Chapter 520: 519. Delightful Vision

Chapter 520: 519. Delightful Vision



In the Nine Heavens and Ten Lands, the Nine Heavens, since the fall of the Pure Sky, have now been occupied by Lei Jun, Xu Yuanzhen, and Bai Mei. It can be said that Lei Jun now has access to the complete Nine Heavens.

Although the Taoist School does not dominate the Nine Heavens, Lei Jun also has talismans left within them.

As for the Ten Lands, currently, Lian Mountain, Return Ruin, and Yu Yin are still in the hands of others.

Due to the Three Caverns Three Heavens Supreme Dragon Tiger Immortal Array, Lei Jun has had extensive contact with these places, making the Nine Heavens complete.

Therefore, when the Nine Heavens undergo changes, Lei Jun's senses are exceptionally keen.

"Although the changes have become noticeable in the past two years, the root cause is even earlier. It should have started when the human realm merged with the Time Abyss," Lei Jun said calmly.

Upon hearing this, Yuan Mo Bai understood, "The traces were not apparent in the early years because of the Return Concealment?"

Previously, the Time Abyss entered the Great Rectangle and then left through the Return Concealment, heading towards the Boundless. This caused the Return Concealment to suffer severe damage.

After years of recuperation, the spiritual energy in the Return Concealment has recovered significantly compared to when the Small Bright Court occupied the Heavenly Principles.

However, the turmoil in the Time Abyss caused the spiritual energy in the Return Concealment to flow away once more.

At that time, Phoenix Feng Ming, Lei Jun, Xu Yuanzhen, and others guarded the Return Concealment, mending the void rifts left by the Time Abyss.

After a period of maintenance, the situation in the Return Concealment gradually stabilized.

It was after this that Phoenix Feng Ming returned to the Great Wilderness to cultivate in seclusion, and recently, she successfully advanced to the Immortal Spirit Second Level.

The current Return Concealment cannot be considered fully recovered, as the void rifts still exist and have not been completely healed.

However, after the situation stabilized, there were no further external disturbances or influences.

Therefore, the flow of spiritual energy in the Return Concealment began to recover.

Similarly, the Saha world, even earlier, had experienced a similar situation.

After the Return Concealment stabilized, Lei Jun gradually began to notice that the Nine Heavens seemed to be undergoing more changes.

Regarding the Ten Lands, firstly, Lei Jun's current contact with the Ten Lands is not complete, and secondly, the Time Abyss is still in the Boundless, so the related senses are not as strong as those of the Nine Heavens.

However, signs of change have also appeared.

"Will the merging of the human realm with the Nine Heavens and Ten Lands also cause the Heaven Realm and Earth Realm to merge once again?" Chu Kun asked curiously.

In the history of this great thousand world after the ancient Great Calamity, the Heaven Realm had already split into the Nine Heavens, and the Earth Realm had divided into the Ten Lands, while the human realm remained intact.

This situation persisted for over six thousand years until the end of the Han Dynasty, when the human realm merged once again.

Before that, the single human realm coexisted with the scattered Nine Heavens and Ten Lands for many years.

Now, will the Nine Heavens and Ten Lands undergo changes due to the human realm?

"Currently, it seems highly likely," Lei Jun said.

Chu Kun: "...Senior Brother, during the Han Dynasty's Great Calamity, the human realm's division was caused by the battle between cultivators. Could it be that someone had already harbored ill intentions at that time, wanting the Heaven Realm and Earth Realm to merge again, and deliberately acted in this way to push the waves and provide assistance?"

Lei Jun: "The current information is insufficient to make a judgment. We can continue to observe and gather more insights."

Later, Phoenix Feng Ming, who was guarding the Great Wilderness, and Huangpu Qi, who was guarding the Great Rectangle, both came to Dragon and Tiger Mountain at Lei Jun's invitation.

Although Bai Mei and Zhao Chanyang did not attend, they also received the news.

