Chapter 505: 504. Rising Dragon Tiger Mountain (Part 2)

Chapter 505: 504. Rising Dragon Tiger Mountain (Part 2)

After returning from the Two Jin human realms, I'll take a temporary break and focus on cultivation for a while, striving to reach the second level of the Ninth Heaven before continuing."

Xu Yuanzhen reminded him, "There's no need to return to the ancestral court of Dragon Tiger Mountain, just stay here at the Time Abyss.

Chu Kun agreed, "Good."

He focused on his cultivation, and with Lei Jun and Xu Yuanzhen by his side, seeking guidance on cultivation was extremely convenient.

Wang Guiyuan bid farewell and left Guizang.

He didn't return to Kongsang this time but went back to Shapo instead.

To be honest, he has some interest in the chaotic Buddhist world across from the Time Abyss.

But given the current situation, Wang Daozhang, or Master Wang, naturally has no intention of going there.

In the following days, Lei Jun and the others contemplated the changes in the Time Abyss while focusing on their cultivation.

Later, Zhuo Baojie returned to Guizang and continued to listen to Master Lei Jun's teachings on Daoist arts.

During the lecture, his Divine Palace Universe, which had achieved the external scene, became increasingly refined.

One day, Lei Jun sat in a tranquil, pitch-black starry sky.

However, this was not his own Daoist landscape, the Profound Universe of Mystic Yellow, but rather the Divine Palace Universe within his disciple Zhuo Baojie.

Zhuo Baojie's Divine Palace Universe was somewhat special compared to others. When entering it, it didn't give the feeling of being under a vast starry sky like Lei Jun's Mystic Yellow Universe.

Instead, it was more like a road.

A road surrounded by pitch-black tranquility, with distant stars twinkling, constantly extending forward, a long road under the starry sky, the Path to Heaven.

At the top of the Star Road, the Purple Micro Star remained fixed, reigning over the four directions, with countless stars paying homage.

But this was not the complete picture of Zhuo Baojie's Divine Palace Universe.

In fact, it was quite the opposite.

When the Purple Heavenly Sovereign Star in the center of the starry sky began to fluctuate and showed signs of slipping, the entire Star Road began to radiate an even more awe-inspiring brilliance and a more majestic power.

Accompanying the swaying of the Purple Micro Star, a giant bear appeared, seemingly capable of overturning the universe with its physical strength alone.

With the appearance of the giant bear, the starry path trembled from below, shaking the already unstable Purple Micro Star.

It was only at this moment that Zhuo Baojie's Divine Palace Universe fully revealed itself.

This was the culmination of his profound Daoist arts, encompassing the power of the Life Star Deity Formation achieved through the Life Star Scripture and the combined might of his self-created Life Star Middle Heaven Talisman and the Doumu North Pole Deity Manifestation.

In addition, there were other talismanic powers and profound mysteries, forming a complete system.

Although the Doumu North Pole Deity Manifestation was Zhuo Baojie's own creation, it was just one part of the whole.

As Lei Jun's disciple, Zhuo Baojie, whether in terms of Daoist lineage or personal character, did not possess the demeanor of sitting high above on the Purple Micro Sovereign Star, ruling over the four directions.

It was only when he integrated his various divine abilities and talismans into a single display of the Divine Palace Upper Scene that everything became clear.

This Divine Palace Upper Scene was named the Reverse Conquering Heavenly Path.

Lei Jun sat beneath the turbulent and intense starry path, looking up with emotion:

From the initial sweep of the Five Surnames and Seven Nobles in the Great Tang, to the subsequent eradication of famous families in the Great Unity, the Han Prince Xiang Jing being slain by the Han of Han, and the defeat of the Great Ming Dynasty's capital.

Although Lei Jun rarely spoke directly about these matters to his disciples, his oldest disciple, Zhuo Baojie, who had followed him for the longest, couldn't help but be influenced by what he witnessed.

It could be said that the reaction of the Divine Palace Upper Scene, which reflected his learning, was even more straightforward and unreserved.

The Sovereign Star swayed, and the thought of rebellion...

Lei Jun waved his hand, and the massive black and white giant bear shrank back to its usual size, transforming into a small bear wearing a purple Daoist robe, and came to stand before him: "Master."

Looking at his disciple and then at the turbulent Purple Micro Star above, Lei Jun raised his hand as if to pat his disciple's head, but his hand stopped in mid-air, and he sighed softly:

"The mind conceives, and the Dao manifests. You, Xu Yuanzhen, always joke about whether Hua Rong has thoughts of killing his master, but Hua Rong doesn't. Who would've thought that you, Baojie, would..."

Zhuo Baojie was stunned for a moment, then opened his mouth speechlessly: "Master, please don't joke with your disciple. You know that I don't have such intentions."

