Seeking Fortune and Avoiding Misfortune: Starting from the Celestial Master’s Mansion
Chapter 134: Another double-number of great fortunes!

Unlike the Golden Bamboo found in the Immortal Bamboo Grove of the Upper Qing Thunder Altar Grotto-Heaven at Mount Longhu, or the various bamboo groves of Southern Shu’s Bamboo Sea, these tall bamboos growing in the True Yin Land had a dull grayish color.

However, they grew healthily, with lush green leaves.

Lei Jun could sense the abundant spiritual energy within them. The gray bamboo stood out distinctly against the sea of green, looking unique and striking.

Not only did Lei Jun appreciate their appearance, but the large creature beside him did as well. The giant panda’s eyes rolled around eagerly, its tongue flicking out surreptitiously.

Despite its massive body, it tried to sneakily edge closer to the gray bamboo under Lei Jun’s watchful gaze.

Lei Jun blocked it immediately.

The panda looked up at him pitifully, its round face expressing a very human-like longing.

“There are plenty of spirit bamboos here for you to eat. Just leave this patch alone—I need it.” Lei Jun patted the creature’s massive head and ruffled its fur.

This panda was clearly picky.

It had been munching away non-stop on their journey, but now that it had seen these gray bamboos, it turned its nose up at the green ones nearby.

Ignoring the gluttonous giant for now, Lei Jun focused on the gray bamboos.

His primary goal in coming to Bashu was to find this True Yin Land. Without it, he wouldn’t have made the trip at all.

He had located the True Yin Land. According to the guidance from the Tianshi Seal and the True-One Altar, this was indeed the place he sought.

The issue now was how to turn this potential opportunity into a tangible benefit.

Previously, when these gray bamboos were still shoots, Lei Jun realized they weren’t his true target. Despite growing in the True Yin Land, the Tianshi Seal and the True-One Altar hadn’t resonated with them.

Now that the shoots had matured into tall bamboo, Lei Jun carefully sensed their energy. The Tianshi Seal and the True-One Altar still did not recognize them.

The faint resonance he felt still came from the True Yin Land itself, not the bamboo. It seemed that the energy in the ground had yet to crystallize into the form he desired—or at least not in these gray bamboos.

Lei Jun began to consider whether he should uproot the entire area of spiritual soil.

Technically, with the Breath-Taking Flag, it was challenging but not impossible.

The question was whether such a drastic action would yield the results he wanted.

Unless absolutely necessary, Lei Jun preferred not to take such an extreme approach.

Heaven and Earth had their own spiritual flow and natural energy. Forcing changes could sometimes successfully accelerate the growth of spiritual treasures—but it could also prevent them from ever forming.

After some thought, Lei Jun decided to wait.

He noticed that these gray bamboos were growing at an unusually fast rate. Their lifespan seemed shorter than other spirit bamboos and his expectations.

Could it be that they’re going to flower soon? he wondered.

From what he knew, many types of bamboo flowered at the end of their lifespan. Perhaps the gray bamboo’s spiritual energy and life force would reach their peak and transform when that happened.

With this hypothesis in mind, Lei Jun grew even more patient.

Judging by their current growth and the flow of their life energy, that moment wasn’t far off.

Lei Jun decided to stay in the bamboo grove, building a simple hut to await the flowering.

He maintained his usual cultivation routine, and his daily amusement came from “outsmarting” the giant panda to keep it from eating the gray bamboo.

Though secluded in the mountains, Lei Jun stayed informed of the world’s affairs.

The turbulence in Bashu had finally calmed down. The Shushan Sect, badly weakened, needed time to recover.

Fortunately, no other factions caused them trouble during this period.

It was the temporary peace in the external environment that had allowed Shushan’s internal conflicts to boil over in the first place.

But while Bashu was stable, the rest of the world was not.

Shortly after Lei Jun settled in the Southern Shu Bamboo Sea, a significant event shook the Great Tang Dynasty.

Emperor Zhang Qilong had passed away.

Previously, during the demon chaos in the Western Regions, humanity had achieved a costly victory, repelling the great demons without losing any territory. But the toll on cultivators was immense—the Tang cultivation world had lost half its strength.

Even Emperor Zhang Qilong had barely survived. Though he returned to the capital alive, his injuries never healed and only worsened over time.

After struggling for nearly two years, the emperor finally succumbed.

The Great Tang Dynasty now stood at a critical crossroads.

People across the capital and the entire empire watched with bated breath.