Lei Jun and the others first congratulated Phoenix Feng Ming on her advancement in cultivation and then mutually verified that the Nine Heavens and Ten Lands were indeed undergoing changes.

"In the short term, there should be no major issues, but it's hard to predict after a few more years," Phoenix Feng Ming said, her clear voice resonating.

Lei Jun slightly nodded, agreeing with her assessment.

Huangpu Qi pondered for a moment and then turned to Lei Jun, "In the past, Venerable Guangpu and others wanted to expedite the merging of the human realm. They were stopped by the Grandmaster Lei. Now that the Nine Heavens and Ten Lands are changing, what is the Grandmaster Lei's opinion on this?"

Lei Jun remained calm, "The Heaven and Earth naturally have their principles. As cultivators, whether things happen quickly or not, we should follow the natural course of events."

What is naturally formed, let it change naturally.

Regardless of whether it is favorable or unfavorable, I will not intervene.

What others do is none of my concern.

What the enemy desires, I will not grant.

Huangpu Qi slightly nodded, and from the matters related to the Nine Heavens and Ten Lands, she could also discern Lei Jun's thoughts on the other thousand worlds beyond the Time Abyss.

Looking at Phoenix Feng Ming, she also saw the latter slightly nodding, her eyes conveying deep agreement.

Huangpu Qi did not have any special requests regarding this.

Although she was once the master of the Spiritual Mountain, the mountain was taken by Ruan Qiao.

After Lei Jun reclaimed the Spiritual Mountain, Huangpu Qi did not return but continued to stay in the Great Rectangle.

Now that the human realm has merged, the world has undergone drastic changes, and Huangpu Qi no longer has strong attachments to the Spiritual Mountain.

The Great Shaman who once cultivated and lived with her in the Spiritual Mountain still has the name of the Spiritual Mountain Shamanic Sect, but most of the time, it is just a title.

If the Spiritual Mountain merges with other realms to form the Heaven Realm again, Huangpu Qi would not oppose it.

After interacting with Lei Jun more frequently, people know that even if the Heaven Realm and Earth Realm reappear, this Daoist master would not prohibit other cultivators from accessing other realms.

"What is worth considering is the opinions of the High Sky Lord and that Bei Chen," Huangpu Qi said softly.

Will they eagerly desire it?

Or will they not care?

Or will they resist?

Phoenix Feng Ming asked, "If the Heaven Realm reappears, will the ancient palace relics also resurface?"

Lei Jun replied, "It's not impossible."

After further discussions, Phoenix Feng Ming and Huangpu Qi took their leave one after the other.

Zhuo Baojie, who had returned from Cang Huan, escorted his master to see off the guests.

Lei Jun himself sat in deep thought within the Dragon Tiger Sect's ancestral courtyard, located in the human realm.

Later, he wrote numerous talismans and decrees, leaving behind traces of light and shadow that solidified into reality. He then summoned his second disciple, Han Xiaofei, and handed these talismans to her.

Following Lei Jun's instructions, Han Xiaofei dared not be negligent. She carried the talismans and traveled through Kunlun, Penglai, Saha, Sumeru, Datong, Return Concealment, Spiritual Mountain, and Pure Sky, respectively.

After visiting all eight directions of the Nine Heavens, Elder Han finally arrived at the last place, Cang Huan, where she reported to Golden Crow Haoyang and Phoenix Feng Ming, pasted the talismans, and stayed there to enjoy the benefits.

On the other side, Lei Jun prepared more talismans and entrusted them to his first disciple, Zhuo Baojie, who then traveled to the ten directions, including Earth Sea, Luo Yuan, Yellow Springs, Boundless, Empty Mulberry, Great Wilderness, and Great Rectangle, to post them.

Lei Jun also specially prepared a custom-made talisman and instructed Zhuo Baojie to discreetly deliver it to Return Ruin.

