Seeking Fortune and Avoiding Misfortune: Starting from the Celestial Master’s Mansion
Chapter 222: Lei Jun: I gave him an offer he couldn't refuse

"Talisman of Dragon and Tiger, the myriad arts return to their source."

Lei Jun carefully studied the profound talismanic script, gaining some insight.

Both the Tianshi Robe and Tianshi Seal carried the heavy responsibility of upholding the legacy of Mount Longhu.

Through the Talisman of Dragon and Tiger, one could deduce the foundational Spirit Talisman Scriptures and advanced Spirit Talisman Scriptures of Tianshi Mansion’s legacy.

Due to the principles of Unchanging Movement and the Universal Daoist Altar at the sect’s ancestral grounds, even if these scriptures fell into the hands of outsiders, they wouldn’t be truly leaked. However, they could still aid external research in formulating countermeasures.

Now that Lei Jun had retrieved them, he had eliminated a potential future threat.

He had already studied these two secret scriptures, so personally, it wasn’t a significant gain for him.

However, with the Talisman of Dragon and Tiger augmenting his abilities, Lei Jun’s future talisman crafting would be far more effective, yielding twice the results with half the effort.

Yet, compared to this talisman, what influenced him more immediately was the fact that—although he couldn't pinpoint the location of the Tianshi Robe—he could still reverse-channel part of its power.

This allowed him to manifest the Ninefold True Light of the Dao, also known as the Chaotic Void Nine Lights.

With the Chaotic Void Nine Lights enveloping him, he gained a formidable defensive ability, making his protection incredibly strong.

With this Ninefold Light as an added safeguard, Lei Jun’s security was significantly enhanced.

Even now, with his Middle Heavens cultivation, it was already invaluable. When he advanced to the Upper Heavens, this Chaotic Void Nine Lights would still be a crucial layer of protection.

Although not yet fully complete, in terms of enduring longevity, this Ninefold Light might be inferior to the Breath-Taking Flag, but its short-term defensive power was even greater.

The two combined complemented each other perfectly.

Lei Jun, however, did not become complacent. Instead, his thoughts drifted in another direction:

"If secrecy is maintained, I could use this Chaotic Void Nine Lights—which originates from the Tianshi Robe—to mislead others..."

For example, he could fake an outsider obtaining the Tianshi Robe and act accordingly.

This would create the effect of "Transposing Flowers and Trees"—deceiving the world.

"Hmm... For now, this is still too distant a possibility."

Lei Jun shook his head slightly, pulling his scattered thoughts back together.

He attempted to contact his master, Yuan Mobai.

But there was no response.

Judging by the situation, it wasn’t that someone was blocking communications, nor was it like before when Yuan Mobai had entered the Nine Li Secret Realm and gone silent.

Rather, it seemed that Yuan Mobai had voluntarily disabled his Thousand-Mile Transmission Talisman for the time being.

This wasn’t common but also not entirely unexpected—it was one of the special functions that the Tianshi Mansion's direct disciples could use when employing the Thousand-Mile Transmission Talisman.

Typically, it meant the user was in a unique environment, trying to conceal their presence, or had entered seclusion and wished to avoid unnecessary disturbances.

To put it in terms Lei Jun had learned from Blue Star, it was like manually setting his phone to silent mode.

Clearly, Yuan Mobai’s current location was not suitable for using the talisman.

Lei Jun put away the spirit talisman in his hand.

In such circumstances, he naturally wouldn’t forcefully activate his master’s Thousand-Mile Transmission Talisman, lest he disrupt Yuan Mobai’s plans.

After a brief moment of thought, Lei Jun left the True-One Altar Grotto-Heaven.

Then, he activated his Teng Snake Bone’s spiritual power, took up his Breath-Taking Flag, and his figure vanished from where he stood—quietly departing the area.

Beneath Sleeping Dragon Lake

The battlefield had become far more brutal than at Zhu’an Grotto.

The scale was enormous, and the number of experts involved far exceeded the Li Wai battle of Mount Longhu, as well as the previous war between Tianshi Mansion and the Jiangzhou Lin Clan at Poyang Great Marsh.

In recent years, only the great disasters caused by demonic uprisings in the Western Regions, Eastern Sea, and Northern Borders could compare to the current battle at Sleeping Dragon Lake.

The vast lake had been completely evaporated—not a single ripple of water remained.

The dried-up lakebed had suffered further devastation, with the earth overturned and cracked apart.

The surrounding water veins were completely disrupted—either diverted, cut off, or flooded.

Entire mountain ranges collapsed, and the once lush forests of the Southern Wasteland now stood withered, as if their life force had been drained by an unseen horror.

