https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-61-The-Celestial-Master-s-Scheme/12586288/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-63-A-Three-Star-Opportunity-A-Relic-from-the-Past-Dynasty/12586290/
Chapter 62: The Lower Three Heavens and the Middle Three Heavens
Chapter 62: The Lower Three Heavens and the Middle Three Heavens
The waters of Tianxu River appeared no different from before.
But Lei Jun had the Avoidance-Water Golden Eyes, making him extremely sensitive to changes in the water veins.
With the aid of his unique eyes, he noticed that deep within the river, the flow of earth vein spirit qi had changed compared to before.
There were also fluctuations in the moisture and vapor around the mountains surrounding the valley.
It seemed that the overall direction of the earth vein spirit qi in this area had shifted.
Could these changes be caused by the contemporary Celestial Master and the Lin clan leader? Lei Jun wondered, finding it hard to connect the dots.
He was quite looking forward to this third-grade opportunity.
However, remembering the "wait for the right time" mentioned in the double upper sign he drew, Lei Jun decided to continue waiting patiently without rushing.
He lived his life at his own pace, and his days were always fulfilling.
Aside from patrol duties and personal cultivation, Lei Jun continued to study spirit talismans.
One day, he made a new breakthrough.
A talisman in his hand flashed with a cyan light, and the talisman paper shimmered with a faint rumble of thunder.
But the glow and the thunderous sound disappeared in an instant.
The next moment, it seemed as if a drop of water landed on the talisman paper.
It was a viscous, opaque, dark green-black color, devoid of any luster.
Like an oil stain, like ink.
However, as Lei Jun flicked his fingers, this "ink" seemed to come to life, flying up just before it touched the ground and spreading out in the air.
The dark but lively ink finally landed on the target boulder.
The rock was immediately eroded.
The ink sizzled and jumped, forming thousands of electric arcs that moved together silently.
"The first type," Lei Jun nodded.
He took out another talisman.
As Lei Jun held up the second talisman, a buzzing sound of electricity suddenly rang out. It was dense like a chorus of birds, sharp and distinct from the silence of the first talisman.
However, the thunderous light was a gentle, verdant green, and it moved gently without being violent.
On the contrary, within these strands of verdant green thunder, there seemed to be a hint of vibrant life force, like the spring thunder that signaled the revival of all things.
With a thought from Lei Jun, he waved his hand, and the strands of verdant green thunder gathered into a cluster, hovering in the air without dispersing.
It resembled a bamboo grove swaying with the wind.
"The second type."
Lei Jun nodded in satisfaction. Without using this verdant green lightning for an attack, he waved his hand again, dispersing the thunderous light.
Although he had started his experiments with the Fiery Flame Talisman, during the process, Lei Jun had begun to focus more on the Thunderclap Talisman and achieved results.
He continued to create a few more talismans and finally summarized his findings:
"The overall concept and direction should be correct, but indeed, I need an earth or stone spirit object that embodies a continuous and solid aura to serve as the fundamental medium, bearing the weight of this grand idea."
Unfortunately, he hadn't found any suitable earth or stone spirit objects in the Tianxu Mountain area yet.
Lei Jun decided not to rush things and set aside the talisman techniques for the time being, patiently awaiting the third-grade opportunity in Jiuzhou Ridge.
One crisp morning, Lei Jun left the small courtyard he was temporarily residing in at Tianxu Sect and prepared to begin another day of patrolling the mountain.
As he was about to descend the mountain, he happened to meet the person in charge of the night shift patrol returning.
"Senior Martial Sister Xia," Lei Jun greeted her, and they exchanged a Daoist salute.
The person's name was Xia Qing, and she was not a disciple of Tianxu Sect but, like Lei Jun, a true disciple of Dragon and Tiger Mountain's Celestial Master's Mansion. She had been traveling and temporarily attached to Tianxu Sect for training since last year.
She appeared to be a woman in her twenties or thirties, but her actual age was probably older than her looks, and she had entered the sect earlier than Lei Jun.
Her mentor, Elder Xia, was her distant paternal uncle and a peer of Elder Yuan and Elder Bai.
It is worth mentioning that this Elder Xia was married to the second senior martial sister of Elder Yuan and Elder Bai, who was also the younger sister of the contemporary Celestial Master, Elder Hongyu.
The couple was both high-ranking members of the Celestial Master's Mansion, and their union was considered a beautiful romance in recent years.
"Be careful during your mountain patrol, Lei Jun," Xia Qing said after exchanging greetings. She looked at Lei Jun as if she wanted to say something but stopped, eventually nodding and continuing on her way, passing by Lei Jun.
"Senior Martial Sister Xia seems to have something to tell me. Don't hesitate to speak freely," Lei Jun said.
Xia Qing stopped in her tracks and, after a moment's thought, asked, "I didn't mean to observe you, Lei Jun, but I happened to pass by your residence earlier and noticed that you often offer incense and pray to the heavens. Are you busy crafting talismans?"
Lei Jun nodded. "Yes, it's not too busy. Is there something I can help you with, Senior Martial Sister Xia?"
"Speaking of which, I may be overstepping our acquaintance, so please don't take offense, Junior Martial Brother Lei," Xia Qing said.
