Seeking Fortune and Avoiding Misfortune: Starting from the Celestial Master’s Mansion
Chapter 145: The So-called Family Foundation

Lei Jun looked at the omen he drew and couldn’t help but feel speechless. He wasn’t sure whether Chishan Branch Estate was particularly lucky or particularly cursed. The last time he left Chishan Branch Estate for Mount Longhu, he ran into trouble on the way. And now, it seemed like he was about to face another incident.

This time, things looked even worse. Previously, he had drawn two Upper-Moderate Omens, one Moderate Omen, and one Lower-Moderate Omen. This time, there was only one Upper-Moderate Omen, followed by a Lower-Bad Omen—a sign of extreme danger, a path with almost no chance of survival.

Lei Jun shook his head repeatedly. At least, the good news was that he didn’t have to deal with the anxiety of a fortunate dilemma this time. As long as he didn’t act recklessly, he could turn misfortune into fortune.

Speaking of turning misfortune into fortune, this omen was quite insightful… Lei Jun’s eyes glimmered. The fortune and misfortune were intertwined, suggesting that both heavenly disasters and human interference were at play.

But he wondered: were the dangers of the Lower-Moderate Omen and the Lower-Bad Omen caused by a combination of heavenly and human factors? Or were they separate causes for each threat?

Lei Jun sat on the back of his apprentice-to-be—a giant panda named Gungun—deep in thought. Gungun seemed to sense Lei Jun’s mood and quietly stayed still, unlike its usual playful antics.

After a moment, Lei Jun patted Gungun on the head. The giant panda immediately perked up and sprinted forward with enthusiasm.

Following Lei Jun’s guidance, it headed toward Yuhui Gorge, the direction indicated by the Upper-Moderate Omen. As the panda ran, Lei Jun stayed alert to his surroundings, sensing for any sign of a Fifth-Grade Opportunity. He wasn’t sure what it might be.

Half a day later, they arrived at a massive gorge. Under the glow of the setting sun, the scenery was breathtaking. Lei Jun marveled at the beauty of nature while keeping his senses sharp for any hidden opportunities.

Lei Jun’s face suddenly changed. He clearly sensed traces of demonic energy lingering in the gorge!

As a cultivator of spiritual energy, Lei Jun rarely dealt with demonic energy, but he was extremely sensitive to it. Even Gungun, beneath him, grew anxious.

Lei Jun immediately raised his guard, soothing Gungun while carefully observing the area. Fortunately, he had the habit of keeping the Night Wind Talisman active on himself. Now, with heightened vigilance, his mana flowed, making his presence even more concealed. The Night Wind spread out, further hiding Gungun’s large body.

Given the Upper-Moderate Omen, this path should have no danger or consequences… Lei Jun thought, puzzled. Nevertheless, he remained cautious, guiding Gungun carefully through the gorge.

There wasn’t any strict time constraint indicated by the omen, so Lei Jun prioritized safety before considering the opportunity.

His caution wasn’t unwarranted—the demonic energy was thick and menacing. But after traversing the gorge for a while, Lei Jun gradually relaxed. The demonic energy did not seem to intensify or show signs of sudden aggression. In fact, it seemed to be dissipating slowly over time.

From the current clues, it appeared that a powerful demon had been in the gorge previously but had since left. However, Lei Jun couldn’t rule out the possibility of the demon returning later.

He thought of the Lower-Moderate and Lower-Bad Omens. Perhaps the demon had moved to Cangling River Valley or Tiansong Mountain.

With this in mind, Lei Jun maintained his vigilance while searching the area. The demonic energy interfered significantly with his senses. As it began to dissipate, his perception of other things became clearer.

Suddenly, he sensed a faint, peculiar spiritual energy. Amid the demonic interference, it stood out distinctly. However, this energy felt somewhat unusual.

Lei Jun formed a hand seal, and Yin Metal Thunder—rich with magnetic properties—sparked from his fingertips. The lightning coalesced into a stream, as if guided by something, and pierced through the demonic energy.

Lei Jun’s eyes brightened. He patted Gungun, and the two followed the lightning’s path. As they moved forward, he felt a chill in the air. The demonic energy thickened slightly.

Rounding a bend, they found large, strange feathers scattered on the ground. Each feather was half black and half white, sharply divided yet contained within a single feather. The feathers were enormous, each as large as a banana leaf.

“Are these the feathers of that demon?” Lei Jun murmured, sensing the heavy demonic energy emanating from them. It seemed the demonic energy in Yuhui Gorge originated from these feathers.

