Seeking Fortune and Avoiding Misfortune: Starting from the Celestial Master’s Mansion
Chapter 110: Second batch of emojis

As soon as Xu Yuanzhen spoke, Lei Jun saw the Shadow Vine suddenly come to life.

The entire long vine stretched out of thin air, standing upright at Xu Yuanzhen's fingertip.

The nearly transparent vine, like a shadow, gently swayed its few leaves.

An invisible force seemed to emanate outward.

There was no grand spectacle or earth-shaking movement.

This invisible force spread out and enveloped the entire Qiluo Valley.

Then, it continued to expand further, with no discernible boundary in sight.

Before, not knowing that the Shadow Vine and the Heartburning Chi appeared in pairs was one thing.

Now that she knew, Xu Yuanzhen naturally wouldn’t miss this opportunity.

Using the Shadow Vine as a guide, the invisible force continued to expand.

Soon, almost the entirety of Youpeng Mountain was covered.

At that moment, something seemed to twitch among the rocks in a certain part of the mountain.

“There it is,” Xu Yuanzhen nodded slightly, her gaze fixed on the spot.

She didn’t walk over but simply beckoned in that direction.

A dark red glow flew out from the rocks and seemed to willingly land in Xu Yuanzhen’s palm.

Lei Jun focused his gaze and saw that what had landed in her hand was a dark red creature, resembling both a dragon and a snake.

Its dark red body seemed to contain a surging heat.

The spiritual aura it emitted was indeed a perfect counterpart to the Shadow Vine, an opposing yet interconnected match.

Xu Yuanzhen held the Shadow Vine in one hand and the Heartburning Chi in the other, then handed them both to Lei Jun.

Although the Shadow Vine was strange, it was indeed a spiritual herb.

The Heartburning Chi appeared alive, but it wasn’t an actual Chi Dragon.

Comparing the two, Lei Jun concluded that they were similar to the Fire Marrow Yangfish and Water Marrow Yinfish.

The Heartburning Chi also possessed transformative spirituality, constantly shifting between physical and spiritual forms.

It felt as though if Lei Jun wasn’t careful, it would dissipate into spiritual energy and vanish.

Lei Jun waved his hand, and a large amount of soil-like spiritual earth appeared.

This didn’t come from the Breath-Taking Flag, but from Lei Jun’s own refined Earth Seal Thunder.

The Earth Seal Thunder split into two pieces, enveloping both the Shadow Vine and the Heartburning Chi.

The seemingly loose spiritual earth instantly reshaped and solidified, forming two perfectly square, hollow soil blocks.

The Shadow Vine and Heartburning Chi, which usually burrowed into any soil they encountered, now recoiled as if struck by lightning when they touched the inside of the soil walls, retreating to the center.

“Thank you, Senior Sister,” Lei Jun said with gratitude.

Before coming here, he couldn’t help but let his imagination run wild, considering various possibilities:

What if they couldn’t find the Heartburning Chi after arriving at Youpeng Mountain and Qiluo Valley?

What if they found the Heartburning Chi only for enemies to appear and try to kill them for it?

What if something chaotic happened in Youpeng Mountain while they were searching, drawing many people into a mess?

Lei Jun had conjured up plenty of dramatic scenarios in his mind, but none of them came to pass.

Perhaps Xu Yuanzhen’s overwhelming presence and reputation discouraged anyone from causing trouble in her vicinity.

With her help, finding the Heartburning Chi was far easier and quicker than if Lei Jun had searched alone.

Obstacles? None!

“Now that we have the items, it’s time for us to part ways. You can head to the Chiyuan Grotto-Heaven on your own,” Xu Yuanzhen said.

“But refining the Heartburning Chi is a bit tricky. I’ll stay and make sure you don’t burn yourself. I’ll leave after you’ve refined both the Heartburning Chi and the Shadow Vine.”

She waved her hand, and the invisible waves sweeping across Youpeng Mountain disappeared.

Then, the two of them bowed toward the mountain, giving thanks for the spiritual treasures.

Afterward, Xu Yuanzhen casually sat under a tree in the valley and said, “Begin.”

Following her instructions, Lei Jun first opened one hollow soil block and took out the Shadow Vine.

