Seeking Fortune and Avoiding Misfortune: Starting from the Celestial Master’s Mansion
Chapter 195: We have been professionally trained not to laugh

At the time when the elites of the Jinzhou Ye Clan and Golden Castle were searching for the whereabouts of Lei Jun and Yuan Mobai near Chaoyang Peak, Lei Jun was quietly reflecting on his alchemy furnace. Having left the Southern Wasteland early, the master-disciple duo avoided returning directly to their sect to prevent exposing their tracks.

Surrounded by verdant mountains and pristine waters, Lei Jun calmly continued his cultivation. Though the spiritual energy in his current environment was far from the richness of Mount Longhu's ancestral grounds, he remained focused. The events likely to unfold in the Southern Wasteland didn’t weigh heavily on his mind. Lei Jun simply awaited news while adhering to his own pace, splitting his time between cultivation and learning alchemy from Yuan Mobai.

“Although the Thunderheart Furnace differs from the common Water-Fire Yin-Yang Furnace, many fundamental techniques remain interconnected,” Yuan Mobai said with a faint smile, offering guidance to his student.

Interestingly, Yuan Mobai’s admiration for Lei Jun stemmed not from the young man’s postnatally enhanced brilliant comprehension or his Yin-Yang Sacred Physique but rather from his consistently calm, steadfast, and resolute mindset—a quality that truly set him apart.

“Of course, compared to Flying and Drawing, the Thunderheart Furnace requires you to focus more on the techniques of Pressing and Pointing, with the former two serving as supplementary methods,” Yuan Mobai explained further.

While listening, Lei Jun kept his gaze fixed on the Thunderheart Furnace before him, his expression intent and focused.

The techniques of Flying, Drawing, Pointing, and Pressing were common alchemical methods among Daoist cultivators. For instance, Flying mirrored sublimation, where solid matter turned directly into vapor. Lei Jun equated this process to dry distillation, something he had known from his days on Blue Star. The method’s subtleties varied with different alchemical materials. His initial exposure to Flying had occurred during his apprentice days at the Daoist Children’s Academy, when he helped create talisman ink at the Paper Talisman Hall.

Drawing, on the other hand, resembled distillation. Its difference from Flying lay in the former involving wet steaming instead of dry. With higher-grade pills, these techniques grew increasingly refined and intricate. Alchemical recipes, far from being simple ingredient lists, included meticulous details of these methods. This complexity made it extremely difficult to reconstruct a pill's recipe, even when a finished product was available.

The Thunderheart Furnace allowed for Flying and Drawing, but these were not its primary methods. Instead, Lei Jun primarily employed Pressing and Pointing.

Pressing involved external influence that transformed raw materials from the outside in, often referred to as techniques like Pressing Fire. Meanwhile, Pointing required precision, inducing changes within the materials from the inside out. The Thunderheart Furnace uniquely harmonized Yin-Yang mechanisms both internally and externally, presenting fascinating complexities that set it apart from conventional Water-Fire Furnaces.

Beyond these basic methods, there was the advanced technique of Turning. Pills with names like Nine-Turn or Seven-Turn derived their titles from this process, which Lei Jun likened to progressive cycles of refinement. Each complete cycle was one Turn, and subsequent repetitions increased the number of Turns. However, with each additional Turn, the risk of failure also rose significantly.

Over the past two years, Lei Jun had diligently studied alchemy under Yuan Mobai, achieving a foundational understanding. He had privately refined pills like the Clear Essence Pill and the Celestial Purification Pill, experiencing both successes and failures. While the quality of his pills still required improvement, what reassured Yuan Mobai was Lei Jun’s perfect record of avoiding furnace explosions—a common hazard in alchemy.

Currently away from the sect and lacking sufficient resources, Lei Jun focused on honing his techniques. His next formal refinement session would have to wait until their return, where he could either use the Grand Alchemy Hall or his private residence.

Just then, Yuan Mobai took out a Thousand-Mile Transmission Talisman. “Oh? We’ve received news.”

Having heard nothing for days, Lei Jun assumed that their pursuers had either avoided the East Ridge of the Southern Great Mountain or that the threat at Chaoyang Peak had dissipated. However, the message proved otherwise.

“Two days ago, a major battle erupted near Chaoyang Peak in the Eastern Ridge of the Southern Great Mountain. Large swathes of the mountain range, including Chaoyang Peak itself, were destroyed,” Yuan Mobai said, a rare flicker of surprise crossing his face. “The combatants included Wei Anchang, the Blood River Sect’s leader, and elites like Ye Han from the Jinzhou Ye Clan and Gao Pu from Golden Castle.”

