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https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-93-A-Second-Rank-Opportunity-the-Celestial-Master-s-Seal-Dedicated-to-Flying-Zhu-Yupapa/12586373/
Chapter 92: 91. A Fierce Battle and Peaceful Times
Chapter 92: 91. A Fierce Battle and Peaceful Times
From Lei Jun's perspective, he didn't believe that Chen Yi was a spy planted by the Blood River Sect within the Heavenly Masters Mansion.
After all, he had witnessed Chen Yi using the Blood River Sword Qi to assist him in fighting against several disciples of the Yellow Heaven Dao.
From Chen Yi's demeanor and expression, it seemed that he treated the Blood River secret technique as a personal secret weapon, enhancing his strength and using it strategically against enemies to achieve victory.
Considering this, Chen Yi kept it a secret.
On the other hand, in this world, the legacy of each sect emphasized the unity of body and law, and the Blood River Sect had a notoriously bad reputation. For Chen Yi, the fewer people who knew about his practice of the Blood River secret technique, the better.
That was why Lei Jun, upon witnessing Chen Yi's cultivation of the Blood River secret technique, chose not to meddle and report it.
Compared to that, he was more curious about how Chen Yi had managed to learn the Blood River secret technique.
After all, in this world, the emphasis on the unity of body and law was not merely a matter of sectarianism. It was because when one's foundation, doctrine, and practiced magic did not match, it could, at the very least, affect one's cultivation and hinder the power of their magic. In more severe cases, it could lead to deviation and even result in death or the dissipation of one's being.
It seemed that Chen Yi indeed had a unique advantage.
However, his luck was simply abysmal.
As a personal disciple of Elder Yao Yuan and one of the top true disciples in his batch, second only to Lei Jun, Chen Yi was already on the radar of many elders in the Heavenly Masters Mansion as a promising candidate.
If it had been another time, Chen Yi's discovery of stealing the Blood River secret technique might not have had such severe consequences.
At the very least, they wouldn't have immediately resorted to capturing and killing him. It was more likely that they would have detained him first, giving him a chance to explain and allowing for further investigation until his official master, Elder Yao, returned to make the final decision.
But unfortunately, not long ago, the Blood River Sect had also caused a huge disturbance near Dragon and Tiger Mountain.
Chen Yi was now in a situation where he couldn't explain himself.
Originally, he could have kept it hidden with his cautiousness.
However, with the departure of the Young Celestial Master Li Zhengxuan from Dragon and Tiger Mountain, carrying the Celestial Master Sword, the external enemies had regrouped and infiltrated the mountain once more.
Although the Heavenly Masters Mansion still maintained control of the situation, it was hard to predict what would happen to individuals.
In this emergency, Chen Yi had no choice but to use his secret weapon to face the enemy, even with his fellow sect members as witnesses, for his own safety.
Thus, his secret was exposed.
"Who would've thought that this Chen junior disciple... well, Chen Yi, would have such a secret hidden," Wang Guiyuan exclaimed in amazement.
The other disciples beside him were equally perplexed, "I heard that his strength is not bad, and he has already reached the perfect foundation-building cultivation. Several of his fellow disciples of similar cultivation weren't a match for him, and he injured many of them before escaping through the Jinque Creek waterway. Even if he cultivates the Blood River evil technique, his strength shouldn't be this strong, right?"
According to reason, the unity of the sect's magical powers and techniques should have affected the monk's strength.
Stealing the Blood River secret technique was just a small secret of Chen Yi's. There should be an even bigger secret... Lei Jun thought to himself.
The fact that Chen Yi had been able to hide his practice of the Blood River secret technique so well suggested that there might be other factors helping to conceal it.
The question was whether Chen Yi's big secret had been kept from his master, Yao Yuan, and the others.
Lei Jun now had a general understanding of the detailed meaning of the 'Double Loyalty' sign destiny at the Golden Sparrow Creek crossing.
If he had gone to the Jinque Creek crossing and happened to witness Chen Yi exposing the Blood River secret technique, or if he had been summoned by the sect's elders to pursue and kill Chen Yi, he might have collided with Chen Yi directly.
According to common sense, even if Chen Yi had more than one secret weapon, he was still only a double-heaven foundation-building cultivator.
