Seeking Fortune and Avoiding Misfortune: Starting from the Celestial Master’s Mansion
Chapter 117: Take the First Opportunity First

“Another two upper-moderate omens?”

Lei Jun felt a surge of joy in his heart.

Well, there were no close companions around him at the moment.

It seemed he might once again face the happy trouble of having too many good options.

But seeing these auspicious omens brought him undeniable joy.

Although he might miss out on one of them, Lei Jun remained calm.

Right now, his focus was on choosing which of the two upper-moderate omens to pursue.

From a geographical standpoint, Solitary Source Peak, Cangling River, and Nine Stream Valley were all quite far apart.

Lei Jun knew a bit about each of these three locations.

Returning to Mount Longhu from the Chishan Branch Estate, these three places were all along the way.

However, this omen involved a timing issue.

At sunset...

Based on past experience of seeking fortune and avoiding calamity, when there's a specific time point, it’s usually impossible to cover multiple destinations. One has to choose one omen and act on it.

Choosing one meant missing out on the others.

Attempting to rush between two places within a short period of time was unlikely to work.

“Solitary Source Peak, Cangling River...” Lei Jun carefully reviewed the locations mentioned in the two upper-moderate omens.

He wondered whether he should scout both places first, like he had done previously in the Upper Qing Thunder Altar Grotto-Heaven.

For his current situation, if he could find a true-yin spirit item to complement the True Yang Mystic Flower, it could mean a chance to enhance his bone structure.

With that thought, Lei Jun set off immediately.

He had already packed his things, and after bidding farewell to the elder stationed at the Chishan Branch Estate, he departed.

---

Meanwhile, far from the Chishan Branch Estate.

Deep in the mountain forests, a strange pit had once again been excavated in a valley.

A massive chess piece was buried within the pit.

In the distance, Ye Cheng, a disciple of the Ye Clan from Qingzhou, nodded in satisfaction.

He thanked the young man beside him, “This time, it’s all thanks to Brother Lin’s help that everything went smoothly.”

Standing next to Ye Cheng was another young man, dressed in a scholar’s robe, with a refined and elegant demeanor.

He was Lin Zhen, a direct descendant of the Lin Clan of Jiangzhou.

His father was Lin Qun, the clan leader who had previously fallen unexpectedly over the Great River.

“Brother Ye, you’re too polite,” Lin Zhen said calmly. “This is a matter of great importance. Jiangzhou cannot sit idly by.”

He looked at Ye Cheng. “But such large-scale movements might draw the attention of His Majesty.”

Ye Cheng replied, “Although everyone is making their moves quickly now, the next step depends on how our Emperor counters, so we can plan accordingly.”

Lin Zhen didn’t respond, instead turning to face the north.

Ye Cheng joined him, also looking northward. “It may not necessarily be the Lin Clan of Youzhou and the Ye Clan of Jinzhou.”

Among the Five Great Surnames and Seven Prominent Clans, the two Lin families and two Ye families held unique positions.

Despite their shared origins, their relationships weren’t always harmonious.

In particular, the Lin Clan of Youzhou and the Lin Clan of Jiangzhou were located in the north and south respectively. The Jiangzhou branch had descended south across the river, establishing roots and expanding independently.

Relations between the two Lin Clans were delicate.

On the surface, they seemed less cordial with each other than with other prominent clans.

In the current environment, everyone was watching the Tang Emperor's next move.

The Emperor’s northern expedition had already made the Ye Clan of Jinzhou and the Lin Clan of Youzhou feel uneasy.

Considering the internal strife within the Lin Clan of Jiangzhou, the situation became even more intriguing.

Of course, no prominent family was willing to sit idle, nor would they let the Tang Emperor act freely.

The Tang Emperor had made his first move.

Now, the prominent families were responding.

The Emperor might adapt his strategies accordingly.

Who would have the last laugh remained to be seen.

“The Ye Clan of Qingzhou remains as steady as a mountain,” Lin Zhen said indifferently. “As long as the game ends in a draw, Qingzhou Ye has already won.”

The current Empress hailed from the Ye Clan of Qingzhou.

The Emperor’s only son was born to her.

Due to the unique nature of the Imperial Path or Son of Heaven Path, once a crown prince was established in times of peace, he was rarely replaced.

Not to mention, the Emperor had only one son.

“It’s still too early to say,” Ye Cheng said, his expression neutral. “The position of the Nine-Five Sovereign is different from any other.”

He smiled slightly. “Of course, everything depends on human effort.”

Not even emperors or dynasties were immutable.

But the Five Great Surnames and Seven Prominent Clans had remained prominent through all the changes.

Lin Zhen nodded and clasped his hands in farewell. “My work here is done. I must take my leave now.”

The internal conflict in the Lin Clan of Jiangzhou still raged on.

Lin Zhen had made time for this, but now he needed to hurry back.

In truth, some of the turmoil within his clan was stirred up by the Lin Clan of Youzhou and the Ye Clan of Qingzhou.