The reason for refining the Shadow Vine first was that the Heartburning Chi was more dangerous and required the Shadow Vine as a buffer.

As its name suggested, the Heartburning Chi appeared calm but contained intense inner heat.

If a cultivator recklessly refined its spiritual power, they risked igniting a fire within their own body, leading to a disaster.

Lei Jun focused his mana to draw out the Shadow Vine’s spiritual power.

The vine gradually withered, revealing its true form, its color turning gray and dull.

The shadowy spiritual power entered Lei Jun’s body.

He controlled it carefully, keeping it condensed as an invisible vine within him.

He felt a chill spreading from the inside out, affecting not just his body but also his soul.

True Yin energy could nourish the body but could also harm it.

After circulating his mana through a full cycle, the chill dissipated.

Lei Jun then took the Heartburning Chi.

The spiritual creature shifted between physical and spiritual forms, glowing from dark red to bright red.

The glow flowed into Lei Jun’s body.

A burning sensation surged through his muscles and meridians.

The heat quickly concentrated in his heart and lungs.

Fortunately, the Shadow Vine’s spiritual power protected his internal organs.

The True Yin and True Yang energies intertwined within him like cords, eventually merging into a single harmonious force.

Lei Jun then guided this energy to inscribe his Primal Talisman.

A huge Primal Talisman, nine feet high and four feet wide, manifested above his head.

Two lines, one black and one white, appeared on the talisman, representing Yin and Yang in perfect harmony.

However, the lines were still faint and not yet fully etched.

“This will take time and patience,” Xu Yuanzhen remarked. “Since I’m already involved, I’ll wait a bit longer. Keep at it.”

Lei Jun eagerly continued refining the two spiritual energies, adapting to the changes they brought to his mana channels.

Meanwhile, Xu Yuanzhen busied herself by exploring Youpeng Mountain, as if on a leisurely vacation.

Although they were in a remote valley, she stayed informed.

Every so often, Lei Jun saw a paper crane fly in from outside the mountain, landing precisely in her hand.

After reading the message, she refolded the paper into a crane and sent it off again.

One time, after reading a message, she commented, “Xiaotang is still in the East Sea.”

Hearing her brief description, Lei Jun didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

That battle witnessed by Ye Cheng was just one of Tang Xiaotang’s many feats.

After that, Ye Cheng had returned to the mainland, while Tang Xiaotang stayed at sea.

In the meantime, she had fought at least seven major battles and countless smaller ones, gaining ever greater fame.

With Xu Yuanzhen’s unpredictable whereabouts and Li Zhengxuan in seclusion, Tang Xiaotang became the face of Tianshi Mansion, her reputation soaring.

Her opponents ranged from sea demons to Pure Yang Palace elders and young prodigies from noble families.

Her luck had also been good, earning her many rewards from various secret realms.

The downside? Many of these battles were unnecessary.

Despite her fun, she still hadn’t found the Tianshi Sword.

“She’s really setting the world on fire…” Lei Jun mused. “Did I influence her too much?”

Xu Yuanzhen glanced at him with interest. “What did you tell Xiaotang?”

Lei Jun shrugged. “Stories I heard from storytellers as a kid.”

He summarized a few stories. Xu Yuanzhen listened quietly, then remarked, “The storyteller was good at keeping audiences hooked. Your hometown had some talented folks.”

Lei Jun replied calmly, “He was an outsider who came to our village. His stories were popular.”

He sighed. “Sadly, those days are gone.”

Xu Yuanzhen didn’t press further, instead asking, “Who taught you to draw those memes?”

“It was that outsider too.”

Lei Jun took out paper and pen and quickly sketched a simple caricature of Xu Yuanzhen.

She looked at the drawing, a blend of her usual half-smile and a mischievous expression.

Amused, she sketched a caricature of Lei Jun in return, with a seemingly serious face and shifty eyes.

He laughed. “Is this ‘repressed mischief’?”

Xu Yuanzhen fiddled with the drawing in her hands, the corners of her lips lifting slightly.

Her eyes shimmered with amusement. “Repressed mischief, huh?”

Lei Jun gave a helpless smile. “It seems that’s how you see me.”

She raised an eyebrow, her tone light. “Well, you did give me the impression of having eight hundred schemes in your head at all times.”

Maybe it can be called "sultry"?