Lei Jun, with his higher cultivation level, should have been able to handle Chen Yi easily.
However, according to the sign's prediction, there was a possibility that he would expose treasures like the Sira flag.
Reasonably speculating, either a powerful expert was aiding Chen Yi, or Chen Yi's big secret was incredibly powerful, far beyond the capabilities of ordinary magical artifacts.
As for the six-grade opportunity mentioned in the 'zhong zhong' sign, according to the sign's description, Lei Jun would have to show his true skills to obtain it; otherwise, he wouldn't be able to get it.
This suggested that the six-grade opportunity was most likely not something that could be found in the wild.
Instead, it was probably something that Lei Jun would obtain by exerting his full strength against Chen Yi.
Considering the grade of the opportunity, it was likely not Chen Yi's biggest secret.
Nevertheless, regardless of the specifics, Lei Jun chose to follow the upper sign destiny to the back mountain ancestral tomb.
And so, the two of them missed each other.
Although the Heavenly Masters Mansion would soon issue an order to hunt down and kill Chen Yi, treating him as a traitor like the Yellow Heaven Dao, it remained uncertain whether Lei Jun would ever encounter Chen Yi again in the future.
"Is Chen Yi... a spy for the Blood River Sect, or will he simply defect to the Yellow Heaven Dao?" someone asked.
Everyone looked at each other, unsure of the answer.
The incident at the Jinque Creek crossing had caused quite a stir, as several true disciples of the Heavenly Masters Mansion had been injured or killed.
However, in the current context, this wave did not attract much attention.
Firstly, because the Yellow Heaven Dao had already caused several incidents of internal betrayal, and everyone had already become somewhat desensitized to it.
Secondly, with the continuous battles and numerous casualties, there were more pressing matters that concerned the disciples at the moment.
There were rumors that the Celestial Master Seal, one of the three great treasures, might reappear.
This news gradually spread, reaching even the younger disciples within the mansion.
The Celestial Master Seal, one of the three greatest treasures, undoubtedly captured the attention of everyone.
The latest news reported that almost all the mountains in the Qingtian Peak area had been flattened.
According to rumors, the Young Celestial Master Li Zhengxuan and the Purple Yang Elder were gaining the upper hand against the Great Elder of the Vajra Temple, Dragon Jia.
It was even said that the Young Celestial Master had a chance to retrieve the Celestial Master Seal.
However, the Heavenly Masters Mansion's Grand Elder Li Song and the Yellow Heaven Dao's Grand Elder Yu Qing were also battling each other near the Qingtian Peak area, drawing closer to the action.
The two veteran masters of the Taoist Talisman Sect, Yu Qing and Li Song, were equally matched in strength. However, with Yu Qing taking the initiative to lead the charge, Li Song could only intercept, putting him at a slight disadvantage.
As a result of Yu Qing's advance, the Young Celestial Master barely escaped, and the Celestial Master Seal slipped through their fingers.
With more people involved, the situation became even more chaotic.
The area around Qing Tian Peak was now off-limits.
Scant information trickled out, and communication with that area was almost entirely cut off.
The disciples of the Celestial Master's Mansion on Dragon and Tiger Mountain who received the news were filled with worry.
Lei Jun and his fellow disciples were among the few exceptions, remaining calm amidst the turmoil.
"Alas, in times of fierce battle and peril, one wonders if anyone will fall in this conflict," Lei Jun remarked.
Wang Guiyuan was even more composed than Lei Jun, and he sighed, "Cultivation is already challenging enough. Engaging in constant power struggles only adds unnecessary danger."
Lei Jun replied, "I can understand why Master and the others are so concerned about the Celestial Master Seal. Its significance is immense."
Wang Guiyuan nodded in agreement, then shook his head. "That may be true, but often, the objectives of these disputes are not as critical as the Celestial Master Seal. Yet, they still insist on determining who lives and who dies. Why go to such extremes?"
"Indeed, brother Wang," Lei Jun acknowledged.
Despite the intense power struggles unfolding outside, the ancestral tomb in the back mountain remained a peaceful sanctuary, untouched by the chaos.
Shen Elder, who was in charge of this area, interrupted the tranquility enjoyed by Lei Jun and Wang Guiyuan.
"The situation is complex, and we must be cautious as we guard this sacred ancestral tomb. We should take extra precautions to ensure our safety," Shen Elder instructed.
