Seeking Fortune and Avoiding Misfortune: Starting from the Celestial Master’s Mansion
Chapter 234: Yuan Mobai comes out of retreat

Lei Jun continued to sit in quiet meditation, his thoughts lingering on the contrast between the Heavenly Book’s Proper Side and the Heavenly Book’s Dark Side.

It was like the relationship between sunlight and shadow.

Unlike in the Proper Side’s Universe, where he was tied to a specific celestial body, here in the Dark Side’s Universe, his perspective was vastly different—almost as if he were the master of this realm.

Though he had yet to fully refine and integrate the Dark Side, his authority here was unmistakably stronger than in the Proper Side’s Universe.

At a single thought, streams of black "starlight" resembling ink gathered and condensed before him.

Though his eyes saw only an endless white void, his consciousness perceived something else—a sky that had once been bright and clear, now plunged into an eclipse.

Daylight vanished in an instant, and a Black Sun emerged.

This was no ordinary sun—it stood in direct opposition to the blazing solar luminary of the Proper Side’s Universe.

As the Black Sun condensed, its energy did not radiate outward but was instead drawn inward.

Rather than illuminating its surroundings, it was continuously devoured by the surrounding whiteness, as if it were an existence that should not be perceived.

Eventually, even the blackness faded, leaving behind only the vast, empty whiteness.

But Lei Jun knew—the "star" was still there.

It had simply undergone an eclipse.

"The Hidden Dark Star… Rahu." Lei Jun understood.

While the Proper Side’s Universe was ruled by the Seven Celestial Luminaries, the Dark Side’s Universe seemed to manifest Hidden Dark Stars instead.

For now, only Rahu had emerged.

Lei Jun contemplated for a moment, attempting to summon more Hidden Dark Stars, but none appeared.

Looks like it really is tied to my cultivation level, he mused. As I progress, more of these stars might be born…

What remained uncertain was whether each of the Seven Celestial Luminaries had a direct counterpart in the Dark Side, or whether this universe would instead develop four specific Hidden Dark Stars: Rahu, Ketu, Yuebei, and Ziqi, aligning with the Seven Luminaries and Four Shadow Stars of celestial lore.

With his current comprehension, Lei Jun quickly grasped the fundamentals of the Dark Side’s Universe.

He even realized that he could transfer ownership of the Rahu Dark Star to another person.

It would be like tearing out a page from the Dark Side of the Heavenly Book.

Such a page would hold less power than the Dark Side itself, but it would be superior to the lingering shadow that had once plagued Zhang Yuan.

Now that Lei Jun had full control over the Dark Side, transferring such a page wouldn’t suppress the recipient’s soul as easily.

And even if he granted someone a page, the ultimate authority over this realm would still remain with him.

Comparing his mastery of the Dark Side with the Proper Side, Lei Jun found that many things were beginning to make sense.

At this point, he was at least 80% certain—Empress Zhang Wantong… or more accurately, the Sun Luminary, was pretending to be oblivious while actually knowing everything.

The rough outline was as follows:

She still retained at least half of the Proper Side of the Heavenly Book.

The other half had been split into seven fragments, each forming an individual volume or page.

Even with half of the Proper Side, she had still managed to acquire one additional page: Heavenly Book: One.

If Lei Jun referenced Shen Qubing’s Heavenly Book: Six, which had once brushed past Senior Sister Xu Yuanzhen, it suggested that the distribution of these pages had not been pre-arranged.

In other words, while Zhang Wantong still held half of the Heavenly Book Proper, she had not deliberately orchestrated the scattering of the other half.

However, she likely knew exactly who possessed each of the remaining six pages—she just chose not to reclaim them.

On one hand, it was a calculated maneuver, casting a hidden net over the scattered pages.

On the other, by allowing people like Lei Jun to study their respective pages, it ensured that the fragmented pages would generate feedback, which would inevitably flow back to Zhang Wantong, the one controlling the remaining half of the Proper Side and presiding over the Celestial Universe of the Heavenly Book.

Regardless, this woman was the ultimate master of deception.

Lei Jun couldn’t help but think of game administrators in his past life, those who wielded even greater authority than group chat moderators.

…Damn, what an annoying privilege hog.

But wait.

Lei Jun swept his gaze across the Dark Side’s Cosmic Void once more.

Being a privilege hog didn’t seem so bad after all…

Even though, for now, my group chat is still empty.

With that thought, Lei Jun withdrew his consciousness from the Heavenly Book’s Dark Side.

---

In the real world, he remained seated in a meditative posture.

Between the Proper Side and the Dark Side, there were clear differences.

The Proper Side’s pages did not strictly select their owners.

But a Dark Side page could only be refined and comprehended by a rare few.

Most people wouldn’t be oppressed by the page, nor would it affect their souls—but it would be useless to them, no more than a mere relic.

Lei Jun speculated that this was because, despite being two sides of the same book, the Dark Side interpreted the Dao of Heaven and Earth from a negative perspective, which clashed with conventional cultivation principles.

For most, it was repulsive—only a rare few could resonate with it.