“The Blood River Sect’s leader, Wei Anchang?” Lei Jun asked, frowning.

Yuan Mobai’s surprise quickly faded as he nodded. “It seems so. The battle left the sky shrouded in blood energy, and the scale of carnage was immense. No one else from the Blood River Sect could achieve such destruction except Wei Anchang.”

He added, “Judging from the lingering aura of malevolent blood, it’s likely that Wei Anchang has broken through to a higher realm. A Ninth Heaven expert of the Blood River Sect has returned to the world.”

Lei Jun murmured, “After countless battles, killing masters like Abbot Liaoyuan of Bodhi Monastery, and three years of consolidation, has his accumulation finally reached its peak?”

“Most likely,” Yuan Mobai replied. “Otherwise, elites like Ye Han and Gao Pu wouldn’t have been so thoroughly defeated.”

Lei Jun and Yuan Mobai continued to analyze the situation, gradually piecing together the events of the battle as more news surfaced. It seemed that the Jinzhou Ye Clan and Golden Castle had ventured into the Eastern Ridge, only to unwittingly stumble upon Wei Anchang’s secluded retreat at Chaoyang Peak. Their "luck" in finding Wei Anchang was tragically accompanied by bad fortune, as the Blood River Sect leader had emerged from his seclusion stronger than ever.

The battle was brutal. Most of the Jinzhou Ye Clan and Golden Castle members perished, with only Gao Pu and Ye Han managing to escape alive, albeit severely injured. For Lei Jun and Yuan Mobai, the chaos only validated their decision to steer clear of the area.

As Yuan Mobai had often said, “Letting nature take its course often yields the best outcomes.” The master and disciple continued their quiet journey back to Mount Longhu, leaving the storm behind.

News about Lei Jun and Yuan Mobai being in the Southern Great Mountain region naturally began to spread, but it was entirely overshadowed by the bloody rampage of Wei Anchang, the reemerged Blood River Sect leader.

Being long manipulated by the Jinzhou Ye Clan, was this Lei Jun’s way of striking back?

No, no—how could that be? Lei Daozhang had done nothing wrong. He had only accompanied his master to investigate a clue about the Tianshi Robe, searching for their sect's treasured artifact.

Who would have expected a murderous force like Wei Anchang to be lurking there?

Thanks to the blessings of their ancestral masters, Lei Jun and Yuan Mobai had narrowly escaped the jaws of death. Reflecting on it now still sent shivers down their spines.

Of course, they fully denounced the demonic slaughter with their fellow righteous cultivators.

Snicker? No, certainly not. They were trained professionals who could only offer their deepest condolences to the fallen.

May the departed rest in peace.

However, as Yuan Mobai remarked while looking at Lei Jun: "Unfortunately, Chongyun, the clues you've uncovered aren’t enough for our sect to reclaim the Tianshi Robe. We’ll have to keep an eye out."

Lei Jun stared at the iridescent glow lingering in his memory. "Indeed..."

---

In the northern Jinzhou region, at the ancestral estate of the Ye Clan, an elderly figure emerged slowly from the backyard after many days. Outside, his eldest son Ye Wei and other senior members of the clan waited respectfully.

"Father," Ye Wei asked softly, "how is Second Sister?"

The elder sighed. "Her life is no longer in danger, but her injuries are severe, and she will require prolonged rest."

Ye Wei took a deep breath. "It’s such a pity about Lingxi..."

The elder’s expression darkened with sorrow, but he said nothing.

Ye Wei continued, regret tinging his voice. "I should have gone south with Second Sister back then."

The elder shook his head. "If we’re speaking of regret, I should have urged her and her daughter to exercise patience. Accompanying them into danger was never the right course of action."

Hands clasped behind his back, he gazed into the sky. "Blame no one else. I, too, was careless..."

The elder had not expected Ye Han’s alliance with the Southern Wasteland’s Golden Castle to succeed outright. However, he also hadn’t foreseen that Wei Anchang, the Blood River Sect’s leader, would be lurking in the Eastern Ridge of the Southern Great Mountain.

The result was a disastrous collision, with Ye Han and her daughter running headlong into the devil’s lair. Now, the elder was left to bury one of the Ye Clan’s brightest stars—his granddaughter, Ye Lingxi.

For years, the Ye Clan had not lost a single Upper Heaven expert. Losing one as talented as Ye Lingxi, with boundless potential, was devastating. Even for a family as vast and influential as the Ye Clan, such promising young geniuses were rare.