"If the previous situations in Return Concealment, Great Rectangle, and Saha might affect the convergence of the Nine Heavens and Ten Earthly Realms, then the current situation in Boundless is also unpredictable," Lei Jun said.

Wang Guiyuan, located in Boundless, communicated with Lei Jun through the Heaven-Seeing Earth-Hearing Talisman, discussing this matter, "On the contrary, if such a major event as the convergence of the Nine Heavens and Ten Earthly Realms were to occur, it would undoubtedly cause a disturbance in the Time Abyss, leading to its displacement."

Lei Jun replied, "The convergence of the Nine Heavens and Ten Earthly Realms will undoubtedly cause a disturbance in the Time Abyss, resulting in its displacement.

However, conversely, the displacement of the Time Abyss is not solely caused by the convergence of the Nine Heavens and Ten Earthly Realms."

Wang Guiyuan said, "Indeed, we may not have as much time to prepare as we thought."

Lei Jun said, "Previously, we considered the possibility of attracting the Hundred-Eyed Demon Tree and the Great Extinction Bodhisattva to our side, but we didn't anticipate that the lineage of the Demon-Buddha would first point to the Confucian Thousand World."

Wang Guiyuan asked, "Do you know the reason behind this?"

Lei Jun replied, "My younger senior sister and the others have sent back news, and it seems the reason is the legendary Void Mao Jade."

Lei Jun and Zhang Wantong both had strong means of communication, and Lei Jun was particularly skilled in this regard. In addition to Taoist methods, he also studied the techniques of other ancestral lineages, including Confucianism.

However, even with the Time Abyss in between, there were still many inconveniences.

Communicating with fellow Taoist experts Tang Xiaotang and Xu Yuanzhen was still more convenient.

After Tang Xiaotang and Xu Yuanzhen went to the Confucian Thousand World, Lei Jun found it much easier to communicate with them.

"The Void Mao Jade?" Wang Guiyuan said, "In our Thousand World, it has been almost unseen since ancient times, right? There are only a few records in ancient literature, and even those are nearly mythical."

Lei Jun said, "In the Confucian Thousand World, it's still a rare treasure, but there is a certain amount of it, mostly in the hands of long-established noble clans with a history spanning generations."

Wang Guiyuan let out a bitter laugh, "If a large amount falls into the hands of the Demon-Buddha lineage, given some time, it will be of great use to them."

The loss of high-level experts like Suffering Sea Venerable and Absolute Sage Venerable, especially the fall of a third-level Golden Body expert like Suffering Sea Venerable, has a significant impact on the Demon-Buddha lineage.

If they can seize a large amount of Void Mao Jade and have time to digest the fruits of their victory, it will be of great benefit to the Demon-Buddha disciples in the Demon-Immortal World.

"That's true," Lei Jun said, "but it doesn't mean that the Great Extinction Bodhisattva and the Demon-Buddha lineage won't use diversionary tactics and suddenly strike us without warning. We still need to be vigilant. The Great Extinction Bodhisattva itself has not personally appeared in the Confucian Thousand World until now."

Wang Guiyuan deeply agreed, "Exactly!"

...

The Confucian Thousand World.

In recent years, invasions by foreign demons have decreased.

Earthly Realm demons have also been suppressed by human experts, unable to act recklessly.

The internal conflicts between Confucian New Learning and Old Learning have intensified.

The recent intrusion of high-level experts from the Demon-Buddha lineage into the Confucian Thousand World has further exacerbated the already tense situation.

The Void Mao Jade, being rare and precious, is considered a rare treasure in the Confucian Thousand World during this era, with extremely low production.

Therefore, the relatively larger accumulations of this treasure are mainly in the hands of long-established noble clans, in other words...

Confucian Old Learning families.

Regarding these unexpected "reinforcements," the various factions of Confucian New Learning also have differing opinions.

Some advocate seizing this rare opportunity, while others propose allying with Old Learning families to jointly confront these outsiders, whose nature is similar to foreign demons."

