Seeking Fortune and Avoiding Misfortune: Starting from the Celestial Master’s Mansion
Chapter 126: You can’t blame me for this, right?

Zhao Gang took a deep breath, his eyes fixed intently on Lei Jun.

Lei Jun met his gaze calmly.

“Senior Brother Zhao, Master is calling us over,” came the distant call from Ji Chuan.

Zhao Gang nodded, withdrew his gaze, and left.

Lei Jun, however, remained unfazed.

From his observations, Zhao Gang, though a disciple of Elder Ji, only knew that his master held a grudge against Yuan Mobai. He seemed unaware of the detailed circumstances or Yuan Mobai’s background. Compared to this impulsive, not-very-bright hothead who couldn’t outfight or outtalk him, Lei Jun was far more concerned with another person.

His gaze shifted into the distance.

There, standing alongside Ji Chuan, Zhao Gang, and other Mount Shushan disciples, was Lin Xinran.

It didn’t matter whether he was from the Lin Clan of Jiangzhou or the Lin Clan of Youzhou.

Before Lei Jun left the mountain, his master, Yuan Mobai, had mentioned that things within the Mount Shushan Sect were also far from peaceful.

Unlike the Li Clan of Mount Longhu, which dominated the sect leadership through hereditary succession, Mount Shushan had yet to see such a singular power rise to prominence.

Disciples of Mount Shushan were allowed to marry, but the sect adhered to the principle that descendants wouldn’t inherit their own parent’s teachings directly. Instead, children were apprenticed to their parent’s peers or fellow disciples. For subsequent generations, unless special circumstances arose, they would be assigned to different branches.

Though cross-branch teachings occurred, Mount Shushan had yet to develop any large family dynasties.

But each family had its own struggles.

The greatest division within Mount Shushan lay between those advocating for worldly involvement and those preferring seclusion.

Compared to the other two Daoist Holy Lands—Pure Yang Palace on Zhongnan Mountain and Tianshi Mansion on Mount Longhu—Mount Shushan’s relationship with the Great Tang Imperial Court was the most distant.

Part of this was due to their remote location in Bashu. Another reason was historical tradition. Even before the founding of the Great Tang, Mount Shushan had remained in Bashu, rarely venturing beyond its mountains, avoiding external conflicts.

However, as the Tang Dynasty sought to counterbalance the powerful Confucian clans and the Five Great Surnames and Seven Prominent Clans, they began to support the Buddhist and Daoist Holy Lands.

Additionally, Mount Shushan’s growth demanded more and more cultivation resources.

As part of the Daoist Artifact Refining Sect, Mount Shushan disciples required vast amounts of resources for their cultivation. Over the past millennium, voices advocating for greater worldly involvement grew louder, promoting interaction with the Tang Imperial Court and the outside world.

The benefits were clear.

Mount Shushan flourished rapidly, securing its place among the Three Great Daoist Holy Lands. The Daoist Artifact Refining Sect grew strong, standing alongside the Talismanic Branch and the Daoist Alchemical Sect.

Their influence extended beyond Bashu, reaching Hunan-Hubei and even the Guanlong region.

But problems arose too.

The influx of external talent brought diverse and conflicting opinions.

Whether this was fortunate or unfortunate was up for debate.

While many powerful cultivators emerged, Mount Shushan lacked a decisive leader. As a result...

Factions sprang up everywhere.

“As long as it doesn’t escalate to widespread internal conflict, having factions isn’t necessarily a bad thing,” Yuan Mobai had said. “Historically, Mount Shushan was formed from numerous small sects and rogue cultivators uniting into an alliance. This alliance gradually evolved into the Mount Shushan Sect, establishing the foundation for the Daoist Artifact Refining Sect.”

Factionalism was, in a sense, part of Mount Shushan’s tradition.

“But with today’s unpredictable world, I worry that external pressures might lead Mount Shushan to the same fate as our own sect,” Yuan Mobai had warned.

If internal strife escalated, the outcomes could vary. There was a slim chance it might lead to greater unity and strength. But far more likely, it would result in crippling internal conflicts.