Lei Jun hugged the little bear and rubbed him affectionately: "As a master, I'm just worried that you and I will be separated."

"Master, you've already achieved immortality and ascended to the heavens many years ago."

Zhuo Baojie couldn't help but smile bitterly. At this moment, it was hard to tell if he was asking his master to be more mature or saying that even if he wanted to kill his master, the gap in cultivation was unrealistic.

Lei Jun put down the little bear and adjusted his robes: "Compared to longevity, at my current age, I'm still young, so I have a youthful mindset."

Zhuo Baojie was deeply skeptical of this.

However, he quickly calmed his mind and, under Lei Jun's guidance, focused on his cultivation in preparation for breaking through to the fourth layer of the Eighth Heaven and the Divine Palace Upper Scene realm.

Time passed by as cultivation continued.

Just as the Golden Crow Hao Yang and the True Dragon Huaming had established a seven-year battle agreement, on the one hand, they had a relatively accurate grasp of their own and each other's conditions, and on the other hand, in their long lives, seven years were but a fleeting moment.

The same was true for Lei Jun and Xu Yuanzhen's current cultivation realm.

A single period of closed-door cultivation could span years, or even decades.

As time passed, Lei Jun celebrated his 110th birthday.

Although he didn't pay much attention to it himself, as it was the Celestial Master's birthday, both inside and outside Dragon Tiger Mountain, it was considered important, and many came to offer their congratulations.

Although Lei Jun had achieved the Taiji Dao Body and could now freely travel in the mortal realm, he still spent most of his time in the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths.

Therefore, at the Dragon Tiger Mountain ancestral temple in the mortal realm, the current affairs were handled by his eldest disciple, Zhuo Baojie.

After these years of quiet cultivation, Elder Zhuo's cultivation had reached the fourth layer of the Eighth Heaven, and his demeanor as a master gradually emerged.

Nowadays, many important responsibilities in Dragon Tiger Mountain were entrusted to him.

Thus, Elder Zhuo's reputation gradually grew.

In the eyes of some outsiders, it was inevitable that speculations would arise.

Apart from showing his youthful demeanor in front of a few people like his master Lei Jun, Zhuo Baojie always conducted himself with dignity and solemnity. Even if private discussions reached his ears, he remained unmoved by praise or criticism.

"Elder Zhuo."

Xin Beiyuan, also wearing a purple robe, approached: "Elder Tu from the Tianxu Sect has arrived."

Zhuo Baojie nodded and went to greet him together.

The visitor was Tu Guangyu, the former head of the Tianxu Sect, a branch of the Great Tang Daoist Talisman Sect.

In recent years, he had passed on the position of sect leader to others and entered closed-door cultivation to make a final push for the Seventh Heaven realm from the Sixth Heaven.

His age was no longer young, and this closed-door cultivation was his last attempt, perhaps even a desperate one.

Fortunately, he succeeded, and Tu Guangyu safely passed through the heavenly tribulation from the Sixth Heaven to the Seventh Heaven, achieving the Seventh Heaven realm of the Daoist Talisman Sect.

During this time, he had been recuperating at the Dragon Tiger Mountain ancestral temple, and today marked the completion of his cultivation.

"Congratulations, Elder Tu," Zhuo Baojie and Xin Beiyuan bowed together.

Tu Guangyu smiled and shook his head: "It's all thanks to the Celestial Master's efforts in clarifying the universe, bringing peace to the mortal realm and Dragon Tiger Mountain. Otherwise, even with the surge of heavenly energy, I might not have been able to overcome this tribulation, even after a lifetime of cultivation. Now that I've succeeded, it's still a stroke of luck, unlike you, who are blessed with innate talent."

Not only had Zhuo Baojie reached the fourth layer of the Eighth Heaven, but Xin Beiyuan had also achieved the Eighth Heaven realm last year.

After his root bone evolved from the Ten Thousand Phenomena Holy Body to the Immortal Body of the Ten Thousand Deities, his already rapid cultivation speed further accelerated. Even when he reached the Upper Three Heavens, his progress remained swift.

In about twenty years, he had advanced from the Seventh Heaven to the Eighth Heaven. Among the current generation in Dragon Tiger Mountain, if not the fastest, he was certainly among the top.

Among his peers, he was only surpassed by Zhuo Baojie and Qin Caifei.

Xin Beiyuan's rise had already surpassed Xu Rui and Zhang Xunyi.

"Elder Tu, your words are too kind. We disciples dare not accept such praise."

Zhuo Baojie spoke, "Master is waiting for you."

Tu Guangyu and Yuan Mo Bai were old friends from their early years, and now that he had come out of seclusion, they were sure to have a good reunion.

