Seeking Fortune and Avoiding Misfortune: Starting from the Celestial Master’s Mansion
Chapter 149: We have no casualties, but we will fight back

“The Vermilion-Tipped Brush is already your artifact. If you want to refine it anew, there's certainly no issue.”

Upon hearing Lei Jun's idea, Yuan Mobai smiled and nodded. “With the help of the True Intent of the Nine Abyss Earth Fire from the True-One Altar, this is indeed a tremendous advantage.”

Even among the disciples of Tianshi Mansion, those who could obtain the Fire Law Talismanic Canon were exceptionally rare.

Therefore, those who could use the Nine Abyss Earth Fire to refine artifacts and treasures were also few and far between.

Of course, just as the Thunder Law Talismanic Canon had spells like the Five Thunder Correct Law Talisman and the Mighty Thunder Talisman, the Fire Law Talismanic Canon also had other Earth Fire methods for cultivators in the Middle Heavens.

Aside from its offensive power, fire techniques were always invaluable for alchemy and artifact refining, making them widely practiced.

However, when it came to effectiveness, other spiritual fires still couldn't compare to the Nine Abyss Earth Fire produced by the Fire Law Talismanic Canon.

Lei Jun could now use the Tianshi Seal and the True-One Altar within his soul to draw a trace of the Nine Abyss Earth Fire’s aura to aid in refining artifacts and elixirs.

When Lei Jun first received the Vermilion-Tipped Brush, Yuan Mobai didn't attempt to refine it again. Instead, he handed it directly to Lei Jun, waiting for the day when Lei Jun's cultivation advanced enough for him to refine the artifact himself.

This way, the newly reborn Vermilion-Tipped Brush would completely shed Yuan Mobai's influence and become Lei Jun's alone.

Of course, Lei Jun could also choose to forge a new artifact entirely.

However, he didn't care much for such things. The cultivation of the Talismanic Branch differed from the Artifact Refining Branch; they didn't place as much emphasis on life-bound artifacts.

So, Lei Jun went with the flow and decided to modify his master's Vermilion-Tipped Brush.

Yuan Mobai immediately began instructing him on more intricate and advanced artifact refining techniques.

In the Artifact Refining Branch, when refining artifacts, they sought to integrate their soul and essence blood into the artifact, aiming for the closest possible bond, ideally becoming inseparable.

In the early stages, the artifact would function as an extension of one’s soul and body, truly moving as easily as an arm or finger.

In the mid-to-late stages, the artifact could even replace and merge with the body entirely, discarding the mortal shell.

The Talismanic Branch, however, focused more on connection.

The emphasis wasn't on the artifact itself, but on the cultivator's connection to Heaven and Earth.

For Talismanic Branch cultivators, artifacts served primarily as bridges.

This was especially true for talisman brushes and Daoist inkstones.

They borrowed the power of Heaven and Earth and followed the patterns of nature.

Ultimately, they aimed to become one with Heaven and Earth, blending into the Dao, and merging their spirit with Heaven.

By the mid-to-late stages, for Talismanic Branch cultivators, artifacts and treasures often became part of their connection with Heaven and Earth.

These artifacts merged with the real world and their internal world.

Thus, the artifact refining process for Talismanic Branch cultivators was similar to constructing their Daoist temples, altars, or Dao Palaces during cultivation.

From the perspective of Lei Jun's previous life, the Artifact Refining Branch was like crafting a mechanical exoskeleton, emphasizing precision and biomimicry.

Meanwhile, the Tianshi Mansion’s Talismanic Branch was akin to pure mechanical engineering, producing simpler and more straightforward products.

During refinement, layers of talisman patterns and mana combined to form the artifact's prohibitions, intricately and precisely engraved into the artifact.

The entire process was meticulous and complex, requiring intense focus and careful craftsmanship.

Sometimes, a single mistake in a mana prohibition could ruin all the materials.

Lei Jun listened to Yuan Mobai's lesson but didn't immediately begin refining the Vermilion-Tipped Brush.

He first went to the Treasure Pavilion and obtained several lower-grade Black-Tipped Brushes and Blue-Tipped Brushes to practice with.

Lei Jun planned to refine these brushes first and, once he was proficient, attempt to reforge the Vermilion-Tipped Brush.

He also needed to carefully plan what new materials to incorporate to improve its quality.

He enjoyed the process.

Although he hadn't produced any noteworthy results yet, the innovative ideas of this Daoist of Thunder, so different from most people in this world, were already running wild.