In some ways, Tianshi Mansion served as a cautionary tale for Mount Shushan, showing how internal disputes could weaken a sect. Despite frequent disputes, Mount Shushan’s factions had so far avoided breaking into open conflict.

But as Yuan Mobai had pointed out, the world’s situation was volatile. A single unexpected event could draw many into chaos.

When the Tang Emperor Zhang Qilong set out on his inspection tour, he couldn’t have predicted it would lead to such earth-shattering consequences. Even the leaders of the prominent clans who initially opposed the Emperor hadn’t foreseen the final outcome.

All these factors, shifting and evolving, created the world’s current state. Whether the outcome was what anyone wanted depended on their perspective.

Some people’s roles in this unfolding drama remained a mystery.

Lei Jun quietly observed Lin Xinran.

Among the aristocratic disciples, there were those like Chu Yu, Fang Yue, Fang Jian, Chu Kun, and Chu Andong. But there were also those like Fang Mingyuan, Fang Lu, and Lin Liao.

What kind of person was Lin Xinran?

A violent tremor snapped Lei Jun out of his thoughts.

In the distance, Elder He Dongxing had completed the final preparations.

Still wearing his usual cheerful expression, he stood atop a lone peak and gestured lightly.

A Daoist Sword soared into the sky, splitting into ten, then a hundred, then a thousand...

In the next moment, a torrential rain of swords descended from above.

Lei Jun stood at a safe distance, watching as the countless sword lights pierced the mountains below, slicing effortlessly through the earth like knives through tofu.

For a brief moment, there was silence.

Then, the ground began to quake violently.

The surrounding mountains shook and collapsed.

From his vantage point, Lei Jun could see the earth caving in as if something beneath was trying to escape.

Suddenly, a section of shattered rock shifted, as if something was moving rapidly underground.

But the area was surrounded by Mount Shushan’s magical formations. The formations created a cage of radiant light, linking the sky and earth.

The entity underground crashed into the light cage, causing it to tremble.

If given more time, it might still escape.

But He Dongxing wouldn’t allow that.

He merged with his sword, transforming into a brilliant beam of light that plunged straight into the ground.

A thunderous roar erupted from deep within the earth.

A massive figure emerged, too quick for Lei Jun to discern its details.

When He Dongxing’s sword light reemerged, the figure was clearer: a giant stone lion resembling those guarding temple gates.

This lion, however, was enormous, like a small mountain. Beneath its belly were nine legs arranged in a grid.

It roared, exhaling a yellow mist that filled the air with sand and dust.

The demonic energy polluted the surrounding spiritual energy, making it difficult for the human cultivators to breathe or circulate their mana.

This wasn’t even a full-scale battle with a powerful demon yet... Lei Jun felt a chill in his heart.

Glancing at Ji Chuan and the other Mount Shushan disciples, he saw them activate their life-bound artifacts for protection. They were affected by the demonic energy but held steady.

However, Talismanic Branch cultivators, who relied on borrowing power from nature, fared worse under such conditions.

Lei Jun pondered these things because the situation was still under He Dongxing’s control.

The stone lion was wounded by his sword, but just then, another tremor shook the mountains.

Another giant figure burst from the ground and took to the sky.

“Two of them...” He Dongxing frowned.

He quickly regained his composure, but with two stone lions to fight, he could no longer protect the younger disciples.

“Everyone, retreat immediately!” his voice commanded from above.

Swords and stone lions clashed fiercely, shaking the heavens and earth.

Amid the chaos, two deep fissures opened, one to the north and one to the south, trapping Lei Jun and the others in a narrow space.

As Lei Jun considered his options, a glowing sphere appeared in his mind, revealing a series of fortunes:

1. Moderate Omen: Stay within the Cangbo Mountain area. There’s a chance to escape. The danger will pass, and all will be safe.
2. Moderate Omen: Head west. There’s a chance to flee, with minor risks but no real danger.
3. Lower-Moderate Omen: Head east. There’s a chance to flee, but immense danger awaits—death is likely.
4. Lower-Moderate Omen: Attempt to cross the Earth Vein wind currents to the north or south. There’s a chance to flee, but great danger lurks—proceed with extreme caution.