Seeking Fortune and Avoiding Misfortune: Starting from the Celestial Master’s Mansion
Chapter 210: I thunder in silence

Upon reading Lunan Valley’s divination, Lei Jun noted that the omen was a Moderate-Moderate Omen—a sign of potential risk.

Logically speaking, Shangguan Peng shouldn’t pose a threat to He Dongxing, Jiang Dongyu, and other Shushan Elders.

But the sheer coincidence of it all made Lei Jun’s thoughts wander.

After a brief conversation using a Thousand-Mile Transmission Talisman, Shangguan Peng and the middle-aged officer ended their discussion, agreeing to talk further in person once they met.

The officer casually returned to Xinglong Abyss, joining the others to check on Shen Qubing, who had gained nothing from his search.

“It seems Elder Lei is no longer here.” Shen Qubing sighed. “I tried contacting him, but there’s no response. I have no idea what’s happening with him right now.”

The middle-aged officer reassured him, “Elder Lei may be young, but his cultivation is extraordinary. I doubt he’s in any real danger. The Southern Wasteland is chaotic, and the remnants of the former dynasty have disrupted the spiritual veins, making communication difficult. We can try again later.”

Shen Qubing nodded. “That’s all we can do for now.”

The officer then added, “General Peng is on his way. Let’s wait for him.”

The group left the chaotic depths of Xinglong Abyss, finding a safer place to rest temporarily.

Meanwhile, Lei Jun had no intention of leaving just yet.

While waiting for responses from the many talismans he had scattered, he took out a few new ones for experimentation.

Hidden in the shadows, he cast a glance toward the middle-aged officer.

The Thousand-Mile Transmission Talisman the man had used was clearly the work of Lin Shan.

The Tang Imperial Court primarily sourced their Thousand-Mile Transmission Talismans from Shangguan Ning’s lineage.

The finest ones, crafted by Shangguan Ning himself, were rare and hadn’t been distributed to someone of this officer’s rank.

However, the one he used was still a high-grade talisman, produced by Lin Shan, Shangguan Ning’s most accomplished disciple.

Lei Jun had long been interested in these transmission talismans.

Being a True Disciple of Tianshi Mansion, he had accumulated a wealth of merit over time, which allowed him to acquire a vast collection of Thousand-Mile Transmission Talismans—far more than an outsider could imagine.

Moreover, these talismans came from various sources, enabling Lei Jun to study, analyze, and refine their workings.

Now, holding one of Lin Shan’s talismans, he activated it—not to communicate with anyone, but purely as an experiment.

As he examined the talisman’s structure, he also channeled his Two-Element Magnetic Mantra.

After testing his theory, Elder Lei of Tianshi Mansion let out a silent sigh.

Well. Looks like I’ve become an internal saboteur.

Many of the techniques he had developed were specifically designed to counteract his own sect’s methods.

He chuckled wryly.

No, let’s frame this differently. I’m improving the sect’s security. This is proactive risk management, identifying weaknesses before others can exploit them.

…Alright, fine.

I’ve basically accomplished something that Yellow Heaven Sect cultivators have been dreaming of but never managed to pull off.

For the first time in a while, Lei Jun felt a twinge of guilt.

Maybe I should collect more Yellow Heaven Sect artifacts in the future… study their flaws and turn the tables on them.

Shaking his head, Lei Jun turned his focus back to his talisman network.

Time passed.

Suddenly, Lei Jun felt a subtle shift.

His body vanished from the physical world, reappearing within the True-One Altar Grotto-Heaven.

On the second level of the altar, a map-like formation resembling a star chart began to respond.

Lei Jun had previously released thirty-six talismans, aligning with the Heavenly Firmament number.

Now, only nineteen remained visible—just over half.

The rest had likely been destroyed by the chaotic spiritual currents or had drifted too far beyond their range.

However, one particular talisman had stopped moving entirely.

The feedback suggested that this talisman had encountered an anomalous disturbance within the land’s spiritual veins.

This strongly hinted at a ritual being performed by the Sui remnants.

Lei Jun sat cross-legged on the altar, closing his eyes.

Over the past few days, he had studied the topography of the Southern Wasteland extensively.

While the maps lacked fine details, they were sufficient for Lei Jun to determine directions.

“That location… should be somewhere along the Zhaojiang River, likely in its middle or lower reaches.”

The Southern Wasteland was dominated by mountains, with very few open plains.

Rivers like Zhaojiang and Yujiang were among the largest water systems in the region.