“His worsening injuries were no secret. Everyone was prepared for this…” Lei Jun murmured, lighting a Thousand-Mile Transmission Talisman and watching it burn to ash. “Let’s see what happens next.”

For him, court politics were a distant concern. Still, the fate of the dynasty would impact the Tianshi Mansion, the Five Great Surnames, and the Seven Prominent Clans.

A cold light flashed in Lei Jun’s eyes before he regained his calm.

He refocused on his cultivation, awaiting further developments in the True Yin Land and the gray bamboo.

Time passed quietly in the mountains.

The heat of summer faded, and the forest nights grew chilly.

Autumn arrived.

One day, Lei Jun noticed a change in the gray bamboo.

The gray color faded from the bamboo’s surface, replaced by a pure, clean white.

Even the branches and leaves turned white.

The cluster of white bamboo now stood out even more against the green forest.

Lei Jun carefully sensed the bamboo’s life force and spiritual energy. He realized that these strange spirit bamboos were nearing the end of their brief lifespan—and their final transformation.

Yet, even now, the Tianshi Seal and the True-One Altar showed no recognition of the bamboo.

Does it need to flower first? Lei Jun speculated.

At that moment, the Light Sphere in his mind flickered and displayed new words:

“In the True Yin Land, nature’s craftsmanship culminates. The opportunity is complete, needing only the final touch.”

Lei Jun’s heart tightened.

Three new omens emerged from the Light Sphere.

He read them carefully, his brows lifting in surprise.

“Well, this is…”

For the first time in a while, there was a Supreme Good Omen!

The other two omens were also promising—no bad omens this time.

The three omens were as follows:

[Supreme Good Omen]: Block the flow of Yudai Creek for three days. Restore the creek’s flow, then return to the north of Xiaoye Peak. A Fourth-Grade Opportunity awaits, expandable, no risk, no repercussions—Great Luck!

[Upper-Moderate Omen]: Wait quietly north of Xiaoye Peak for three days. A Fifth-Grade Opportunity awaits, no risk, no repercussions—Good Luck.

[Moderate Omen]: Do not block Yudai Creek. Return north of Xiaoye Peak. Nothing lost, nothing gained—Neutral.

Lei Jun considered the omens thoughtfully.

He had explored the Southern Shu Bamboo Sea thoroughly and knew the surrounding terrain well.

Xiaoye Peak referred to the mountain he currently occupied.

The True Yin Land lay in the bamboo forest north of Xiaoye Peak.

Yudai Creek was a small, spirit-rich stream flowing through the area.

Though the creek wasn’t particularly notable for someone at Lei Jun’s Third Heaven level, it now seemed crucial to his next opportunity.

He studied the Supreme Good Omen.

A Fourth-Grade Opportunity, expandable.

This likely referred to a True Yin Spiritual Treasure that could enhance his bone structure.

When he had previously encountered the Fourth-Grade Opportunity related to the True Yang Mystic Flower, it did not mention being expandable. That might have been because the True Yang Mystic Flower alone was insufficient to enhance his bone structure.

Now, this Supreme Good Omen indicated a chance for him to finally take that crucial step forward.

To achieve this, he couldn’t simply rely on the True Yin Land before him. He needed to manipulate the flow of Yudai Creek.

Lei Jun made up his mind.

He turned to look at the cluster of white bamboo, waving his hand to summon the Breath-Taking Flag, which flew to the ground beneath the bamboo.

A dim yellow light flashed briefly before vanishing.

The spiritual energy in the bamboo grove stopped leaking out. The white bamboo, now partially hidden among the green bamboo, seemed less conspicuous.

Lei Jun then buried several talismans around the area.

These talismans blended seamlessly into the soil, leaving no trace behind.

Once his preparations were complete, Lei Jun patted the giant panda on the back, signaling it to follow. The creature looked back at the gray bamboo longingly but obediently lumbered after him.

If he could leave a reliable guard to watch over the area, that would be ideal. But this panda was too much of a glutton—he didn’t want to risk it “guarding” by eating everything.

The Southern Shu Bamboo Sea was vast, and the pair moved through the dense forest quickly.

Soon, a clear stream came into view.

Lei Jun identified his direction, then led the panda upstream.

Suddenly, faint voices carried through the breeze.

“…a hidden cave left by a senior expert… treasures inside… hurry, let’s check it out!”

A group of people dashed through the bamboo forest across the creek, looking excited.

The group consisted of men and women, old and young. Their cultivation levels ranged from the Second Heaven down to the Qi Refining and Nurturing Qi stages.