After Tu Guangyu met with Yuan Mo Bai, Zhuo Baojie would then go to the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths to meet Lei Jun, and the following year during the Spring Festival ceremony, he would bestow upon Lei Jun a high-ranking position in the Celestial Master Mansion.

After sending Tu Guangyu to meet Yuan Mo Bai, Zhuo Baojie and Xin Beiyuan withdrew to continue receiving other guests.

As they walked, Zhuo Baojie asked, "I heard that Brother Xin has finally decided to take on disciples?"

Xin Beiyuan smiled and nodded, "It's all about following one's destiny."

Zhuo Baojie said, "In that case, congratulations, Brother Xin."

Xin Beiyuan asked, "And what about you, Brother?"

Zhuo Baojie sighed upon hearing this, "I haven't come across anyone with whom I have a strong connection yet."

Xin Beiyuan said, "I heard that you will be coming out of seclusion later, and perhaps you will have some good fortune."

"I appreciate your kind words," Zhuo Baojie said with a smile and bid him farewell.

As he watched Xin Beiyuan's figure disappear into the distance, Zhuo Baojie couldn't help but feel a sense of emotion.

Having achieved the Immortal Body and advanced in cultivation, Xin Beiyuan still maintained his calm and composed demeanor in his daily affairs, appearing no different from before.

But Zhuo Baojie knew that in recent years, Brother Xin had become even more open-minded.

It wasn't just about achieving the Immortal Body, but also because in the past few years, many disciples of the Yellow Sky Dao had returned to the sect, and one of them was Xin Beiyuan, who had also come from the Yellow Sky Dao.

Under Lei Jun's instructions, the high-ranking elder of the Dragon Tiger Mountain sect who came to assist in handling this matter was Xin Beiyuan, who had also come from the Yellow Sky Dao.

He was meticulous and thorough, both comforting and discerning. After a few years of hard work, he finally managed to handle the related matters properly and had only just returned to the Great Tang sect last year.

Then, not long after returning, Xin Beiyuan successfully broke through the Seven Heavens to the Eight Heavens, overcoming the heavenly tribulation and achieving the Divine Palace realm of the Talisman sect.

Previously, he had never taken on disciples, but now he would have an inner disciple.

Zhuo Baojie didn't deliberately inquire about the background of the child Xin Beiyuan had brought back to the sect, but Xin Beiyuan had once mentioned that the child had no relation to the Yellow Sky Dao, and that he had met this promising talent after returning to the Great Tang.

Zhuo Baojie was pleased to see this.

The Celestial Master Mansion on Dragon Tiger Mountain was thriving, and not just because of Xin Beiyuan. Another fellow senior, Xu Rui, had also reached the Eight Heavens realm, adding another high-ranking elder to the sect.

Xu Rui had achieved the Seven Heavens realm long before Xin Beiyuan.

But now, the two of them had reached the Eight Heavens realm in quick succession, and the gap between them had been closed.

Xu Rui himself didn't mind this.

According to Zhuo Baojie's observations, after achieving the Eight Heavens realm, Xu Rui seemed much more relaxed.

The reason for this, though unspoken, was that Xu Rui's cultivation had surpassed that of his nominal master, Li Zhengxuan.

Li Zhengxuan had originally been on the verge of reaching the Eight Heavens realm, but due to the loss of the Celestial Master's sword, his cultivation had remained stagnant at the Seven Heavens realm until his eventual demise.

Over the years, Xu Rui had quietly cultivated, advancing steadily. Within the sect, few spoke of Li Zhengxuan from years past.

Both inside and outside the sect, it was generally acknowledged that Xu Rui's master was Fang Jian.

The saying, "The disciple surpasses the master," had already been mentioned.

Xu Rui himself also considered Fang Jian as his benevolent master.

But there were some influences that were difficult to explain or understand, lingering in the background.

Just when everyone thought that everything had settled and subsided, there was a possibility of rekindling old flames.

But now, all shadows had dissipated.

Xu Rui had officially surpassed Li Zhengxuan of the past and transcended his own past.

Zhuo Baojie was also happy for his fellow sect brother.

"Master has emerged from seclusion!" At that moment, a purple-robed Taoist priest rushed over from a distance, his face filled with joy.

Zhuo Baojie greeted him first, "Senior Brother Lin."

Lin Shan returned the greeting, "Junior Apprentice Brother Hua Jie."

Zhuo Baojie asked, "Senior Brother, has Senior Uncle Shangguan emerged from seclusion?"

Lin Shan replied happily, "Yes, Master has successfully cultivated to the Divine Palace realm!"

Zhuo Baojie accompanied him to Shangguan Ning's cave abode, "This is truly a cause for celebration."

Previously, he had heard from Master Lei Jun that Shangguan Ning had been hesitant to try breaking through, but finally attempted it, and given his character, he must have been confident.

