Seeking Fortune and Avoiding Misfortune: Starting from the Celestial Master’s Mansion
Chapter 155: Another great fortune!

As Chu Kun had said, Lin Zhen's luck was indeed bad.

The ambush took place right at the doorstep of his family's stronghold in Jiangzhou.

Had he not been injured beforehand, Lin Zhen might have managed to escape back to the Lin Clan's ancestral land in Jiangzhou.

Unfortunately for him, halfway there, Xu Yuanzhen intercepted and killed him.

The Tianshi Mansion's Senior Sister—she meant what she said.

"You mess with someone from Tianshi Mansion, I’ll mess with your people too, regardless of whether you actually harmed them.

And there’s no discount on the payback.

You ambush my people; I ambush yours.

Live or die, it’s all based on your own abilities."

To say Xu Yuanzhen wasn't particular about her targets would be inaccurate. She deliberately avoided attacking the middle-tier disciples of the Lin Clan, such as Lei Jun and Zhang Jingzhen.

If she was going to strike, she aimed for their Upper Realm elites.

But to say she was fair would also be misleading. With her Eighth Layer of Qi Refining, she showed no sign of the elegance or demeanor of a grandmaster. Against Lin Zhen, who was at the Seventh Layer of Qi Refining, she launched a sneak attack with full force.

The result was that the Lin Clan's most promising heir of the younger generation, Lin Zhen, died on the spot.

If the situation were reversed, it would be like their Senior Brother Li Zhengxuan being killed.

Lei Jun and Chu Kun looked at each other, momentarily speechless.

"Honestly, I thought Senior Sister would target one of the Lin Clan's Upper Realm experts, but I didn’t expect her to actually take out Lin Zhen," Lei Jun said after a long pause.

Chu Kun grimaced. "I doubt Third Martial Uncle sees it that way."

For some, this was a pleasant surprise.

For others, it was pure shock.

If Lin Chi had fallen during the incident at Tiansong Mountain, the repercussions wouldn't have been as severe.

With Lin Zhen dead, the Lin Clan would undoubtedly respond.

The fragile ceasefire at Poyang Great Marsh was now broken.

The frontline had instantly transformed into a brutal battlefield of blood and fire.

Those like Li Ziyang and Shangguan Ning on the front lines now faced immense pressure.

Whether they blamed Xu Yuanzhen or not was unknown.

For now, they had to withstand the Lin Clan's first wave of retaliation.

Fortunately, Xu Yuanzhen didn’t just kill and leave the mess behind.

After eliminating Lin Zhen, she remained in the Jiangzhou-Xinzhou region, confronting the retaliating Lin Clan experts.

The grudge between the Lin Clan of Jiangzhou and Mount Longhu's Tianshi Mansion had been festering for years.

Regardless of internal conflicts, the Tianshi Mansion had to unite in the face of this common enemy.

To prevent opportunistic attacks from other forces, the Tianshi Mansion didn’t deploy all its experts.

Yuan Mobai remained at the Ten Thousand Methods Sect Altar, while Li Hongyu, donned in the invaluable Tianshi Robe, stayed put.

To counter the Lin Clan's offensive, the Supreme Elder Li Song left the mansion to support the forces at Poyang Great Marsh.

Meanwhile, messages were sent to Li Zhengxuan and Tang Xiaotang, urging them to return from their mission to find the Tianshi Sword.

However, their unpredictable journey made it unclear when they would receive the message, let alone return.

With the frontline heating up, all the High Priests in the mansion, except Yuan Mobai and Li Hongyu, joined the battle.

Xu Yuanzhen, Li Song, Li Ziyang, Yao Yuan, and Shangguan Ning were all engaged in combat with the Lin Clan's experts.

Naturally, Xu Yuanzhen was their prime target.

"Yuanzhen is holding up for now," Yuan Mobai said to his disciples, Lei Jun and Chu Kun, on Mount Longhu.

