Seeking Fortune and Avoiding Misfortune: Starting from the Celestial Master’s Mansion
Chapter 179: The End of Luck

The disturbance in Chongling Gorge was also noticed by Yuan Mobai, Yao Yuan, and others atop Mount Longhu. Yuan Mobai sighed softly.

He remained stationed at the Ten Thousand Methods Sect Altar, steady and unmoving. The Tianshi Mansion’s internal conflict today had already reached a conclusive outcome, yet vigilance was still imperative.

Beyond the mountain, not only were Tian Linlong and Qi Shuo lying in ambush, but there might also be other formidable individuals waiting for an opportunity. If the Tianshi Mansion revealed any vulnerability, these adversaries would swarm like wolves tearing apart their prey. This was precisely what Yuan Mobai had been wary of and strived to prevent.

The mountain-guarding formation of Mount Longhu remained intact, transforming into a colossal altar that enveloped the main peak and denied outside opponents any chance to exploit a weakness. However, while the mountain gate presented no openings, those beyond the mountain had become targets instead.

It wasn’t just Li Ziyang who was under attack.

Upstream of Jinque Creek, near the base of Yunjin Mountain, purple lightning suddenly streaked across the sky. From afar, Lei Jun turned to look.

Elder Qi Shuo of the Yellow Heaven Sect, Elder Cao Chu of Jincheng Stronghold, and Elder Tian Linlong of Yin Mountain Cavern—these figures had already revealed themselves. Now, who was it causing such a disturbance upstream of Jinque Creek?

Lei Jun picked up the Spirit Sight Mirror for a closer look. Amidst the star-like glimmers of light, a radiant giant surrounded by a galaxy-like glow was battling a purple thunder dragon. The form was unmistakable to Lei Jun—it was a sight he had recently witnessed through his master, Yuan Mobai.

It was the Destined Star Avatar, a mystical form created through the secret talismanic arts of the Tianshi Mansion. This formidable technique originated from the Life Path Characters Talisman Canon. Over the years, only three individuals in the Tianshi Mansion had mastered this divine power: Xu Yuanzhen, Yuan Mobai, and Li Song.

Judging by the spectacle near Yunjin Mountain, it was not Xu Yuanzhen returning. That left only one possibility: someone from the Yellow Heaven Sect.

From what Lei Jun knew, two people in the Yellow Heaven Sect had mastered the Destined Star Avatar: the sect leader, Taoist Master Taiping, who was at the Eighth Realm, and Elder Zhao Zongjie, who was at the Seventh Realm. Based on the power of the technique displayed, it was likely a cultivator at the Seventh Realm performing it—Zhao Zongjie.

“Zhao Zongjie...” Lei Jun glanced back at Chongling Gorge.

After Taoist Master Taiping had been injured six years ago in a major battle, he had retreated to recover and remained inactive. In recent years, the Yellow Heaven Sect had been led primarily by Qi Shuo and Zhao Zongjie, with the two reportedly at odds. The sect had splintered into factions, each rallying behind one of these leaders.

Today, as the Tianshi Mansion erupted into chaos again, the Yellow Heaven Sect predictably joined the fray. Qi Shuo lingered outside the mountain, scheming and even orchestrating the earlier Three-Cave Savage Deity Tribulation, though his plan had been foiled by an unexpected saboteur. Despite his frustration, Qi Shuo had waited patiently, ultimately seizing the opportunity to ambush Li Ziyang.

On the other hand, Zhao Zongjie had also arrived, hiding upstream of Jinque Creek near Yunjin Mountain. It now made sense why Lei Jun’s earlier Seeking Fortune and Avoiding Calamity readings had twice hinted at potential danger there. At the time, Lei Jun had the Spirit-Hiding Veil, and Zhao Zongjie lacked the Illusion-Piercing Stone to see through it. With careful planning, Lei Jun might have avoided Zhao Zongjie entirely. However, the current state of his Spirit-Hiding Veil rendered him vulnerable.

For now, though, this no longer concerned him. Someone else had walked into the danger.

Li Zhengxuan had retreated in that direction. Despite his formidable cultivation, which far surpassed the Middle Heaven Realm, he was already wounded from an earlier battle with Tang Xiaotang. On his escape route, he encountered Zhao Zongjie, who had been conserving his strength. Even with Li Zhengxuan’s abilities, the encounter became perilous.

In desperation, Li Zhengxuan managed to hold his ground, even risking severe injuries to buy himself time to escape. Zhao Zongjie, however, was unwilling to let such a rare opportunity slip away and pursued him relentlessly. Their chase and battle continued far into the horizon until they vanished from sight.

Meanwhile, Li Ziyang faced two opponents, Qi Shuo and Cao Chu, while already injured. Unsurprisingly, his fate was no better. Qi Shuo and Cao Chu were determined to finish him off, and despite his past status as a high elder of the Tianshi Mansion, Li Ziyang followed in Li Hongyu’s footsteps, falling at the edge of Mount Longhu.

Though they had cooperated to eliminate Li Ziyang, Qi Shuo and Cao Chu quickly turned on each other. The lands around Chongling Gorge, including the surrounding mountains, had been devastated by successive battles, reduced from towering peaks to barren plains and finally into deep ravines.

Neither Lei Jun at the foot of the mountain nor Yuan Mobai atop it was surprised by this turn of events. Qi Shuo and Cao Chu were united only in their animosity toward the Tianshi Mansion. Unable to breach Mount Longhu’s defenses, they had targeted the isolated Li Ziyang.

Cao Chu’s situation was unique, as his Southern Wasteland Witchcraft Sect’s Ghost Path practices involved refining malicious souls and walking corpses. Killing opponents also offered him a chance to enhance his own strength.