And indeed, he had succeeded.

In the ancestral mausoleum at the back mountain, a middle-aged Taoist turned to look at the front mountain, his face showing a smile filled with emotion and a hint of vicissitudes.

The Fifth Senior Sister had also successfully reached the Eight Heavens realm... Yao Yuan thought to himself.

For Shangguan Ning, the significance was not in continuing to make great strides in the future, but rather in providing a sense of closure to his past cultivation and life.

Just like Yao Yuan, Shangguan Ning would mainly focus on secluded cultivation in the mountains, rather than participating in the affairs of the sect. However, he would not be confined to this ancestral mausoleum at the back mountain.

Not to mention those who had already ascended to immortality, like Lei Jun.

Currently, in the Celestial Master Mansion on Dragon Tiger Mountain, there were two Great Vehicle High Immortals in the Ninth Heaven: Yuan Mo Bai and Chu Kun.

The high-ranking elders in the Eight Heavens were led by Zhuo Baojie, who had reached the fourth level of the Eight Heavens realm. In addition to Yao Yuan and Shangguan Ning, there were Zhang Jingzhen, Qin Caifei, Xin Beiyuan, and Xu Rui.

The high-ranking elders in the Seven Heavens included Yao Yuan's disciple Ke Sichen, Shangguan Ning's Lin Shan, Lei Jun's second disciple Han Xiaofei, Tang Xiaotang's disciple Cheng Rongrong, Zhang Jingzhen's Zhang Xiuyun, as well as Luo Haoran and Fang Jian, who were of the same generation as Lei Jun and Yao Yuan, and Liu Xiao, a new breakthrough from the Sky Void Sect.

This was just the Great Tang Dragon Tiger Mountain sect.

If the Han Dynasty's Dragon Tiger Mountain sect was also included, there would be nearly thirty high-ranking elders in the Upper Three Heavens.

The Celestial Master Mansion on Dragon Tiger Mountain now had a fully grown younger generation, and the older generation no longer needed to worry too much.

...

Currently, Lei Jun was neither in Guizang nor in Penglai.

When he received the news of Shangguan Ning and Tu Guangyu emerging from seclusion, he was in the Yellow Springs.

Although the gray-white world before him was silent, Lei Jun's emotions seemed to infect the place, adding a touch of brightness to the lifeless netherworld.

"Hearing such good news in the Yellow Springs is especially touching," Lei Jun sighed.

The reason why many cultivators were hesitant to attempt the heavenly tribulation between great realms was that once they made a mistake, there would be no room for regret.

At this crucial juncture, one can only rely on themselves, and elders or friends nearby can hardly lend a hand.

A moment of life, a moment of death.

It is not like other times when life and death are unpredictable and uncontrollable.

Whether to take this step or not is a decision that cultivators must make for themselves.

The rapid changes between life and death at this moment stirred up a myriad of emotions in Lei Jun, who was currently in the Yellow Springs.

His eyes, like windows to the heavens and earth, revealed the spinning of the Heaven Watching Earth Listening Talisman, and Chu Kun's voice echoed through it:

"Senior Brother, how long until Master Hua Jie reaches this crucial juncture?"

Lei Jun replied, "It's still early. He has just cultivated the Divine Palace Upper Realm, and he needs to carefully consolidate his cultivation."

Chu Kun smiled and said, "You, Senior Sister, and Sister Tang have all ascended to the Profound Dao in just a few years, making our Daoist Talisman Sect's Nine Heavens seem less populated."

Lei Jun's tone was matter-of-fact: "You should ask Senior Sister about that. She stayed for a few more years, otherwise, our ascension would have been more staggered."

Chu Kun, who was in Guizang, turned to look at Xu Yuanzhen beside him and said, "Senior Brother, that's not right. Senior Sister didn't wait for long, and now our sect has more ascensions than the Nine Heavens..."

Xu Yuanzhen stared at the Time Abyss, not bothering to pay attention to Lei Jun's words.

In the Yellow Springs, Lei Jun remained unmoved, "Regarding the Nine Heavens, we can't count on them in the next few years. Instead, Kang Ming in the Han Dynasty Realm can start preparing."

Chu Kun said, "Improving the Yellow Sky Altar has indeed benefited him greatly."

Although Chu Kun said this, he felt no envy.

On the contrary, he admired the other party's determination to uphold the Yellow Sky Altar.

"Personally, I wish him success," Chu Kun said.

Lei Jun responded, "Everyone has their own fate and destiny."

Chu Kun asked, "In another year and a half, there will be a new transmission. I heard that Master Hua Yuan has brought back a good seedling this time?"

Lei Jun confirmed, "Indeed, he is a good seedling. With this, our sect's next generation of inheritance will gradually see the emergence of talented individuals.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end