Since the flow of a nation's destiny is closely tied to its geography, it was unsurprising that the Sui remnants were making moves along the Zhaojiang River.

Lei Jun mentally marked the location, but he didn’t rush to act—he wanted to wait for more responses from his talismans first.

As time went on, more talisman signals faded, but some returned with valuable feedback.

By the time he finished his observations, he had identified four key locations where the Sui remnants were disrupting the spiritual veins.

Besides Baijuan Mountain, which Yuan Mobai and Xiao Xueting had already dealt with, the remaining locations were:

• Zhaojiang Lower Reaches – The first confirmed disturbance.
• Zhaojiang Upper Reaches – Another site further upstream.
• Silver Flute Rock Mountains – A mountainous region to the west.
• Empty Flow Mountain – The farthest of the four, located in the south.

Lei Jun studied the map, deciding which location to investigate first.

Just then, his Light Sphere flickered, displaying a message:

【Echoes spread far, their resonance returns. Fortune and misfortune are intertwined—choose wisely.】

This was followed by four divination omens:

1. Moderate-Upper Omen – Traveling to Empty Flow Mountain before midnight could yield a Fourth-Grade Opportunity, with no danger and no repercussions. Good fortune.
2. Moderate-Moderate Omen – Traveling to Zhaojiang Upper Reaches could yield a Sixth-Grade Opportunity, but some risk was involved. Neutral.
3. Moderate-Moderate Omen – Traveling to Silver Flute Rock could yield a Fifth-Grade Opportunity, but a potential crisis awaited. Neutral.
4. Lower-Moderate Omen – Traveling to Zhaojiang Lower Reaches could yield a Sixth-Grade Opportunity, but great danger lurked at every step. Ominous.

Lei Jun analyzed the options.

The Moderate-Upper Omen seemed like the safest and most rewarding choice.

The Lower-Moderate Omen, on the other hand, was exceptionally dangerous—and that was despite Lei Jun’s ability to retreat into the True-One Altar Grotto-Heaven.

If the omen still forewarned step-by-step mortal peril, it was worth serious caution.

The two Moderate-Moderate Omens offered higher risks in exchange for better rewards—a balanced trade-off.

Still, Lei Jun didn’t act immediately.

Shangguan Peng was about to arrive.

And Lei Daozhang was curious about his next move.

Soon enough, Shangguan Peng reached Xinglong Abyss.

On the surface, he appeared calm and unbothered, listening to Shen Qubing’s report.

Privately, however, he began searching the area on his own.

Of course, even without using the Tianshi Seal and the True-One Altar Grotto-Heaven, Lei Jun’s various concealment techniques—combined with the chaotic terrain of Xinglong Abyss—ensured that Shangguan Peng would never find him.

However, Lei Jun wasn’t trying to approach Shangguan Peng.

Instead, he remotely intercepted the transmission from the middle-aged officer’s Thousand-Mile Transmission Talisman—the same one produced by Lin Shan.

Lying lazily within the True-One Altar Grotto-Heaven, Lei Jun propped his head on one hand and listened in amusement as the talisman relayed Shangguan Peng’s private conversation:

“…Shushan has confirmed they’ll send reinforcements to the Southern Wasteland. Now we must consider Tianshi Mansion.”

The middle-aged officer hesitated. “Tianshi Mansion is still recovering. Their forces are stretched thin.”

Shangguan Peng’s voice was calm but deliberate.

“If either Yuan Mobai or Lei Jun dies in the Southern Wasteland, the new Tianshi will personally descend. She may not have the Tianshi Seal or Tianshi Robe, but if she brings the Tianshi Sword, then even Wei Anchang will be forced to divert his focus. That alone would neutralize most of the former dynasty’s threat.”

Lei Jun’s gaze darkened slightly.

Shangguan Peng’s words carried an undeniable implication—he wanted either Lei Jun or Yuan Mobai dead.

His reasoning was clear: their deaths would force the new Tianshi to descend, bringing the Tianshi Sword to the Southern Wasteland. This would divert Wei Anchang’s attention and, in turn, cripple the ambitions of the Sui remnants.

It was a ruthless calculation.

Lei Jun silently tapped his fingers against the altar floor as he listened.

The middle-aged officer remained hesitant.

“But General, neither Yuan Mobai nor Lei Jun are easy targets. Yuan Mobai is already a formidable force, and Lei Jun… I fear he may be even more dangerous than we assumed.”

Shangguan Peng’s tone remained calm.

“That’s why we don’t need to act directly. If the situation in the Southern Wasteland escalates further, we won’t need to push them—one of them will eventually fall.”