But Lei Jun’s focus wasn’t on the feathers. Instead, his attention turned to a twisted, deformed piece of metal on the ground. Despite its warped shape, the metal was massive, about the size of half a millstone.

The peculiar spiritual energy and the chill came from this metal.

Lei Jun placed his hand on the metal, feeling the coldness.

“Antarctic Cold Iron.”

The name surfaced in his mind, and a satisfied smile appeared on his face.

This metal was indeed a rare treasure. The Fifth-Grade Opportunity mentioned in the Upper-Moderate Omen must refer to this. For Lei Jun, its value lay not just in the cold iron, but in its Antarctic properties.

Aside from its chill, the metal contained a magnetic energy that aligned with his recent research into Primordial Magnetism.

“Interesting…” Lei Jun muttered.

A large head stretched over curiously. The panda, also known as the Iron-Eating Beast, seemed intrigued. But Lei Jun pushed its head away.

He stored the Antarctic Cold Iron in his Miniature Pouch. Since there was no guarantee the demon wouldn’t return, he decided to study the treasure later at Mount Longhu.

He climbed back onto Gungun’s broad back. The panda, feigning annoyance, turned its head away.

Lei Jun chuckled and patted its head. “Don’t worry, I’ll give you a share later.”

Gungun, unimpressed by empty promises, merely shook its head and resumed walking.

Following Lei Jun’s direction, they left Yuhui Gorge. The lingering demonic energy made even the panda, who thrived on spiritual energy, feel uneasy.

Fortunately, the Upper-Moderate Omen held true—there was no danger. They left the gorge safely, with no sign of the demon returning.

Lei Jun patted Gungun again, and they happily set off on their return journey.

However, as they walked, both their ears twitched simultaneously.

Gungun didn’t stop, but Lei Jun turned his head toward the sound. He sensed a disturbance in the distance—someone was engaged in battle, and the commotion was considerable.

If his senses were correct, the fighting was coming from the direction of Cangling River Valley… Lei Jun raised an eyebrow.

He remembered that his previous omen also mentioned Cangling River Valley, but he had chosen Solitary Source Peak instead. Unexpectedly, disciples from the Lin Clan of Jiangzhou had gone there and obtained the Divine Eye Mirror Stone.

By a twist of fate, that stone had ended up in Lei Jun’s hands.

This time, Cangling River Valley was associated with a Lower-Moderate Omen, so Lei Jun had avoided it. But it seemed someone else had walked into danger.

Curious, Lei Jun didn’t approach. Instead, he concealed himself with the night, guiding Gungun up a nearby mountain. Using the Divine Eye Mirror Stone, he observed the scene from afar.

The battle was fierce, with one side retreating while the other pursued relentlessly.

To his surprise, the person being pursued was Zhang Jingzhen. When he left Chishan Branch Estate, there had been no mention of Zhang Jingzhen leaving. What was she doing here?

The pursuers were Confucian cultivators—one wielding sword qi, another reciting poems that invoked mystical phenomena, and another firing arrows. Their attire resembled that of the Lin Clan disciples he had encountered before.

Old enemies again… Lei Jun frowned.

Zhang Jingzhen, despite being a Sixth Heaven Talismanic Branch cultivator, was injured and struggling. The Lin Clan had sent a formidable force, including elders at the Sixth Heaven, along with many younger disciples.

The battle raged, tearing through forests and collapsing mountains. For cultivators below the Upper Three Heavens, this level of destruction was extraordinary.

Zhang Jingzhen fought calmly but couldn’t shake off her pursuers. The leading Lin Clan elder sneered, “We’ve caught a big fish. Don’t let her escape.”

A young Lin disciple muttered, “Too bad it isn’t Lei Jun. We heard he left Mount Longhu, but we missed him.”

The elder’s expression remained cold. “There will be other chances.”

The disciple added, “Weren’t we targeting the Li Clan of Xinzhou first? Zhang Jingzhen

isn’t even from the countryside…”

The elder replied indifferently, “The countryside brats are ideal targets, but killing a Zhang or a Li makes little difference. The Li Clan is barely holding on; they won’t last. The Zhang Clan is also in decline. We’re just helping them along.”

“Too bad Sixth Uncle isn’t here; he’d have captured her by now.”

“He’s on standby. Unless an Upper Three Heavens expert appears, he won’t act. The situation is unstable; we must be cautious.”

“Yes!” The Lin disciples spread out, tightening the encirclement.

Amid the chaos, Lei Jun’s figure emerged, hidden by the Breath-Taking Flag’s dim light. He watched thoughtfully as the battle unfolded.