"I've heard that you, Junior Martial Brother Lei, have successfully established your altar and passed two tribulations in less than five years. Your talent and brilliance are truly remarkable."
"With the recent turmoil in our sect, it's understandable that you feel anxious and want to create more spirit talismans as a precaution. However, don't neglect your personal cultivation because of this," she advised.
She sighed softly. "The reason we remain here in Tianxu Mountain instead of returning to Dragon and Tiger Mountain to support our sect ultimately lies in our insufficient individual cultivation realms."
Although her words seemed to overstep their acquaintance, Lei Jun could tell that she meant well. He nodded slightly and replied, "Thank you for your concern, Senior Martial Sister. I will keep your words in mind."
Xia Qing gave a self-deprecating laugh. "Thank you for listening to my ramblings. Compared to you, I'm the one who needs to work harder."
As far as Lei Jun knew, Xia Qing had already achieved a perfect third-layer altar realm in her cultivation.
Moreover, even before she left the mountain to gain experience a few years ago, she had already reached perfection in the Triple Heaven altar realm.
However, in recent years, she had been preparing for the tribulation of breaking through the Triple Heaven to the Quadruple Heaven, a difficult hurdle.
This tribulation was extremely important.
Failing to pass it would not only result in the failure to ascend, but it would also limit one's lifespan. A cultivator in the Triple Heaven would only live up to two hundred years old, the same as in the Double Heaven realm.
Passing this tribulation, however, and achieving the Quadruple Heaven, or the Primordial Symbol realm, would extend a cultivator's lifespan to four hundred years.
Not only would their lifespan be longer, but their golden cultivation window would also increase to a hundred years.
For younger cultivators like Lei Jun and Xia Qing, this meant having more opportunities to continue climbing the cultivation ladder.
Furthermore, the cultivator's personal strength would also increase significantly when advancing from the Triple Heaven to the Quadruple Heaven realm.
In the Daoist Talisman sect, the Quadruple Heaven was known as the Primordial Symbol realm.
In the Daoist Pill and Cauldron sect, it corresponded to the formation of an inner elixir. For martial artists refining their physical bodies, it was the stage of embracing blood to form a pill. For Confucian scholars specializing in recitation, it was the cultivation of a poetic heart, and for Confucian scholars studying the classics, it was the attainment of a brave and upright heart.
Throughout history, regardless of the cultivation path chosen, this tribulation marked a critical juncture.
In the cultivation world, it was customary to refer to the First Heaven to the Third Heaven as the Lower Three Heavens, the Fourth Heaven to the Sixth Heaven as the Middle Three Heavens, and the Seventh Heaven to the Ninth Heaven as the Upper Three Heavens.
For a Daoist Talisman cultivator, achieving their Primordial Symbol represented their departure from the Lower Three Heavens and their entry into the ranks of the Middle Three Heavens cultivators.
As the two chatted and prepared to part ways, a middle-aged Taoist priest passed by and greeted them, "You two have worked hard during this incident, Summer and Thunder."
Lei Jun and Xia Qing replied in unison, "Elder Zhong is too kind."
The person addressing them was an elder of the Tianxu Sect, clad in a deep red Taoist robe, indicating his status as an ordained Taoist priest.
"Although the Yellow Sky Daoist heretics haven't shown themselves these past few days, we must remain vigilant," Elder Zhong cautioned.
Both Lei Jun and Xia Qing nodded in agreement.
Xia Qing inquired, "Elder Zhong, have there been any signs of the Yellow Sky Daoist heretics in Dragon and Tiger Mountain?"
Elder Zhong shook his head. "We haven't received any news. Everyone is puzzled as to why those heretics aren't taking advantage of the situation to cause more chaos. The more they behave like this, the more likely they are plotting something even more sinister. We must stay on guard at all times."
He offered a few more words of encouragement to Lei Jun and Xia Qing before taking his leave.
Lei Jun bid farewell to Xia Qing as well, "After this tribulation, I wish you success in your ordination, Senior Martial Sister Xia, and may you be listed among the celestial officials."
Xia Qing, like Lei Jun, wore an apricot yellow Taoist robe, signifying their status as transmitted disciples.
Typically, a transmitted disciple who had achieved the Triple Heaven altar realm would undergo multiple assessments before becoming eligible to apply for ordination.
Unlike the transmission ceremony, the ordination ceremony was traditionally presided over by the Celestial Master himself.
As the current Celestial Master had been in seclusion, a batch of qualified transmitted disciples, including Xia Qing, had been waiting for several years.
"Although our sect is going through a difficult time, I believe that the storm will pass soon," Xia Qing said, a slight smile appearing on her face. "With your rapid progress, Junior Martial Brother Lei, I'm sure you won't be far behind in attaining ordination."
"Thank you for your kind words, Senior Martial Sister," Lei Jun replied.
As Xia Qing, who had been on the night shift, returned to rest, Lei Jun embarked on a new day of patrolling the mountain.
He first walked the predetermined patrol route twice to ensure there were no abnormalities, and then he once again made his way to Jiuzhou Ridge, the place that had captured his attention.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