A massive Ghost-God Sacrificial Formation covered an enormous area.

Yet, the formation’s patterns were damaged.

Above, a sky-encompassing blood sea dyed the heavens red, suppressing minds and inducing madness.

If not for strands of eerie black mist rising to meet it, the Ghost-God Sacrificial Formation would have already been completely overwhelmed by the torrential blood sea.

This mysterious black mist seemed to exist in a separate dimension, preventing the blood sea from immediately contaminating and consuming it.

But the blood sea's power was overwhelming—despite the interference, it continued to dominate the battlefield.

Blood rain constantly poured down, eroding the Ghost-God Formation, creating increasingly large breaches.

As the blood sea and sacrificial formation clashed, space itself twisted, affecting the surrounding mountains and rivers.

Unlike earlier, when destruction was direct and violent, the mountains now exhibited a silent, pale decay—as if even the land itself was alive but was now withering toward death.

Everything—whether the plants, trees, or even solid rocks—began to erode and crumble into dust, silently dispersing into nothingness.

The Forces at War

At the heart of the conflict stood:

• Wei Anchang, Grandmaster of the Blood River Sect (Nine Heavens).
• Sang Lu, Holy Lord of Gepo Mountain (Eight Heavens).
• Feng Gui, Holy Lord of Reincarnation Abyss (Eight Heavens).

These were the three paramount leaders of the Southern Wasteland’s sacred domains, locked in a battle that was both grand and eerie.

For Sang Lu, there was good news—Feng Gui had arrived faster than expected, well before Sang Lu was fully entangled by Yuan Shanji and Xiong Gang at Sleeping Dragon Lake.

He had even arrived before Wei Anchang could leave the Blood River Sect's stronghold at Yin Mountain Grotto.

His unexpectedly early arrival not only prevented himself from being intercepted by Blood River Sect forces, but also enabled him to assist Sang Lu in time.

Yet, the bad news was that their enemies were even stronger than expected.

Even though Sang Lu and Feng Gui were more powerful than Ye Han and Gao Pu, they still couldn't gain an advantage against Wei Anchang.

Wei Anchang controlled the battlefield.

Moreover, both Gepo Mountain and Reincarnation Abyss couldn’t afford to leave their sacred grounds defenseless, forcing Sang Lu and Feng Gui to hold back some of their strength.

Thus, their current battle with Wei Anchang was purely about stalling for time.

Meanwhile, Li Tianqing resumed his duel with Yuan Shanji.

The two didn't open a separate battlefield but instead fought within the larger Ghost-God Formation, utilizing their respective forbidden arts.

As battles raged across multiple fronts, the situation remained in deadlock.

Until…

A new force arrived.

Lei Jun’s eyes narrowed.

From the distant sky, a mysterious figure emerged, moving as if ignoring time and space itself—appearing directly beneath the blood sea.

Then, everything changed.

Sleeping Dragon Lake—A Sudden Shift in the Battlefield

A shadowy figure flickered into existence beneath the blood sea, appearing as though they had ignored the constraints of time and space.

A long halberd, as black as midnight, shimmered with a faint golden radiance.

It did not carry an overwhelming aura of destruction, nor did it display any shocking heavenly phenomena—but the power condensed within was immense. With a single strike, it could cleave the blood sea apart!

However, before the halberd could descend—

A blood-red blade met it head-on.

This blood blade was even more ferocious than the one wielded by Xiong Gang.

Wei Anchang.

The Blood River Sect Grandmaster had never confined himself to just one battle style. While the Blood Sea was his defining ability, his close-combat mastery was second to none—far surpassing even a veteran warrior like Xiong Gang!

A single slash—Blood Battle: Mortal Realm—split the sky, extending for hundreds of meters, clashing violently with the dark halberd.

For a brief moment, the very fabric of reality seemed to shift.

The air grew still, as if a celestial canvas had been cut apart, its pieces neatly misaligned.

Neither side produced any earth-shattering shockwaves, for their power was entirely concentrated at the point of impact.

Yet—

A jagged crack formed on Wei Anchang’s blood blade.

Meanwhile, the halberd-wielding warrior grunted, stepping back as his golden-lit, black halberd trembled slightly—stained by a few drops of tainted blood.

The blood did not soak in, however—encased by divine golden light, it was unable to fully contaminate the halberd.

“Master Wei,” the newcomer spoke, his thunderous voice carrying a hint of grim determination.

It was Shangguan Yunbo.

Bearer of the Dangkou Halberd, a legendary martial treasure wielded by the Shangguan lineage.