The divisions within Confucian New Learning are growing deeper," Xu Yuanzhen said.

Xu Yuanzhen arrived in this Thousand World and, except for when she passed through the Time Abyss and had no choice but to briefly engage with both sides in the midst of their intense battle), she did not further involve herself in their conflict.

She concealed her presence, neither helping nor hindering either side, or rather, not helping any of the three sides. She leisurely wandered between heaven and earth, exploring various places.

Not only did she traverse the human realm, but she also visited many places in the Earthly Realm where demons dwelled.

A little later, at Zhang Wantong's invitation, she returned to the human realm.

Meeting Zhang Wantong again, she was dressed in Confucian attire. Although her facial features were different, her temperament seemed to have become similar to the portrait left behind by Tianrui Scholar from that year.

The two of them had only interacted a few times in the past, but the impressions they left on each other were quite profound.

"Xu Yuanzhen handed it to you." Xu Yuanzhen waved her hand, and a book with flickering light floated in front of Zhang Wantong.

This was the very same volume of the Heavenly Book that had previously merged with the one from the mortal realm, becoming a complete whole.

Previously, Lei Jun had used the Heavenly Book and the Pure Gold Hall to counter Gao Tian Sui's Haotian Execution Seal of the Golden Pavilion.

However, after the Boundless War, given Gao Tian Sui's cultivation strength, insight, and discernment, neither Lei Jun nor Xu Yuanzhen believed that the same method would be effective against this enemy.

They wouldn't be constrained by the past either; instead, they would explore other methods.

Naturally, there was no need to emphasize whether this volume of the Heavenly Book should remain in the Nine Heavens and Ten Earthly Realms.

After Lei Jun allowed Zhang Hui, Sun Li, and others to read it, this time Xu Yuanzhen brought it over and asked Xu Yuanzhen to pass it to Zhang Wantong.

For Zhang Wantong's cultivation realm, the benefits of reading the Heavenly Book were not as significant as for Zhang Hui and the others.

But with her understanding of the complete Heavenly Book, she might find it useful in other aspects.

Zhang Wantong accepted the Heavenly Book without declining and carefully kept the book with flickering light, "Thank you both."

Xu Yuanzhen sat on a dark and heavy thundercloud, looking up at the sky, "Here, people often mention the Foreign Demons. Have you ever dealt with them face-to-face?"

"No." Zhang Wantong, with her hands behind her back and gazing at the sky, replied, "These so-called Foreign Demons leave no remains or corpses after their deaths, but..."

She withdrew her gaze and looked at Xu Yuanzhen, "They are like the Taoist and Sorcery schools."

Xu Yuanzhen asked, "What does Yan Aoyun think?"

Zhang Wantong replied, "Besides Yanzi, there's also Yueyuan."

Xu Yuanzhen: "Neither Yanzi nor Yueyuan can be certain?"

Zhang Wantong: "Besides Yanzi and Yueyuan, the other Confucian Triple Saints are even more mysterious."

"So, someone is deliberately concealing it."

Upon hearing this, Xu Yuanzhen smiled and became even more intrigued, "Many people say that the Foreign Demons come from beyond this Thousand World. This curiosity isn't unique to me."

The Confucian Thousand World was plagued by the calamity of the Foreign Demons. These Foreign Demons appeared and disappeared without a trace, wreaking havoc everywhere.

The current flourishing areas of the Confucian New Learning were, at their roots, the places where the Old Learning Noble Clans suffered the most severe attacks from the Foreign Demons. The scholarly lineage was completely destroyed, and the local Noble Clans' disciples suffered heavy casualties, with many clans nearly exterminated.

It was precisely because of this that the Confucian New Learning later had the opportunity and space to develop.

In places like Yan Zhao, Huai Dong, Liang Zhe, Ba Shu, and Guang Nan, spread across the four directions, not originating from a single place or region.

The origin of the Foreign Demons was not from the Time Abyss or the Earthly Realm.

