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Chapter 59: The Third Upper Sign
Chapter 59: The Third Upper Sign
"Little Shishu..." Tang Xiaotang blinked, "Over the years, there have been countless rumors about the Heavenly Master's Seal. If I had to guess, I'd say there have been at least eight hundred."
Yuan Mobai smiled, "It would be best if the Heavenly Master's Seal could return to the ancestral hall of Longhushan sooner rather than later. A little hardship is nothing."
Tang Xiaotang muttered softly, "If it's so precious, then why..."
Even someone as blunt as her knew to stop there.
Lei Jun finished the sentence for her in his mind: ...was it lost in the first place?
"The reason why the Heavenly Master's Seal was lost..." Lei Jun asked tentatively.
Tang Xiaotang, who was beside him, answered, "I heard it was due to internal strife within the sect many years ago, but I don't know the details."
She hadn't joined the sect back then.
Tang Xiaotang's curiosity mirrored that of Yuan Mobai's.
After some contemplation, Yuan Mobai nodded and said, "Since you're all starting to venture out and travel, it's good to be aware. You can keep an ear out for related news."
He couldn't help but sigh, "Our sect has a long history and profound teachings, but it has also gone through many twists and turns."
Among the Three Great Sacred Lands of the Daoist tradition, the Longhushan Heavenly Master's Mansion had the longest history. Its establishment predated that of Chunyang Palace and Shushan, and its origins could be traced back to the ancient lineage of several noble families that had endured for tens of thousands of years.
Within the Four Great Sacred Lands of Buddhism, only the ancient Bodhi Temple could compare in terms of historical depth. The remaining three schools, when measured against the age of the Heavenly Master's Mansion, were but young upstarts.
Having thrived for countless years, the Heavenly Master's Mansion naturally possessed a deep foundation. However, compared to the foremost school of Confucianism, it had fallen behind, and there were many reasons for this.
One unavoidable factor was the internal strife that had plagued the Heavenly Master's Mansion, weakening it several times.
"External enemies are common to all sects," Yuan Mobai said, "But throughout history, our sect has experienced several... internal conflicts."
"The first occurred thousands of years ago and was caused by differences among several ancestors of our sect. The specifics are too ancient to delve into."
Lei Jun nodded.
When he had formally become Yuan Mobai's disciple through the transmission of teachings, his master had briefly mentioned this.
In the early years, the various divine talismans and abilities of the Heavenly Master's Mansion were presented to the Heavenly Court, seeking decrees from the ancestors of the Daoist tradition.
Later, it transitioned to the current method of directly communicating with the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, drawing power from nature itself.
This transformation, it seemed, had not been a peaceful one and had been accompanied by severe internal strife.
It had even led to a schism.
The Daoist Talisman sect, or the Longhushan Heavenly Master's Mansion, had suffered its first setback.
"The second incident is something many in the Mansion know about, but most choose not to speak of," Yuan Mobai continued. "Several consecutive Heavenly Masters have come from the Li family."
To be precise, including the current Heavenly Master, there had been four Li Heavenly Masters in total.
However, despite the number, they spanned only three generations.
"The first Li Heavenly Master was my master's grandfather," Yuan Mobai explained. "Both his personal cultivation and his leadership of our sect were highly regarded by all."
This was the grandfather of the current Heavenly Master, Li Qingfeng.
The Li family's consecutive leadership of the Heavenly Master's Mansion began with him.
At that time, he had been selected from among his peers as the most capable and virtuous.
Not only the Li family, but the Mansion also boasted many other powerful cultivators during that era, marking it as one of the sect's golden ages. In modern times, it could be considered the pinnacle, rivaling even top clans like the Lin family of Jiangzhou.
Although the Heavenly Master's Mansion had suffered significant losses in the conflicts with the Lin family over the years, the Lin family had not fared much better. Not only was their development hindered, but their influence had also declined.
This was directly related to the Lin family's current position as the weakest among the Five Noble Clans of Jiangzhou.
But back then, no one could have known that a new era in the Heavenly Master's Mansion was also about to begin.
"When my master passed away, the second Li Heavenly Master to take the position was not my father, but my father's older brother," Yuan Mobai continued. "They were brothers, both descendants of my master."