If those clans faced internal struggles, the Lin Clan of Jiangzhou would likely do the same—stir the pot.

But that didn’t affect their current cooperation.

Ye Cheng returned the gesture. “Your affairs are urgent, Brother Lin. I won’t delay you further.”

Lin Zhen nodded and left.

---

On the way back to Mount Longhu from the Chishan Branch Estate, a cloud carriage flew through the sky.

It was Elder Zuo Li and Initiate Disciple Li Yucheng of the Tianshi Mansion, leading Zhang Yuan and other young Initiate Disciples after completing their training in the Chiyuan Grotto-Heaven.

They had departed before Lei Jun.

At that time, Lei Jun was still in Chiyuan Grotto-Heaven, gathering Yin Wind Qi.

However, halfway through their journey, the mountains below them suddenly shifted.

Violent tremors caused the land to crack open, releasing powerful spiritual energy that surged into the sky like a violent wind.

The cloud carriage was caught in this sudden blast and fell from the clouds.

Fortunately, Zuo Li and Li Yucheng, both cultivators of the Middle Heavens, managed to prevent any injuries.

After the frightened group rested and regained composure, they continued their journey, unsure of the cause of the anomaly.

Without the cloud carriage, they had to proceed on foot.

Zuo Li and Li Yucheng slowed their pace to accommodate the younger disciples.

Strictly speaking, Zhang Yuan and the others were fast enough to keep up with galloping horses.

But this world was vast, and covering such distances on foot was arduous.

“This is still valuable experience,” Zuo Li said with a smile, encouraging the young disciples.

They climbed over mountains, trekking through rugged terrain.

Half a day later, Li Yucheng’s expression suddenly changed, and he looked toward the distance.

“What is it?” Zuo Li asked.

“There’s something over there. I can’t tell if it’s a demon or a spirit.”

Zuo Li glanced in that direction. “Seems like it’s near Nine Stream Valley?”

“I’ll go check it out, in case it’s a demon attack,” Li Yucheng said, then flew off on a cloud.

Zuo Li hesitated but stayed behind to watch over the younger disciples.

He couldn’t help but wonder why Li Yucheng, usually calm and reserved, was suddenly acting impulsively.

Then he thought of Lei Jun and sighed.

As he guessed, Li Yucheng’s unease stemmed from Lei Jun.

Lei Jun had entered the sect much later but had already reached the Fourth Heaven, only slightly behind Li Yucheng in rank.

But the time Lei Jun took to reach this point was a fraction of Li Yucheng’s.

Li Yucheng felt a crack in his composure.

He hadn’t been this easily rattled before.

Even when Tang Xiaotang, a Celestial Physique genius, left him in the dust, he could console himself that no one in Tianshi Mansion could compare to her.

But now, with Lei Jun’s sudden rise, it was hard not to expect more similar shocks.

Moreover...

The status of the Li Family within Tianshi Mansion was becoming increasingly delicate.

Li Yucheng sensed the change but couldn’t do anything about it.

Seeing Lei Jun rise so quickly hit him harder than expected.

Lei Jun’s recent trip to gather Yin Wind Qi in the Chiyuan Grotto-Heaven raised many questions for him.

Why didn’t Lei Jun gather White Tiger Wind Qi or Azure Lightning Qi at the mansion instead?

Li Yucheng couldn’t understand it, but it reminded him of the time Lei Jun trained at the Blue Stone Ink Mine and emerged unscathed...

Something unusual was at play.

Determined to seize any opportunity to improve his own strength, Li Yucheng flew toward the dense spiritual energy of Nine Stream Valley.

---

After leaving the Chishan Branch Estate, Lei Jun first visited Cangling River, then Solitary Source Peak.

Unfortunately, his Tianshi Seal and True-One Altar remained unresponsive.

He wasn’t sure if it was

because these places lacked a match for the True Yang Mystic Flower, or if, like before, the treasures moved with the spiritual veins, only appearing at specific times.

Since he found nothing, Lei Jun didn’t dwell on it.

He chose the first upper-moderate omen.

Solitary Source Peak was calm and quiet.

Cangling River, however, was more turbulent.

Given the choice, he preferred Solitary Source Peak—less hassle.

The peak was fixed in location, whereas Cangling River’s long stretch would take more time and effort to search.

Having made his decision, Lei Jun explored the area around Solitary Source Peak carefully.

Soon, in a valley, he found a deep fissure similar to the one in Qiluo Valley.

At the bottom, spiritual energy flowed like a river.

He patiently waited.

As the sun set, the time finally arrived.

Descending into the fissure, Lei Jun held his Breath-Taking Flag and focused.

The upper-moderate omen didn’t disappoint.

Right on time, as the sun set, a glimmer of light flowed down the spiritual river!

With a swift flick of the flag, Lei Jun’s spiritual rope caught the light.

A Fifth-Grade Opportunity was in hand!