Most people who had encountered them said that they initially descended from the heavens.

The name 'Foreign Demons' mostly came from this.

"Many people are indeed paying attention."

Zhang Wantong raised her gaze to the sky again, "Whether it's the New Learning or the Old Learning, there are also many people who have dedicated themselves to exploring the origins of the Foreign Demons and seeking a fundamental solution."

Xu Yuanzhen asked, "Did they all fail?"

Zhang Wantong replied, "In his early years, Chengzi once ventured deep into the cosmic void for exploration but returned severely injured. This experience influenced his early demise in the later debate between the New and Old Learning.

After returning from the cosmic void, he once said that at that time, the entire cosmic void seemed like an open door.

As for the existence that injured him, according to Chengzi, it seemed to be between the Taoist and Sorcery schools."

Xu Yuanzhen asked, "Are there still ancient experts or primordial beings in this world, or is it a case of body-snatching?"

The former saint of the Confucian New Learning, Cheng He, had exceptional cultivation strength, talent, and literary prowess. Despite being injured by direct close contact with the opponent, he still couldn't discern their true nature, which was enough to demonstrate their power and terror.

Therefore, the most likely scenario is that the opponent is either a powerful being from ancient times who has survived to the present or a primordial existence.

Consequently, their cultivation foundation is extremely ancient and primitive, possibly even predating the emergence of the Taoist and Sorcery schools in the mortal realm.

The Taoist Talisman School, the Sorcery School's Divine Dance, and the Confucian Chanting are the oldest mortal traditions, inherently sharing similarities.

The further back in time, the more this is true.

Besides body-snatching, there's another possibility.

It involves a top-tier expert possessing the body of another top-tier expert or occupying their shed remains.

Both the Taoist and Sorcery schools possess similar means, making it difficult to determine who is possessing whom.

"Currently, we can't be certain. With the escalating conflict between the Confucian New and Old Learning, there's no collaboration in exploring the cosmic void, let alone focusing on a single school. We must always be vigilant of the other side." Zhang Wantong shook her head.

Xu Yuanzhen asked, "A door, hmm? Is there another Thousand World behind that door, but not on our side or the side of the Great Extinction Bodhisattva?"

Zhang Wantong replied, "I once got close to observe, but the door is mostly sealed now. While the calamity of the Foreign Demons has lessened, it's not conducive for us to observe the other side."

Xu Yuanzhen said with a noncommittal tone, "We can take a look later."

After bidding farewell to Zhang Wantong, Xu Yuanzhen headed south to the Guang Nan region.

There, Xu Yuanzhen reunited with Tang Xiaotang.

"Great, Senior Sister! You've also achieved the Dao Body!" Tang Xiaotang exclaimed with unconcealed joy upon seeing Xu Yuanzhen.

However, what marred the scene slightly was that she was still holding a Fire Crow by the neck as she spoke.

Once an enormous demon, it was now held in Tang Xiaotang's grasp, its form constrained like a tiny chick.

She had previously encountered Zhang Wantu and interacted with Confucian Old School cultivators, but recently, she had ventured to the Guang Nan region.

One reason was her curiosity about the existence of the Luofu Mountain lineage, and the other was the news she had heard about the Great Sun Demon Sage.

After entering the Time Abyss, the demon indeed did not go to the Nine Heavens and Ten Earthly Realms but instead entered the Confucian Thousand World.

There had been reports that near the Earthly Realm's entrance in Guang Nan, someone had spotted the Golden Crow with its cultivated demonic energy.

Upon her arrival, Tang Xiaotang failed to find her target, so she captured a Fire Crow demon to interrogate.

"The last bit of opportunity lies with Gao Tian Sui, or perhaps with Lei Jun," Xu Yuanzhen casually said.

Tang Xiaotang's interrogation of the Fire Crow yielded no results, and after disposing of it, she smiled at Xu Yuanzhen, saying, "This time, I achieved the natural realm's enlightenment on my own. How about that? I told you my luck isn't bad!"