To be precise, the first Li Heavenly Master had three sons, and the youngest was the current Grand Elder Li Song.
At the moment, he was the elder with the highest seniority in the Heavenly Master's Mansion. Back then, he had been the youngest of the three brothers.
"To be fair," Yuan Mobai said, "My uncle and my father were both outstanding among their peers. The selection was based on merit, and even if my uncle had not become the Heavenly Master, it should have been my father."
Thus, the transition from the first Li Heavenly Master to the second had been accepted by most within the Heavenly Master's Mansion, despite it being a father-to-son succession.
However, the seeds of discontent had begun to sprout.
"What followed was the beginning of all the chaos," Yuan Mobai said, the smile fading from his face. "Under my uncle's guidance, his son, Li Cangting, my senior martial brother, emerged as a brilliant talent despite his youth. My uncle intended to pass on the position of Heavenly Master to Senior Martial Brother Cangting."
Li Cangting, the son of the second Li Heavenly Master.
But...
"That name sounds so unfamiliar, I've never heard anyone mention it before." Lei Jun and Tang Xiaotang exchanged puzzled glances.
Yuan Mobai didn't elaborate further and continued, "However, Master Uncle's intention to pass on the position to Senior Martial Brother Cangting eventually sparked turmoil."
Seeing that the position of Heavenly Master seemed to be passing from father to son within the Li family, with signs of becoming a hereditary role, the discontentment among other high-ranking members of the Mansion finally erupted.
Thus, the second internal strife within the Heavenly Master's Mansion commenced.
At that time, numerous veteran elders and high-ranking members of the Mansion united to challenge the second Li Heavenly Master, aiming to curb the Li family's continuous dominance over the position.
There were some underlying factors at play.
From the perspective of selecting the most capable and virtuous candidate, the consecutive Li Heavenly Masters were indeed among the top talents of their generation, or at least one of the best.
Moreover, with the influence of the first and second Li Heavenly Masters, there were also some outsiders among the elders who supported the Li family.
As a result, the conflict escalated, leading to an internal war.
The discord within the Heavenly Master's Mansion provided opportunities for external enemies, and with their involvement, the turmoil spiraled out of control, eventually reaching a point where neither side could easily call for a halt.
In the end, the Heavenly Master's Mansion suffered a severe blow.
Numerous veteran elders and outsiders among the elders perished.
Even the second Li Heavenly Master himself fell.
Countless disciples lost their lives or were injured.
"At that time, Senior Martial Brother Cangting was still young and lacked experience, and his cultivation had only reached the Sixth Heaven Realm."
Yuan Mobai continued, "As a result, it was my master who ultimately stabilized the situation, acting as the pillar that ended the chaos, and he became the new Heavenly Master."
After the internal strife, the Li family continued to hold the reins of the Heavenly Master's Mansion.
The anti-Li faction suffered heavy casualties.
Those who survived among them left the sect and fled.
Later, they founded the Yellow Heaven's Dao, which the Heavenly Master's Mansion has been trying to eradicate ever since.
Of course, in their eyes, it is the current Heavenly Master's Mansion that is treacherous and deserves to be purged.
Tang Xiaotang blinked, "That's so chaotic."
Lei Jun's eyebrows furrowed slightly as he pieced together the information.
Using his master, Yuan Mobai, as a reference point:
Going back, the Heavenly Masters, including Yuan Mobai's great-grandmaster, were not from the Li family.
Yuan Mobai's grandmaster was the first Li Heavenly Master, and he had three sons, including the next two Heavenly Masters and the current Grand Elder Li Song.
Yuan Mobai's master uncle was the second Li Heavenly Master, and his son was Li Cangting.
Yuan Mobai's master was the third Li Heavenly Master, the previous Heavenly Master, and he had three children: Li Qingfeng, Li Hongyu, and Li Ziyang.
Yuan Mobai's senior fellow disciple, Li Qingfeng, was the fourth Li Heavenly Master and the current Heavenly Master. He had a son named Li Zhengxuan.
