Seeking Fortune and Avoiding Misfortune: Starting from the Celestial Master’s Mansion
Chapter 119: Two opportunities come together

"You... Lei Jun!"

The Lin Clan members in front of him, initially shocked, soon recognized Lei Jun.

The two sides were old enemies, and they were well aware of any outstanding new figures that arose from the other side. Because they recognized him, the Lin Clan members were filled with despair.

Standing before them was a tall young man in a crimson Daoist robe who had already undergone Initiation. Rumor had it that he was at the Middle Heavens cultivation stage. Given the relationship between the two families, the Lin Clan members didn't even consider begging for mercy.

No one knew who shouted first, but immediately, swords were drawn. The sound of blades scraping against scabbards filled the air, and the glint of cold steel flashed under the night fire's glow.

"Evil Daoist, don't get cocky! Taste my blade!"

Chilling Sword Qi filled the air, converging on Lei Jun from all directions.

One moment, Lei Jun was still and calm like a deep pool, the next, he moved like a crashing thunderbolt.

At that moment, his Wind Thunder Talisman completely abandoned the subtlety of "Night Wind" and turned into the violent ferocity of "Day Thunder."

To the Lin Clan members, it seemed as if Lei Jun had vanished from his original spot.

When he reappeared, he was outside the ring of Sword Qi, standing behind a Lin Clan member, his short rod swinging down.

Thud!

The target's head was instantly done for.

"Looking at you all, I can't help but think of a phrase..."

Lei Jun's figure flashed again, disappearing and reappearing behind another Lin Clan member. He swung the short rod:

"…The bones of nobles lie shattered on Heaven’s Street."

The Lin Clan member fell forward without a sound.

Before the body hit the ground, Lei Jun had already moved to a third person. "As far as I know, that phrase was uttered by a noble scion himself? No matter, it fits the occasion."

He zipped around like lightning and thunder, moving seemingly aimlessly, casually passing behind Lin Clan members and giving each a swift strike.

"I'm a kind-hearted person, but..."

Lei Jun stopped, standing still. "My way of thinking is different from yours... different from most of the people in this world. So don't provoke me."

He paused, and behind him, the Lin Clan members' bodies crumpled to the ground.

Only then did they hit the ground in sequence: Thud, thud, thud, thud.

The noise alerted the Lin Clan members who were besieging Zhang Yuan and the others.

When they turned around, they were greeted by the sight of their comrades' bodies lying in a circle.

Not only the Lin Clan members, but even the True Disciples of the Tianshi Mansion were stunned.

“Brother Liao and the others…”

Some remaining Lin Clan members were still in shock, while others roared in anger.

A Lin Clan youth at the front, eyes bloodshot, shouted loudly:

"Look to Mount Nan, where flames burn the fields!"

As he chanted, Spiritual Energy surged through the air. Despite the chill of early spring, the forest grew hot.

The crackling of flames sounded, and a sea of fire appeared.

Even the small fires scattered around gathered into a blazing mass, sweeping toward Lei Jun.

Other Lin Clan members, following the youth's lead, regained their composure. Those trained in Chanting Arts joined in, yelling:

"Red at dusk fades, short flames reconnect!"

The fire grew larger, linking together into a blazing inferno surrounding Lei Jun.

Unfortunately, there were no Middle Heavens-level Chanters among them.

Lei Jun's cultivation outmatched them, and he didn’t need to do much.

He tossed a High-Grade Spirit Talisman, the Boundless Sea of Flames Talisman. Even though it wasn't his Life-bound Spell, it suppressed their sea of fire.

Then he tossed another High-Grade Spirit Talisman, the Thousand Thunder Strike Talisman.

It was no longer a matter of taking out one opponent at a time.

It took out a whole group.

The scene was brutal.

Zhang Yuan and the other Tianshi Mansion True Disciples didn’t think it was brutal.

Once they snapped out of it, they cheered for their hero, Lei Jun.

They had been anxiously waiting for Elder Zuo and Senior Brother Li to return and save them. As time passed without them, despair set in.

But surviving long enough to see Lei Jun arrive was an unexpected blessing.

Even for the True Disciples of the Tianshi Mansion, this was a moment of pure joy.

"Is everyone alright?"

Lei Jun's demeanor softened when addressing his fellow disciples, showing a hint of his master Yuan Mobai's gentleness, comforting them like a spring breeze.

While speaking, he discreetly put away his Upper Qing Golden Bamboo short rod behind his back.

Heavenly Venerable, forgive me for my vanity... Lei Jun mocked himself. I have an image to maintain...

He reminded himself to maintain his style.

Even the fallen Lin Clan members retained their elegance, whether they practiced Classics or Chanting.

Meanwhile, Lei Jun with his Upper Qing Golden Bamboo rod looked like he was holding a club.

The single-handed short rod wasn’t too bad. But when the Upper Qing Golden Bamboo’s power was fully activated, extending into a long rod...

He couldn’t help but recall baseball bats from his time on Blue Star.

Master, you’re perfect in every way... except for ruining my style.

Lei Jun shook his head, refocusing his thoughts.

Fortunately, though Zhang Yuan and the others were wounded, no one had died. Some were severely injured.

Lei Jun took out the renowned Jade Bone and Muscle Powder from the capital, gifted by Chu Yu, along with various medicinal powders Wang Guiyuan had prepared for him. These helped stabilize his comrades’ conditions.

Seeing the injured stabilized, everyone breathed a sigh of relief, grateful to Lei Jun.

