your master."

As Lei Jun spoke, a jade scepter appeared before Shen Xi with a flash of green light.

Shen Xi was surprised. With his extraordinary cultivation, insight, and perception, he only needed a few glances to understand the origins of the jade scepter.

It was also a product of the ancient Fulu School's lineage.

Shen Xi quickly recalled some rumors he had heard earlier in the Han Mortal Realm, guessing that this treasure might have come from the previous Han Dynasty's Longhushan lineage and had been confiscated by Lei Jun and the others.

However, for Shen Xi, this was already a huge relief.

Shen Xi accepted the jade scepter and sincerely thanked Lei Jun, "Thank you, Celestial Master. When I return to the Two Jin Humans, I will do my best to search for the Jade Clarity Mi Luo Cave Heaven."

Lei Jun returned the courtesy, "In that case, I thank you first, Sect Master Shen."

Shen Xi said, "I'm eager to return, and I won't take up much of your time, Celestial Master. I hope to have the opportunity to visit again in the future and also to see the traces of our sect's lineage in the mortal realm."

After bidding farewell to Lei Jun, Shen Xi immediately left for the Southern Jin without any delay, passing through the Han Dynasty on his way back.

"Brother, how credible do you think his words are?" Chu Kun, who was still in the Han Dynasty, communicated with Lei Jun through the Heaven-Penetrating and Earth-Listening Talisman.

"Little Sister Yuan is currently in seclusion, and we lack an authoritative figure to make a judgment. However, based on our observations so far, we can wait and see for now." Lei Jun replied.

He then asked, "Third Brother, your accumulation of the divine court in your spiritual platform should be quite profound by now. Are you close to achieving the third layer of the eightfold heaven, cultivating the outer court of the spiritual platform?"

"You flatter me, Brother. Indeed, I plan to do so." Chu Kun answered.

Lei Jun instructed, "The Taoist reform in the Han Dynasty is on the right track, so you can return to the Tang Dynasty sect to meditate. Sister Zhang will go to the Han Dynasty to take over your duties there."

"Since that's the case, I appreciate Sister Zhang's help." Chu Kun acknowledged.

Lei Jun asked, "How is the situation with the Han Dynasty's imperial succession dispute?"

Chu Kun replied, "It has escalated to the point of open conflict."

After Lei Jun left the Han Mortal Realm and returned to the Tang Dynasty, the Han Dynasty's imperial succession dispute finally entered its climax.

On the surface, everyone was still trying to maintain a balance.

However, as time passed, various forces began to make their moves behind the scenes, and the situation became more and more intense.

Now, a full-scale battle had erupted around the imperial capital of Chang'an.

Nevertheless, even with Lei Jun's return to the Tang Dynasty, the Han Mortal Realm's dispute over the throne continued to closely monitor the movements of Longhushan.

Although the conflict was fierce, none of the factions dared to expand it further. Even if the battles became more intense and bloody, they remained limited to a certain scope, resembling a small-scale war.

The reason was simple.

The Celestial Master of Longhushan, Lei Jun, had already made his stance clear.

He would not support any side.

Therefore, at the very least, they could not afford to become the side opposed by Longhushan.

The imperial family members of the Han Dynasty vying for the dragon throne all tried their best to avoid involving Longhushan.

"What about Xumi?" Lei Jun asked Chu Kun.

"There are some movements from the Xumi Treasure Sect, but the leader of the Treasure Sect, Fantada, has not shown himself." Chu Kun replied.

Lei Jun nodded slightly, "Sister Zhang has already gone to your place. After the handover, come back, and we can discuss this further when we have time."

After Chu Kun returned to the mountain, he reported to Lei Jun, the sect master, and after being assigned a new task, he paid his respects to Master Yuan Mobai and began his seclusion.

In the following days, Lei Jun continued to focus on his cultivation.

In addition, he also devoted himself to teaching his disciples.

Aside from his second disciple, Han Xiaofi, Tang Xiaotang's disciple, Cheng Rongrong, had also been frequently listening to Lei Jun's lectures during this period.

"Their progress is remarkable."

Lei Jun discussed the two disciples' cultivation progress with Yuan Mobai, "Considering their current rate, we may need to consider whether to make an exception and pass on the teachings to them earlier, just like we did with Little Sister Yuan in the past."

Due to the timing, Cheng Rongrong and Han Xiaofi would be eligible for the talisman bestowment one year from now.

If they missed that opportunity, the next bestowment would be six years later.

For others, six years was not a short time.

However, the speed of progress in the initial stage of cultivation for Cheng Rongrong and Han Xiaofi was even more remarkable than that of Chu Kun and Qin Caimei in their early years.

On the one hand, the surging celestial energy in the heavens and the earth provided a more favorable environment for young cultivators to improve.

On the other hand, their innate talents were superior, while Chu Kun and Qin Caimei's opportunities were more dependent on their later efforts.

"Indeed, although they are still inferior to Xiaotang back then, their progress is indeed among the top in history." Yuan Mobai smiled and nodded.

Lei Jun said, "In terms of age, unless there is an unexpected event, they don't need to rush in the next two or three years. However, the gap between the great realms of cultivation is unpredictable, and we must not be negligent."

For the vast majority of cultivators, the path of cultivation was always about progressing as quickly as possible.

In the golden cultivation window period of the first quarter of their lives, they should seize the opportunity to improve their cultivation and strive for progress.

Then, in the subsequent platform period when progress slowed down, they could start to expand horizontally.

The reason why cultivators were often considered to be at their peak strength during the platform period was because of this.

However, there were always exceptions.

People like Lei Jun, Xu Yuanzhen, and Tang Xiaotang were hard to judge by common sense.

"Both Huarong and Hua Fei have exceptional talents, and we should teach them according to their abilities."

Lei Jun said, "Sometimes, they themselves are the ones who understand their situation the best. We can consider their thoughts on related matters."

Yuan Mobai smiled, "Well said, Sect Master."

As the master and disciple were talking, Lei Jun's expression suddenly changed slightly, and he looked north.

Yuan Mobai followed his gaze and also began to sense something.

The celestial energy in the Tang Mortal Realm was now undergoing violent fluctuations and changes.

The source of this change was none other than the imperial capital of Luoyang in the Tang Dynasty.

As Lei Jun and his master sensed these fluctuations, they exchanged a glance:

"The Empress has taken that final step!"

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end