This was a weapon of unmatched power, but unlike a cultivator’s life-bound weapon, it remained an external artifact.

While Shangguan Yunbo was powerful, he was still not at Wei Anchang’s level. Over time, Wei Anchang would undoubtedly find a weakness to exploit.

Nevertheless, with the Dangkou Halberd, Shangguan Yunbo could temporarily withstand Wei Anchang’s onslaught—buying crucial time.

Meanwhile—

Feng Gui, the Lord of Reincarnation Abyss, stepped in to block Yang Yuqi, ensuring that the Tang Crown Prince wouldn’t interfere.

This shift freed Sang Lu from having to fend off multiple opponents at once.

With a sharp, chilling gaze, Sang Lu immediately counterattacked—unleashing her full power.

And in an instant—the balance of the battlefield had changed.

A Mysterious Arrival—Future Maitreya’s Betrayal

Just as the battle grew even more intense, an unexpected presence emerged.

From beyond the chaotic battleground, lotus flowers began to bloom—appearing in midair, their petals pure and radiant.

At the heart of this blossoming lotus sea, a lone figure stood.

A young monk—his face refined like jade, exuding an ethereal glow, his demeanor serene and solemn.

A sacred Buddhist aura enveloped him, illuminating the battlefield with a brilliant white radiance.

The battlefield momentarily fell into silence, as warriors on both sides took note of his presence.

The Future Maitreya of the White Lotus Sect.

Wei Anchang’s expression darkened.

A moment later, he smirked.

“Future Maitreya, I trust everything is in order?”

Wei Anchang’s words carried a subtle undertone—one that implied an agreement had already been made.

At his words, even Yang Yuqi, the Tang Crown Prince, glanced at Wei Anchang with curiosity.

The White Lotus Sect, though enigmatic, had recently been linked to Wei Anchang’s faction. If the Future Maitreya had agreed to cooperate, then this could completely turn the tide of battle in favor of the Blood River Sect.

However—

The monk in white bowed his head slightly, his palms pressed together in a prayer-like gesture.

Then, with a deep breath, he spoke:

"I must apologize, Master Wei."

"I cannot fulfill our agreement."

Wei Anchang’s smile vanished.

At that moment—

The white lotus petals suddenly burst outward.

A blazing light erupted forth, and before anyone could react, a vast field of blooming lotuses had sealed off the movements of Blood River Sect Elder Lian Ran.

This left Lian Ran momentarily defenseless.

Sang Lu’s eyes widened slightly at the unexpected turn of events.

Even she wasn’t certain of this monk’s true motives—so she hesitated, not immediately pursuing Lian Ran.

The Future Maitreya, however, continued his actions without pause.

"The Buddha speaks of the Peacock—a being of great power, capable of dispelling all fears and suffering, bringing peace and joy."

He clasped his hands together, then struck forward with his palms.

From within the ocean of white lotus blossoms, a colossal peacock manifested.

Its feathers radiated pure, divine light, its wings stretching wide as it dived downward—targeting Xiong Gang.

At the same time—

Xu Duan, the Shushan elder, seized the opportunity.

His twelve Vermillion Flame Flying Forks shot forth, relentlessly assaulting Xiong Gang from every angle.

Xiong Gang roared, swinging his blood-red blade in sweeping arcs, trying to deflect both attacks at once.

A Plan Set in Motion—Lei Jun’s Hand

Far from the battle, Lei Jun remained observing, standing beside his master, Yuan Mobai.

Yuan Mobai turned toward Lei Jun, raising an eyebrow.

"Was this your doing?"

Lei Jun smiled faintly.

In response, he reached into his sleeve and produced a peculiar object—a candle-like artifact with faint Buddhist inscriptions engraved upon it.

Yuan Mobai recognized it immediately.

Years ago, when Lei Jun was assigned to Xianliu Mountain, he had come into possession of this strange Buddhist relic.

It was also during this time that Lei Jun had discovered an incomplete formula for the Cleansing Essence Pill—an ancient Buddhist elixir.

At the time, they had set aside the mystery of this Buddhist artifact due to a lack of leads.

Now, however—Lei Jun had unlocked its secrets.

"I recently had another opportunity," Lei Jun explained casually. "When I reexamined this candle, I discovered something new."

His words hinted at a deeper revelation.

Yuan Mobai understood immediately.

"You used this to contact the Future Maitreya?"

Lei Jun nodded.

Above them, the celestial map of the Heavenly Book flickered—two constellations shining in tandem.

The Venus Luminary and the Jupiter Luminary.

"I made him an offer he couldn’t refuse," Lei Jun said, smiling.