"Though the Lin Clan is retaliating fiercely, they won't leave their ancestral land defenseless."

Both disciples nodded.

The world was in turmoil; everyone had to remain cautious.

Powerful demons appeared more frequently than before, and these creatures weren’t picky with their prey.

Even powerful cultivators brimming with spiritual energy were prime targets.

Neither side dared to fully abandon their strongholds for fear of a demon invasion.

History had shown the tragic consequences of such negligence.

The battle between the Tianshi Mansion and the Lin Clan had escalated, but both sides maintained some semblance of restraint, avoiding massacres of lower-level disciples.

They knew that without a decisive advantage, such actions would only lead to mutual destruction.

Still, the conflict was bloody. Injured disciples were constantly sent back to Mount Longhu for recovery, and news of casualties was frequent.

The peaceful atmosphere of the Tianshi Mansion had turned tense again, as had the situation in Jiangzhou.

Despite the turmoil, Lei Jun and Chu Kun remained on Mount Longhu.

Chu Kun was still a new disciple, and Yuan Mobai needed his direct disciple by his side.

Meanwhile, Lei Jun, though seen as a rising star, stayed back due to a special request from the Treasure Pavilion.

As the creator of the Linked Flame Talismans and the upgraded Green Blade Brush, Lei Jun's expertise was needed for production rather than frontline combat.

One day, while Lei Jun was focused on his work, he received a message.

The escalating war had left some branch academies understaffed, requiring additional reinforcements from the main mansion.

"Currently, two places need assistance," Yuan Mobai said with a gentle smile. "One is Xianliu Palace, and the other is Qingyu Grotto-Heaven."

Lei Jun nodded slightly.

Though he had never been to either, he knew of them.

Xianliu Palace in Xianliu Mountain produced materials like Xianliu Ink, crucial for cultivation and talisman-making.

Meanwhile, Qingyu Grotto-Heaven in Qingyu Abyss was rich in resources needed for Green Blade Brushes.

Despite the urgent need, Yuan Mobai reassured him: "You don't have to go if you don't want to. The Treasure Pavilion has requested you stay."

Lei Jun pondered briefly, then a light sphere in his mind flashed with a prophecy:

• Supreme Good Omen: Go to Xianliu Mountain. Seven days later, a trip to North Mountain will yield a Third-Grade Opportunity.
• Moderate Omen: Stay at Mount Longhu—steady, no gain, no loss.
• Lower-Moderate Omen: Go to Qingyu Grotto-Heaven—gain a Sixth-Grade Opportunity but face great danger.

Seeing the Supreme Good Omen for Xianliu Mountain, Lei Jun smiled.

"Master, I’d like to go to Xianliu Palace."

"Prepare and go, then," Yuan Mobai agreed, his smile widening.

After making arrangements, Lei Jun left Mount Longhu, heading west toward Xianliu Mountain.

As Lei Jun traveled west toward Xianliu Mountain, the serene scenery of green hills and clear waters was now marred by the scars of battle. The air was thick with tension, and the rivers that once reflected the sky’s clarity were now tinged with fleeting streaks of crimson.

The Xianliu Mountain region was typically a place of tranquility, but now the outskirts were engulfed in flames. A river wound its way around the mountain, and on the water’s surface, a group of Confucian scholars stood in unison, chanting loudly:

“The fish and dragons spew fire, emerging from the waves;

They strike terror, countless and swift.”

From their chanting, streams of flame burst forth, forming fire-dragons that twisted and surged toward Xianliu Mountain.

On the mountain, the disciples of the Tianshi Mansion had split into two groups. One group held up protective talismans, their shimmering lights blocking the onslaught of fire. The other group descended the slopes, aiming to close the distance and launch a counterattack against the Lin Clan disciples on the river.

But the Lin Clan disciples were prepared. Alongside those practicing the Chanting Path, there were others who specialized in Sword Qi and Classical Studies. Their combined efforts formed a coordinated defense, suppressing the Tianshi Mansion's counterattack.