When the internal strife broke out, the second Li Heavenly Master's son, Li Cangting, was still young and his cultivation was not advanced. Therefore, it was the second Li Heavenly Master's brother, Yuan Mobai's master, who led the Li family to victory and maintained their standing during the strife.
However, this brought about a problem.
The Heavenly Master's surname remained Li.
But according to family lineage, it had shifted from the first branch to the second branch...
So, what would happen next?
Would it go back to the first branch?
If Li Cangting were mediocre and incapable, it wouldn't matter, but it seemed that wasn't the case...
Sensing Lei Jun's gaze, Yuan Mobai seemed to understand his thoughts and nodded slightly.
"My master took up the position of the third Li Heavenly Master, stabilizing the situation within and without, and devoted himself to the sect's recovery from the internal strife. However..."
Yuan Mobai didn't say much about his deceased master, "Senior Martial Brother Qingfeng is also excellent."
Li Qingfeng, the current Heavenly Master, Yuan Mobai's senior fellow disciple, the eldest son of the previous Heavenly Master, the third Li Heavenly Master.
Li Cangting's cousin.
Tang Xiaotang also caught on, "The previous Heavenly Master intended to pass on the position to the current Heavenly Master, but Senior Cangting wanted to contest it?"
This is so melodramatic, it has lowered my image of the sect quite a bit... Lei Jun thought to himself.
Yuan Mobai's voice sounded a bit distant, "Although my master took up the position of Heavenly Master, due to the war, the Three Treasures of the Heavenly Master were separated at that time.
My master possessed the Heavenly Master's Sword and Robe, while the Heavenly Master's Seal was passed on to Senior Martial Brother Cangting by my master on his deathbed."
And then...
As Li Cangting's cultivation progressed, the previous Heavenly Master intended for his own son, Li Qingfeng, to succeed him as the next Heavenly Master. Thus, the third internal strife within the Heavenly Master's Mansion erupted.
"Senior Martial Brother Cangting's wife was from the South Barbarian Witch Tribe."
Yuan Mobai sighed, "During the internal strife, the South Barbarian Witch Tribe sent experts to assist Senior Martial Brother Cangting in his bid for the position of Heavenly Master.
This internal strife was no less intense than the previous one, and although it was eventually quelled, my master passed away because of it. Senior Martial Brother Cangting and his wife also perished.
The South Barbarian Witch Tribe and our sect both suffered heavy casualties, and our sect was once again greatly weakened. Among the previous generation of elders, only Elder Li Song survived to this day."
Yuan Mobai paused for a moment before continuing, "In that battle, Senior Martial Brother Qingfeng was also injured, but in the end, he successfully stabilized the situation and became the fourth Li Heavenly Master.
Lei Jun frowned slightly, a thought crossing his mind. He didn't know if he was overthinking things, but he suddenly connected these events to the current Heavenly Master, Li Qingfeng's, peculiar seclusion and emergence over the years.
Yuan Mobai spoke, "Over the years, Brother Qingfeng has dedicated himself tirelessly, and our sect has finally regained some of its former glory. The difficulties he faced are beyond the understanding of outsiders. Of course, to be fair, we must also thank the previous and current emperors of the Tang Dynasty for their successive support."
It hadn't been easy for the Heavenly Master's Mansion to reach its current state after facing consecutive internal and external crises and weathering the storm. Lei Jun couldn't help but sigh.
"Little Shishu, what about the Heavenly Master's Seal?" Tang Xiaotang asked.
Yuan Mobai replied, "After Brother Cangting's demise, the Heavenly Master's Seal went missing. Initially, we thought it had fallen into the hands of the South Barbarian Witch Tribe, but despite our investigations over the years, we've found no trace of it. That's why one of the Three Treasures of the Heavenly Master remains lost to this day."
Lei Jun's eyes narrowed in thought.
Tang Xiaotang puffed her cheeks and said, "Why didn't you tell me earlier? The last time I was in the South Barbaric Region, I came across a few practitioners of the Witch Tribe's poison techniques. If I'd known, I would have asked them for information before killing them."
Yuan Mobai smiled, "The internal strife within the South Barbarian Witch Tribe is far more intense than what we experience. Their leaders change like the wind, and those in power today may be gone tomorrow. It's not the same group of people anymore."