Qi Shuo, however, was determined to prevent Cao Chu from refining or controlling Li Ziyang’s soul or corpse. As a self-proclaimed orthodox practitioner of the Talismanic Branch, Qi Shuo refused to see its pinnacle techniques fall into the hands of the Southern Wasteland.

Their clash was short-lived, as Tang Xiaotang returned. One hand wielded the Tianshi Sword, while the other carried a body—a decrepit corpse belonging to Li Song, the Tianshi Mansion’s highest-ranking elder.

Li Song, the highest-ranking elder of the Tianshi Mansion, had perished on this day. He had witnessed the entirety of the Tianshi Mansion's turbulent history since the era of the first Li Tianshi, enduring every storm. His death symbolized the end of the Li Clan's reign over the Tianshi Mansion.

The Tianshi Mansion's internal conflict had reached its conclusion. Though there had been twists and turns, the outcome was decisive: the non-Li factions had emerged victorious, while the Li Clan suffered a crushing defeat. However, the mansion itself had sustained severe damage in the process.

The Tianshi Robe was lost. Several high-ranking elders had fallen. Yet, despite the mansion's weakened state, it was no place for opportunists to take advantage of.

With Tang Xiaotang’s return, figures like Qi Shuo and Cao Chu retreated decisively, following in the footsteps of Tian Linlong and others who had already withdrawn from the vicinity of the Tianshi Mansion.

“Li Ziyang was taken out?” Tang Xiaotang had initially felt some regret that she could only pursue one person at a time. Upon learning of Li Ziyang’s death, she burst into laughter. “Serves him right!”

The battlefield was left in ruins, a landscape of destruction and desolation, but the fires of war had finally been extinguished.

---

In the distant north, winter reigned. Snow fell like cotton, blanketing the land.

Within the ancestral grounds of the Ye Family in Jinzhou, an elderly man sat in the central hall of a grand mansion, gazing out the window at the snow with a pensive expression.

Before him, a middle-aged man spoke in a solemn tone: “The latest news—Li Zhengxuan… has fallen at the Great River.”

Six years earlier, the former Tianshi Li Qingfeng, along with the former clan leader of the Lin Clan, Lin Qun, had perished together at the Great River. Now, six years later, the former Young Tianshi, Li Zhengxuan, met the same fate.

The middle-aged man continued, “The ones responsible, beyond Zhao Zongjie of the Yellow Heaven Sect, were from the Lin Clan of Jiangzhou.”

“Who was it?” the elderly man asked, his gaze shifting from the snow to the speaker.

“Lin Wu of Jiangzhou, also known as Lin Yuwei,” the man replied.

The elder nodded. “Indeed. The foremost figure among the side branches—talented, ambitious, and bold to the point of recklessness.”

The Lin Clan of Jiangzhou had suffered heavy losses in the Poyang Great Marsh battle, forcing them to retreat to their ancestral grounds in Jiangzhou. Even with assistance from the Ye Family of Qingzhou, they struggled to withstand the pressure from the Tianshi Mansion. Meanwhile, the Lin Clan faced additional threats from the Fang Family of Jingxiang, who encroached on their position.

Amidst these challenges, there were still bold individuals like Lin Yuwei willing to risk everything. With the Li Clan routed and expelled from Mount Longhu, Lin Yuwei saw an opportunity to strike.

Li Zhengxuan, weakened by his injuries and pursued by Zhao Zongjie, became an ideal target. Lin Yuwei acted decisively, intercepting the fleeing former Young Tianshi. Despite Li Zhengxuan’s formidable cultivation, his previous wounds and relentless pursuit left him vulnerable. The combined assault of Zhao Zongjie and Lin Yuwei ultimately led to his demise at the Great River.

The tragedy bore striking similarities to the fate of his father, Li Qingfeng, years prior. Even the Ye Family members who heard the news could not help but sigh at the irony. But their sympathy was fleeting, as their attention quickly turned to a far graver matter.

Li Hongyu had fallen in the skies over Mount Longhu.

Li Ziyang perished in Chongling Gorge.

Li Song was slain by Tang Xiaotang.

Li Zhengxuan met his end at the Great River.

Four Upper Heaven Realm experts of the Li Clan—all dead, with no survivors.

Such an outcome surprised even the elder in the Ye Family mansion.

In the worst-case scenario, he had anticipated the Li Clan’s defeat in the internal conflict, but he had believed that figures like Li Song could still retreat and regroup outside the Tianshi Mansion. Now, there was nothing left to rebuild.

“The Li Clan’s destiny is spent,” the elder remarked. “The Tianshi Mansion has suffered heavy losses, but within the ruins lies a glimmer of renewal, like spring buds emerging from dead wood.”

The middle-aged man before him stood silently, his head lowered, unwilling to speak out of turn.

“I don’t regret acting against the Bodhi Monastery first,” the elder said, smiling faintly. “Though hindsight suggests we should have paid more attention to the Tianshi Mansion, life rarely goes as planned.”

“They are all troublesome places,” the middle-aged man murmured.

The elder nodded. “Indeed.”

He rose slowly, moving to the window to gaze at the snowy landscape once more. “Any news of Chifeng’s group?”

“From what we can tell, they may have encountered trouble. The situation was chaotic, and it’s unclear who was responsible. The Tianshi Mansion’s disciples are the most likely suspects,” the man replied gravely.

The elder nodded thoughtfully but did not dwell on the matter. “With the Li Clan gone, it’s time to reorganize the Tianshi Mansion. Let’s hope it’s not too late.”

The middle-aged man hesitated briefly before bowing. “Understood.”

“Put everything else aside for now,” the elder commanded. “Reorganizing the Tianshi Mansion is the top priority.”

“Yes, Father,” the man replied, his voice resolute.