He even began to wonder if he could turn artifact refining into an assembly line where many people handled different steps.

Cough, cough. He quickly reined in his thoughts and refocused on the task at hand.

He needed to master the basics first before considering anything else.

In the days that followed, Lei Jun stayed peacefully in the ancestral mansion.

He continued to cultivate, steadily improving his strength.

At the same time, he studied the first layer of the True-One Altar to assist in artifact refining and alchemy.

Although he didn’t seek to stand out, his rapid rise in cultivation had inevitably drawn attention from both inside and outside the mansion.

Taking time to settle down was a good idea.

Perhaps some people would still watch him, but in this turbulent era, new events arose every day.

Over time, things would naturally lose their heat.

Moreover, Lei Jun believed that the battle near Tiansong Mountain might still spark some speculation.

Letting that cool off would be beneficial.

Of course, that was the ideal scenario.

As for reality…

“Due to the situation at Poyang Great Lake, your reputation has surged again,” Yuan Mobai said with a smile.

Lei Jun replied, “Disciple doesn’t want to be a firefly in the night.”

Poyang Great Lake lay between Xunzhou and Jiangzhou. It was rich in resources, with fertile lands and a large population.

It had long been a contested area between the Lin Clan of Jiangzhou and the Tianshi Mansion of Xunzhou.

The two sides had fought and negotiated for nearly a millennium.

To avoid damaging the lake’s resources and farmlands, both sides rarely fought near the lake.

Yet, it was still a potential frontline.

This time, war had flared up again.

The Lin Clan’s ambush on the Tianshi Mansion disciples not only failed to kill Zhang Jingzhen but also cost them several talented youths.

Even Lin Chi and another Upper-Heaven elder were injured.

Although the injuries weren’t catastrophic, the losses were painful, far exceeding previous encounters.

The Lin Clan wasn’t ready to let this go.

Though they had just appointed a new clan leader and faced internal strife, a common enemy helped unite them.

Lei Jun suspected that the new Lin Clan leader was the driving force behind this.

Of course, the Lin Clan couldn’t admit that their ambush backfired, so they accused the Tianshi Mansion of colluding with Great Roc demons to harm Lin Chi and others.

“A disgrace to the human cultivation world, deserving death at everyone’s hands!”

But in reality, it was just empty bluster. According to Yuan Mobai and Lei Jun, the Lin Clan’s actions were more bark than bite.

The fighting was contained, with only Lower-Heaven and Middle-Heaven cultivators participating, while Upper-Heaven experts held back.

The Tianshi Mansion had no desire for a major battle either.

Many of their experts were away, and their focus was on the missing Tianshi Sword and Tianshi Seal.

As both sides played this tacit game, the Battle of Poyang Great Lake seemed intense but was more like a training exercise.

Meanwhile, Lei Jun’s fame grew because…

New foundational spirit talismans he’d developed shone brightly in the clash between Lower-Heaven cultivators.

Though they consumed a lot of mana, unleashing waves of Chain Flame Talismans overwhelmed the Lin Clan’s youths.

This left the Tianshi Mansion’s disciples triumphant and Lei Jun’s name praised throughout their ranks.

Attention shifted when Xu Yuanzhen, the eldest senior sister, returned to the mountain.

“I’ll be staying for a while,” she said, tossing a massive stone slab into the air.

It floated silently, and Lei Jun noticed a mark resembling a sword cut on its surface.

“Could this be left by the Tianshi Sword?” he guessed.

“Yes,” Xu Yuanzhen replied. “Prepare the Ten Thousand Methods Sect Altar. I’ll use it to trace this sword mark.”

Lei Jun nodded. “Master is in the High Priests’ Hall.”

“Got it.” She turned to look at the giant Rolling.

The usually lazy panda shrank under her gaze.

“How much do you know about Master’s past?” Xu Yuanzhen asked.

“More or less,” Lei Jun answered.

She smiled and looked back at Rolling. “How did Master react when he saw this guy?”

Lei Jun silently handed over some sketches.

“Perfect.” She collected the drawings. “I like these.”

As she stored them, she asked, “I heard we clashed with the Lin Clan again?”

Lei Jun briefly explained the situation.

Xu Yuanzhen’s voice was as sharp as raindrops on jade: “Both sides are focused on their own problems.”

She smirked. “Even if we haven’t lost anyone, we’ll still strike back.”