Lei Jun raised an eyebrow.

He had explored this area thoroughly and found no trace of any hidden cave. The Light Sphere in his mind hadn’t reacted to anything here, either.

Probably a trap, he thought, shaking his head.

Ignoring the commotion, he continued upstream with the panda.

The omen required him to block the flow of Yudai Creek at just the right point to affect the True Yin Land to the north.

However, as he walked further upstream, he noticed a crowd gathering ahead.

A faint smell of blood drifted through the air.

The creek water had a reddish tint.

Lei Jun frowned.

He stopped and gestured to the panda to crouch down. The creature obediently hunkered low, its massive body surprisingly stealthy.

The Night Wind Talisman ensured that they remained hidden.

The combatants ahead were all Third Heaven or lower. But their choice of battleground was troubling.

Lei Jun’s eyes focused beyond the crowd.

There, nestled among the rocks and bamboo, was a cave entrance. A faint treasured light glimmered from within.

So this is the “senior expert’s cave” they were talking about…

But he had scouted this area before and found nothing. Either he had missed it, or the cave had only appeared recently.

He suspected the latter. It felt too coincidental.

Is someone orchestrating this?

Lei Jun scanned the scene, his gaze sharp. He sensed a faintly familiar presence.

While the Shushan Sect controlled large portions of the Southern Shu Bamboo Sea, they didn’t restrict others from exploring. Many cultivators from Bashu roamed these forests.

Lei Jun didn’t see any Shushan disciples or members of Rain Mountain Temple among the fighters. Instead, he spotted Daoists practicing artifact refining, though they seemed like offshoots or scattered cultivators with incomplete teachings.

There were also body cultivators, martial artists, Confucian sword scholars, and Buddhist monks.

The scene was chaotic.

However, Lei Jun could tell it was a trap.

Suddenly, beams of blood-red light shot up, forming a small Blood River Formation in mid-air.

The formation began absorbing the blood essence of the wounded fighters and drawing water from Yudai Creek, feeding the growing blood river.

Lei Jun’s eyes narrowed.

So I was right.

A figure detached from the battle and flew up to the Blood River Formation. It wasn’t a full-fledged Blood River Sect disciple but an old artifact-refining Daoist who had dabbled in Blood River techniques.

The old Daoist sat cross-legged above the formation, making hand seals.

The formation’s suction grew stronger, draining the creek and the combatants below.

The weaker fighters, their minds clouded by the blood aura, grew more frenzied. Those with higher cultivation struggled to resist.

“Sanqian Daoist, you’re with the Blood River Sect?!” someone shouted in disbelief.

The old Daoist, named Huang Sanqian, sighed. “I’m not part of the Blood River Sect… but I have no choice.”

He was a known figure in Southern Shu, a respectable Third Heaven cultivator who often guided younger disciples. Yet now he was betraying his reputation.

“I’m sorry, fellow Daoists… but I must take this chance. I’m already 127 years old… I have no time left!”

Under the blood-red light, his face twisted with shame, determination, and desperation.

At his age, breaking through the Third Heaven was nearly impossible. He faced inevitable decline and death.

He couldn’t accept it.

He reached into the cave, and a treasured sword flew into his hands, shimmering with light.

The crowd gasped. “You set up this cave?!”

Huang Sanqian said nothing. He focused on refining the sword, the Blood River Formation enhancing his efforts.

The fighters below struggled, but weakened from battle, they were helpless against the formation’s power.

Huang Sanqian’s face contorted with mad hope. “Seven days! Just seven days, and I’ll break through the Heavenly Chasm Tribulation to the Fourth Heaven…”

Boom!

A black shadow suddenly slammed into him.

Caught off guard, Huang Sanqian was sent flying.

The shadow crashed into the Blood River Formation, shattering it.

The treasured sword cracked and exploded.

Blood-red rain fell.

The surviving fighters stared in shock.

Amid the ruined bamboo grove, a giant panda shook its head and stood up.

Huang Sanqian lay motionless on the rocks.

The panda growled, thunder rumbling in its throat.

The fighters, drained and terrified, fled.

Lei Jun emerged, patting the panda. He retrieved the Heavenly General Talisman from its back.

Looking at the bloody creek, he sighed and purified the water with a Superior Warding Talisman.

After tending to the dead, he unleashed Yin Earth Lightning into the creek, stopping its flow.

Finally, he turned to Huang Sanqian.

“You had the resolve to risk everything for your breakthrough, but I can’t let you succeed.”