Only then did Lei Jun ask, "Where are Elder Zuo and Senior Brother Li?"

Zhang Yuan and the others smiled bitterly.

Hearing that Li Yucheng had gone to Nine Stream Valley, Lei Jun’s expression remained calm, though inwardly he was exasperated.

On the way back to Mount Longhu, Lei Jun’s group carefully approached Nine Stream Valley and found Zuo Li and Li Yucheng there.

No wonder they hadn’t returned.

Both were gravely injured.

Zuo Li managed to sit and heal, but Li Yucheng was barely clinging to life, saved only by the Mansion's powerful elixirs.

"Lei Shizhi?"

Seeing Lei Jun, Zuo Li looked surprised. With Lei Jun's help, he was able to stabilize his condition. But after hearing Zhang Yuan and the others recount their ordeal, Zuo Li nearly lost his breath again.

Even though everyone was now safe under Lei Jun's protection, Elder Zuo still felt lingering dread.

Thankfully, the rest of the journey went smoothly. Everyone returned to Mount Longhu without encountering any more Lin Clan members.

The person the Lin Clan had mentioned, “Brother Zhen,” was likely Lin Zhen, one of the leading figures of the Jiangzhou Lin Clan’s younger generation. He was known to be on par with Senior Brother Li Zhengxuan of the Tianshi Mansion and Ye Cheng of the Qingzhou Ye Clan.

Of course, "younger generation" here referred to cultivation circles, not secular age. At the very least, Lin Zhen was in his seventies or eighties. As a Seventh Heaven Confucian Cultivator, he was still considered young relative to his life expectancy.

Due to the shifting Earth Veins and the changes in Heaven and Earth’s Spiritual Energy, Lin Zhen and others found it difficult to locate the Lin Clan members hidden in remote forests. They could only agree on meeting points.

Now, with Lei Jun's intervention, Lin Liao and his group had already returned to nature.

When they got back to the Mansion, Lei Jun, Zuo Li, and Zhang Yuan went to the Steward's Hall to report the incident. Conflicts and casualties between the Tianshi Mansion and the Jiangzhou Lin Clan were nothing new, and the handling procedures were standardized.

Lei Jun was rewarded for saving his fellow disciples, earning a significant amount of Merit Points. Zhang Yuan and the others were also commended for their bravery in holding their ground against superior enemies, upholding the honor of the Mansion.

The issue lay with Zuo Li and Li Yucheng, the two Initiate Daoists responsible for leading the group.

For Lei Jun, this matter had nothing to do with his duties; his contributions were purely voluntary. But for Zuo Li and Li Yucheng, it was a matter of professional responsibility.

Zuo Li fared slightly better. After all, he had gone to rescue Li Yucheng. Without him, Li Yucheng might not have made it out of Nine Stream Valley alive.

Li Yucheng, however, had clearly abandoned his post, resulting in both he and Zuo Li being severely injured. Worse, their absence put Zhang Yuan and the others in danger, nearly causing a greater disaster.

Zuo Li, known for his kindness and care for junior disciples, might have covered for Li Yucheng if Lei Jun hadn’t been there. But Zhang Yuan and the others had already reported everything, leaving Zuo Li unable to help.

Though Li Yucheng still needed time to recover, he would eventually have to face the Mansion's judgment.

After Lei Jun truthfully recounted what he saw, he paid no further attention to the matter. Li Yucheng's fate was no longer his concern.

Elder Zuo, however, sighed deeply.

Overall, Li Yucheng was considered one of the more talented disciples of the younger generation. While not the absolute best, he was certainly among the second tier. Usually calm and reliable, this rare moment of recklessness had led to severe consequences.

Zuo Li had a good idea of why Li Yucheng acted out of character, but he didn’t want to discuss it in front of Lei Jun.

"Not just Junior Brother Chongyu. Many people in the Mansion have been unsettled lately," Elder Zuo said with a sigh.

When Lei Jun later met his fellow disciple Wang Guiyuan, the two chatted casually. Wang Guiyuan remarked, "It's not entirely because of you, Junior Brother."

Lei Jun pondered his words.

Wang Guiyuan seemed to change the topic, saying, "The frequent shifts in the Earth Veins might be due to human actions or the broader Heavenly Trends. In recent decades, Spiritual Energy Revival has become more pronounced.

"Heavenly Treasures are appearing more frequently, and the environment is increasingly suitable for cultivation. We are living in a Golden Age for cultivation. Our generation is fortunate, and many predecessors would envy us."

Lei Jun nodded slightly.

Throughout history, especially within the last thousand years, the cultivation environment had gradually improved. Cultivators were advancing faster, and more high-level young talents were emerging. This trend was due to both individual effort and the momentum of the times.

In the past hundred years, and especially the last few decades, this trend had become even more apparent.

The Tianshi Mansion was one of the beneficiaries of this wave. The rapid rise of their younger generation helped fill the power vacuum left by internal conflicts. Without this new generation of talent, the Mansion might not have survived the crisis after Li Qingfeng's death. At the very least, it would have been far more difficult, with greater losses.

For the Mansion as a whole, this was undoubtedly good news.

But the situation was also delicate.

Wang Guiyuan was right: while Lei Jun’s rise might have unsettled Li Yucheng, it wasn’t the primary reason for the widespread anxiety.

There was another figure looming over everyone.

Tang Xiaotang.

She was already the most talented disciple of the current generation. Now, with the surge in Heaven and Earth’s Spiritual Energy, her cultivation was advancing at an astonishing pace.