Lei Jun and Tang Xiaotang had only heard snippets of this information before, and it was only now that they were getting a full picture from Yuan Mobai.
Despite the story involving his own master and fellow senior brothers, Yuan Mobai's narration remained relatively objective.
"Great! I must find the Heavenly Master's Seal!"
Tang Xiaotang jumped to her feet, her eyes sparkling with anticipation. "How can I ascend to the position of Heavenly Master with one of the Three Treasures missing?"
Lei Jun clapped his hands twice, encouraging his junior sister. "You've got the spirit, Little Shimei."
Unlike Tang Xiaotang's excitement, Lei Jun remained calm.
As the old saying goes, it's important to aim high, but one must also stay grounded.
"So, how's it going with what you've been working on lately?" Yuan Mobai asked with a smile.
"I've made some new progress."
Lei Jun sought his master's advice, "Master, do you have any spiritual objects that are rich in the essence of earth and stone?"
Yuan Mobai didn't ask what he needed it for, and instead replied, "I don't have anything particularly impressive on hand, but I can point you towards a few places where you might find something suitable."
Tianxu Mountain, Tianxu Sect.
Yuanrong Valley, Kunyuan Palace.
Dingjiang Platform north of the river.
The first two locations mentioned by Yuan Mobai, like the Yunxiao Mountain Purple Cloud Sect, were offshoots of the Dragon Tiger Mountain Heavenly Master's Mansion, specializing in Taoist talismans. They weren't too far away, either.
The last place, Dingjiang Platform, was located north of the river and wasn't a Taoist lineage, but the person in charge there was an old acquaintance of Yuan Mobai.
With his master's guidance, Lei Jun began contemplating which place to visit.
Dingjiang Platform was the farthest, located north of the river.
Currently, the Heavenly Master's Mansion was on the brink of conflict with the Lin Clan of Jiangzhou, and tensions were high.
Although Lei Jun believed that he wasn't very prominent in this grand scheme, he had, after all, defeated Dong Yang and the others at Qingxia Lake.
In such a situation, it didn't seem very wise for him to travel far and wide.
Thus, he decided to put Dingjiang Platform as his last resort and considered whether to go to Tianxu Mountain or Yuanrong Valley first.
However, an unexpected event interrupted Lei Jun's plans.
Even Tang Xiaotang, who was determined to find the Heavenly Master's Seal, paused in her tracks.
The contemporary Heavenly Master, Li Qingfeng, of the Dragon Tiger Mountain Heavenly Master's Mansion, had finally emerged from seclusion once more.
Upon receiving this news, Tang Xiaotang dropped everything and rushed back to Dragon Tiger Mountain without a moment's delay.
Yuan Mobai also prepared to return to the mountain to meet with his master and exchange ideas.
However, he didn't bring Lei Jun back to Dragon Tiger Mountain with him. Instead, he consulted Lei Jun for his opinion, "Heavencross, do you want to continue traveling, return to the mansion, or stay in the Yunxiao Mountain Range?"
Lei Jun didn't answer immediately.
The glowing sphere in his mind flashed once again, displaying a message:
【Chaos will soon descend, and the world will be in turmoil. Seek refuge on land while navigating the waters.】
Following this, four fortune-telling sticks appeared:
【Upper-Upper Sign: Proceed to Jiuzhou Ridge in Tianxu Mountain. Bide your time and you will obtain a third-grade opportunity without any worries. Great fortune!】
【Middle-Middle Sign: Seek refuge outside the three mountains of Tianxu, Dragon Tiger, and Yunxiao. Keep a low profile, and you will have a smooth journey with no gains or losses. Neutral.】
【Middle-Lower Sign: Return to Dragon Tiger Mountain Heavenly Master's Mansion. Place yourself in the eye of the storm, where eminent masters vie for supremacy, and the rest suffer. An unpredictable and perilous path. Danger!】
【Middle-Lower Sign: Remain in the Yunxiao Mountain Range. The storm will spread here, and powerful enemies will arrive. A treacherous and dangerous path. Danger!】
(End of Chapter)
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