He continued, "I will set up an altar and add another layer of protection to this forbidden area. You eight will take up positions at the eight gates, burning incense and lighting lamps."
The disciples promptly followed his orders and, after retrieving the necessary talismans, took up their positions at the eight gates, named Du, Jing, Si, Jing, Kai, Xiu, Sheng, and Shang.
Lei Jun made his way to the Du Gate and, following Shen Elder's instructions, set up the talismans—the fa sword, fa lamp, incense burner, and fu decree—in the specified arrangement.
Once he had finished, his eyes narrowed as he glanced in the direction of Qing Tian Peak.
The upper sign indicated that he should bide his time and wait for the opportune moment.
Now, it seemed that he had gained the opportunity to be alone. Was the time approaching? Lei Jun wondered.
As he turned his head, he noticed flickers of light appearing in the distant valley of the back mountain.
The lights twinkled like stars in the daytime sky, dazzling and mesmerizing, arranged in a captivating pattern.
Within this "starry river," a Taoist priest clad in a deep red robe hovered in the air. With each step he took, the stars around him shifted, responding to his spiritual power.
This was one of the orthodox practices of the Celestial Master's Mansion, known as "treading the stars and stepping on the Big Dipper."
Just as the Three Heavens cultivators of the Celestial Master's Mansion favored certain talismans like the gold lock talisman, thunderclap talisman, wind-riding talisman, and evil-warding talisman, this art of treading the stars was also a popular choice among them.
Shen Elder, at this moment, was surrounded by a "starry river" above and below him, with spiritual talismans dancing at his feet, forming three layers of altars.
More talismans spread out, gradually forming a complete altar in the Taoist tradition.
Unlike the illusory arena created by Lei Jun and the others within their bodies, Shen Elder's arena was constructed in the physical world through the collective effort of numerous sparkling talismans.
This was not a technique for combat but a unique ability possessed by Talisman Sect cultivators who had reached the fifth level of the Heavenly Palace realm.
It was known as the "Talisman Arena."
Without the need for deliberate arrangement, the place where one stood became an arena imbued with mystical properties.
Shen Elder's instructions to Lei Jun and the others to set up the talismans were out of his own cautious nature, ensuring that everything was in order and further enhancing the spirituality of the arena.
Once everything was in place, Shen Elder sat cross-legged on the top layer of the three-tiered altar formed by the intersecting talismans, quietly meditating and adjusting his spiritual energy.
Lei Jun and the others followed suit.
However, after sitting for a while, Lei Jun suddenly sensed something amiss with the two Celestial Master Seal imprints within him.
He first turned his attention to Shen Elder, but the latter seemed completely unaware of the change.
Lei Jun continued to observe for a while longer, and it appeared that Shen Elder and the others remained unaffected.
Trusting his instincts, Lei Jun's gaze swept across the back mountain ancestral tomb, considering if the environment here could help him conceal his actions from others.
Lei Jun cautiously attempted to activate the imprints.
The two Celestial Master Seal imprints opened a "passage" to the True One Altar Dimension.
As expected, Shen Elder and the others still showed no reaction.
Relieved, Lei Jun released his soul from his body and entered the True One Altar Dimension.
As soon as he entered, he sensed something amiss.
Someone else was attempting to open another "passage" to this dimension.
This time, they were about to succeed! Lei Jun looked up and saw a glow appearing above the dimension.
In the glow, a piece of white paper appeared, bearing the imprint of the Celestial Master Seal in its center.
This paper, imprinted with the seal, seemed to act as a portal, connecting the True One Altar Dimension to the outside world, and it was about to be pushed open.
It had a Confucian feel to it. Could it be the Chu tribe, Chu Yu, and the others? Lei Jun's mind raced as he considered two options: withdrawing his soul from the dimension or trying to block the portal.
However, before he could act, the paper with the Celestial Master Seal imprint trembled in mid-air.
Then, the light on the paper faded, and it drifted down helplessly.
The paper no longer served as a portal.
The "passage" that had been established through the paper also vanished.
In the now-empty True One Altar Dimension, Lei Jun was still alone.
What just happened? Lei Jun was baffled as he watched the paper float down and land in front of him.
(End of Chapter)
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