From a distance, Lei Jun took in the scene and raised his eyebrows.

The Lin Clan, a major aristocratic family, trained their descendants in multiple Daoist and Confucian paths. While the Tianshi Mansion’s talismanic arts were versatile, in large-scale battles, they sometimes struggled to match the Lin Clan’s multi-disciplinary tactics.

Fortunately, the disciples of the Talismanic Branch were adaptable. They could combine their Life-Bound Talismans in unique ways to create effective strategies. Still, the Lin Clan's Chanting Path and Archery Path had greater range, giving them an upper hand in this confrontation.

As was his habit, Lei Jun had already activated the Night Wind ability of his Wind Talisman. It enhanced his speed and cloaked his presence, a slight expenditure of energy that often proved invaluable.

Seeing the flames consuming Xianliu Mountain, he vanished into the shadows of the forest. Moments later, he reappeared near the riverbank.

The Tianshi Mansion disciples were still locked in combat, unaware of his arrival. The battle on the mountain had descended into disarray. Some disciples argued about whether to descend and aid the frontline or stay to defend the Daoist Palace against potential ambushes.

As they debated, they glanced down the river and froze. Their eyes widened in disbelief.

The line of Lin Clan scholars chanting on the river suddenly began to thin. One by one, they collapsed, their bodies sinking into the water and carried away by the current.

A bewildered Lin Clan elder finally noticed something was wrong. By then, several scholars had already disappeared.

The culprit was a tall figure who moved like a shadow, silent and deadly. A staff gleamed in his hands, raised high before crashing down with a dull thud—

“Bang!”

Another Lin Clan disciple crumpled and slid into the water.

Lei Jun finally let his presence be known, standing tall and resolute, his eyes cold. The Tianshi Mansion disciples, emboldened by his arrival, launched a renewed assault. Trapped between Lei Jun and his comrades, the Lin Clan disciples panicked and fell into disarray.

Within moments, the Lin Clan formation shattered. Blood stained the river, swirling briefly before being swept away.

Lei Jun didn’t pursue the fleeing enemies. He knew his presence at Xianliu Mountain wouldn’t remain a secret for long. The surrounding terrain was unfamiliar, and recklessly chasing the enemy might lead to an ambush.

He rallied the Tianshi Mansion disciples and led them back to the Daoist Palace on the mountain.

The overseeing elder had been seriously injured and sent back to the Tianshi Mansion for treatment. Lei Jun now took on the role of temporary guardian. With his Fifth-Grade Daoist Rank, he was more than qualified.

The disciples, despite being older or having joined earlier, respected his authority. They saluted him and swiftly carried out his orders to clean the battlefield, tend to the wounded, and repair the palace’s defenses.

In the following days, the Lin Clan launched two more assaults, but both were repelled under Lei Jun's command.

However, on the third morning, a chilling red light filled the sky. The air grew stifling, the atmosphere charged with dread. The sky itself seemed to bleed.

“The sun casts bloody pearls to the earth,

The wind stirs flames that seek to burn.”

The chant echoed ominously. A wave of fire surged toward Xianliu Mountain, the flames spreading like a crimson sea.

“A Seventh Layer of Qi Refining scholar of the Chanting Path!”

The sky itself seemed to drip blood, flames devouring the air. This was a show of power meant to kill Lei Jun and avenge Lin Zhen.

But before the flames could reach the mountain, a gentle breeze swept through the air. A figure in purple robes appeared, serene and confident.

The breeze grew stronger, and the sea of fire wavered before it was blown away entirely.

“Yuan Mobai?!” The Lin Clan elder snarled. “You dare leave the Ten Thousand Methods Sect Altar?”

Yuan Mobai smiled faintly. “To give you a surprise, sometimes a bit of unpredictability is necessary.”

He continued, his expression calm but firm. “The altar is in good hands. Dealing with you won’t take long.”