"Where are Yuan Mobai and Lei Jun now?" The elder collected his thoughts and regained his composure.

"Reports place them in the southeast," Ye Wei replied. "It’s said they are returning to Mount Longhu after leaving the Southern Wasteland."

He frowned. "Could the Tianshi Mansion be collaborating with the Blood River Sect?"

The elder shook his head. "If it were anyone else, I might suspect the Tianshi Mansion of turning the tables on them. But with Wei Anchang?"

Wei Anchang wouldn’t trust the Tianshi Mansion enough to collaborate. Even the Blood River Sect’s own leadership had been unaware of Wei Anchang’s whereabouts during his years of secluded cultivation. It was precisely this secrecy that had led to such an earth-shattering revelation.

Ye Wei’s expression turned grim. "Yuan Mobai and Lei Jun certainly had good fortune!"

The elder remained silent, contemplating for a long moment before asking, "Did they find the Tianshi Robe?"

"Second Sister and Golden Castle’s prior intelligence only indicated that an iridescent glow—likely tied to the robe—had appeared in the Eastern Ridge," Ye Wei said. "But whether it was the robe itself or what Yuan Mobai’s group gained remains uncertain."

The elder nodded and once again gazed skyward.

"Father, regarding the Tianshi Mansion and the Blood River Sect, how should we proceed?" Ye Wei asked.

"Any updates from the Southern Wasteland?"

"Yes," Ye Wei replied. "Wei Anchang has pursued Gao Pu back to Golden Castle and is rallying Blood River Sect elites for an assault. His return marks the beginning of his campaign to consolidate the Southern Wasteland."

The Southern Wasteland had long been rife with chaos and bloodshed, its countless factions rarely forming alliances. Only the emergence of an overwhelming force could unify them—and even then, such unification was often short-lived.

Now, however, the Southern Wasteland had a Ninth Heaven expert in Wei Anchang. It appeared he intended to subdue the region’s factions, whether by submission or slaughter.

For the Blood River Sect, slaughter itself was a method of consolidating power.

"Whether by luck or calculation, these events only solidify my belief," the elder said. "The Tianshi Mansion shows signs of revival, like a withered tree budding anew."

He continued, "Keep a close watch on the Tianshi Mansion, but don’t be reckless like your sister."

"Understood, Father," Ye Wei replied.

"As for Wei Anchang..." The elder’s voice remained calm, though it carried an undertone of sorrow for the man who had killed his granddaughter and gravely injured his daughter. "He has no shortage of enemies. Let others contend with him for now."

After a pause, Ye Wei hesitantly asked, "Will there be any resolution soon regarding the capital and Longxi?"

"Those matters will conclude temporarily," the elder said. "Prepare yourselves. Once Lingxi’s funeral rites are completed, I will travel to Qingzhou and Youzhou."

---

While chaos brewed in the Southern Wasteland, tranquility reigned over Xunzhou. Lei Jun and Yuan Mobai strolled leisurely on their way back to Mount Longhu.

Of course, they made sure to look the part, their faces reflecting the lingering shock of their "narrow escape."

Fellow Tianshi Mansion members, such as Yao Yuan and Shangguan Ning, rushed to comfort them.

"It’s a relief you’re safe," they said. "The grudges between the Blood River Sect, Jinzhou Ye Clan, and Golden Castle are theirs to settle. For now, our sect should focus on resting and recovering. We can seek the Tianshi Robe and Tianshi Seal at another time."

Tang Xiaotang, brimming with curiosity, eagerly pressed Lei Jun and Yuan Mobai for every detail of their journey.

Though there was some disappointment within the sect at their failure to secure more clues about the Tianshi Robe, the losses suffered by their enemies—Ye Lingxi and Cao Chu, both Upper Heaven experts—provided a silver lining.

"If only Ye Han and Gao Pu had fallen too," Chu Kun remarked privately to Lei Jun.

Lei Jun replied, "With Wei Anchang newly ascended to the Ninth Heaven and Ye Han and Gao Pu both at the Eighth Heaven, their performance would have been better if not for the element of surprise. As for us, we can sit back and watch the show."

Even if they couldn’t remain entirely uninvolved, Lei Jun and Yuan Mobai held to the principle Yuan Mobai had often repeated:

"Let time take care of the rest."

Chu Kun nodded in agreement. “You’re right, Senior Brother. Time will tell.”

Lei Jun leaned back with a faint smile. “By the way, I noticed you’ve been spending a lot of time in the Decree Pavilion lately. Is there something you’re looking for? If you need help, just let me know.”