If others refined the Dark Side pages, Lei Jun would also receive feedback, aiding his own cultivation.

However, finding the right individuals one by one would be too time-consuming.

Lei Jun recalled how he had obtained Heavenly Book: Three and chuckled.

I’ll just copy that method and use the Earth Veins’ flow to seek out fated individuals.

But not yet.

He planned to wait until he reached the Upper Heavens before attempting it.

Though the chances of someone tracing a Dark Side page back to him were infinitesimally small, Lei Jun still preferred to build a stronger foundation first before putting the plan into action.

If the wrong person got hold of it, he would have the means to adjust his strategy.

---

"Come to think of it, I've been in this world for about twenty years now."

That night, Lei Jun gazed up at the starry sky.

He had been through countless experiences, yet time still felt fleeting—like a mere snap of the fingers.

With that, he retracted his gaze, resumed his meditative posture, and focused on his breath control and visualization exercises.

Time flowed by quietly.

Lei Jun devoted himself to cultivation.

After integrating Stepping the Big Dipper into his Dao Seal, he proceeded to refine his second life-bound spell: Two-Element Magnetic Mantra.

Next, he would refine his third life-bound spell: Heaven’s Sight and Earth’s Hearing Talisman.

Both techniques were Lei Jun’s own creations, not part of the Tianshi Mansion’s core inheritance.

They held immense potential—but that also meant they required significant adjustments and refinements.

Through the changing seasons—summer to autumn, winter to spring—a new year arrived.

By then, Lei Jun had fully integrated both techniques into his Dao Seal.

His journey continued.

This particular model was also a preparation for his future breakthrough to the Seventh Heaven. Once his cultivation reached that stage, refining it would become far more effortless.

Lei Jun had now spent twenty-one years in this world. Seasons passed—spring turned to summer, and summer to autumn.

One day, after finishing his shift at the Decree Pavilion, he was about to return to his residence when he happened to see his junior brother, Chu Kun, approaching.

Noticing the joyful expression on Chu Kun’s face, Lei Jun’s mind turned quickly.

"Did Master emerge from seclusion, or has Senior Sister returned to the mountain?"

Chu Kun grinned. "Master has achieved a complete breakthrough and has left seclusion. I came to inform you, Senior Brother."

Lei Jun immediately smiled. "Let’s go together to see Master."

The two of them arrived at Yuan Mobai’s residence and entered the main hall.

Seated in the master’s seat was a Daoist in a violet robe, his expression warm and gentle, exuding an aura that made others feel as if bathed in the spring breeze.

Who else could it be but Yuan Mobai?

With a calm smile, he looked at his two disciples as they stepped inside.

Lei Jun and Chu Kun immediately moved forward and saluted in unison.

"Boundless longevity and fortune. Congratulations to Master on your perfect breakthrough!"

Two others were already seated in the hall—Senior Brother Wang Guiyuan and Tang Xiaotang, the current Tianshi, who had personally come to visit.

Ever since their return from the Southern Wasteland, Yuan Mobai had entered closed-door cultivation.

It had now been nearly two years since then.

For a cultivator facing a major bottleneck, such a time frame was not long at all.

In fact, Yuan Mobai had undergone even longer periods of seclusion in the past.

However, this breakthrough was exceptional.

Tianshi Mansion of Mount Longhu had finally gained another Eighth-Heaven High Priest Elder.

Tang Xiaotang, grinning cheerfully, was clearly in high spirits.

"Junior Uncle, your breakthrough this time was truly like water flowing naturally into a channel—silent and effortless, yet perfectly accomplished."

"Looks like you didn’t struggle much with the Heavenly Chasm Tribulation between the Seventh and Eighth Heavens."

Yuan Mobai smiled. "It can’t compare to the breakthrough that the Sect Leader made before."

Tang Xiaotang waved her hand dismissively. "Junior Uncle, don’t be so modest. Your mana and mystical abilities have clearly evolved—otherwise, I’d wager you would have come out of seclusion much earlier."

Despite her usual carefree nature, Tang Xiaotang had a sharp eye for cultivation matters.

As she had remained stationed at Mount Longhu, personally presiding over the Ten Thousand Methods Sect Altar while acting as Yuan Mobai’s guardian during his retreat, she had naturally noticed certain subtle changes.

Lei Jun, hearing this, was reminded of what his master had mentioned after emerging from the Jiuli Secret Realm.

His master’s journey to the Southern Wasteland had indeed brought unique gains.

And these gains were not from Tianshi Mansion’s inheritance.

Throughout his seclusion, Yuan Mobai had not sought insights from Lei Jun’s Thunder Law Talismanic Canon.

Just as he had once said—

"The best techniques are the ones that suit you personally."

It was highly likely that his second divine ability was entirely his own creation.

That explained why this breakthrough had taken longer than expected.

If things had gone according to his initial tone and expression after returning from the Jiuli Secret Realm, as Tang Xiaotang had noted, he should have exited seclusion much earlier.

Tang Xiaotang’s eyes gleamed with curiosity.

"Junior Uncle, tell us!"

She looked even more eager than when she had hosted the Emperor and Crown Prince of the Tang Dynasty.