Xu Yuanzhen replied, "Even a blind cat can stumble upon a dead mouse; it's not surprising."

Tang Xiaotang remained unperturbed, her smile unwavering. "Say what you will, but I succeeded. Let me tell you, I'm not the same person I used to be!"

Xu Yuanzhen nodded. "I don't deny it. I'm quite curious myself. Let's have a little competition later."

As she spoke, she gazed in all directions, and her gaze eventually settled on one particular area. "Is that Luofu Mountain over there?"

"Yes," Tang Xiaotang replied. "The lineage has its unique aspects, but so far, no one from here has ascended to immortality."

She pouted, "In the early years, the local noble clans suppressed the people here severely. Later, when the Confucian noble clans in this region suffered the calamity of foreign demons, Luofu Mountain gradually gained some momentum."

As a Taoist lineage, the flourishing or decline of Confucian scholarship had little impact on Luofu Mountain.

However, with numerous Confucian Old School noble clans in Guang Nan, their suppression made it difficult for any Daoist, Buddhist, Sorcery, or Martial Dao school to thrive.

Thus, it was only after Guang Nan suffered the invasion of foreign demons and many noble clans declined that Luofu Mountain had the opportunity to rise.

Currently, this lineage has yet to produce an immortal cultivator.

Similar to the lineage of Nie Fang and Artisan Priest, Luofu Mountain still needs to continue its exploration and growth.

Xu Yuanzhen didn't approach too closely, only observing Luofu Mountain from a distance.

After a while, she withdrew her gaze, deep in thought. "It's quite intriguing."

Tang Xiaotang asked, "You noticed it too, didn't you? The peculiarity that Emperor Tang mentioned about the 'Thousand World' behind the 'Gate'?"

Feng Ting was not from that demonic world.

However, after staying in this Confucian Thousand World for some time, both Xu Yuanzhen and Tang Xiaotang intuitively felt that Feng Ting was not from here either.

"We'll know once we go there," Xu Yuanzhen replied.

The encounter with Cheng He did not frighten her.

She would just plan more carefully.

On the other hand, according to her usual preferences, she wanted to explore this Thousand World first.

Xu Yuanzhen suddenly remembered something and asked Tang Xiaotang, "By the way, did Lei Jun tell you about the new leader of the Daoist Sect?"

Tang Xiaotang, who had been relaxed, suddenly widened her eyes.

Xu Yuanzhen casually described the recent Daoist ceremony and how Lei Jun was unanimously chosen as the new leader.

Beside her, Tang Xiaotang's eyes widened, and her pupils seemed to lose focus.

Strictly speaking, she wasn't entirely unprepared for this.

The Pure Yang Palace and the Shu Mountain Sect of the Great Tang were among the first to request the Imperial Decree from the Dragon and Tiger Mountain Celestial Master Mansion.

At that time, she, Tang Zhenjun, was the incumbent Celestial Master.

However, she had already decided to pass on the Celestial Master position to Lei Jun, so the bestowal of the Imperial Decree was postponed until Lei Jun took over the Dragon and Tiger Mountain Sect. It became Lei Jun's first accomplishment as the new Celestial Master.

This marked the beginning of the Daoist Sect's new leadership.

The rare precedents from the past were all related to this.

Tang Xiaotang had also witnessed most of Lei Jun's achievements during his tenure as the Celestial Master.

Looking back, everything seemed to have fallen into place naturally.

But now that it had actually happened, Tang Zhenjun's heart felt like it was being scratched by a red panda's claws.

She knew she shouldn't show it in front of Xu Yuanzhen... or perhaps it was precisely because Xu Yuanzhen was the one telling her this news that she couldn't remain calm.

Her eyes turned red.

Her envious eyes were red!

Xu Yuanzhen turned to look at Tang Xiaotang, examining her from head to toe, and exclaimed, "You're a sight for sore eyes!"

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end