Seeking Fortune and Avoiding Misfortune: Starting from the Celestial Master’s Mansion
Chapter 239: One fortune, two opportunities

The attacks and defenses of Middle Heaven cultivators had absolutely no effect on these Sea King Chrysanthemum clones.

Even Seventh Heaven experts like Lin Likong could hold their ground for a time, but the longer they fought, the greater the danger.

They had only one option:

Run!

Run immediately!

Since they failed to stop the Sea King Chrysanthemum clones from landing, Lin Likong turned and fled from Great Black Mountain without hesitation.

One of the Seventh Heaven elders from the Jiangzhou Lin Clan, despite knowing how dangerous these creatures were, lingered to save younger clan members.

That single moment’s delay sealed his fate.

He was powerful, so over ten white chrysanthemums swarmed him at once.

Across Great Black Mountain, slaughter raged.

Some Lin Clan disciples managed to flee with Lin Likong, but soon, countless long-stemmed white chrysanthemums rained down from the mountain, relentlessly pursuing them, slaughtering them one by one.

Those chrysanthemums that hadn't yet tasted blood continued their relentless chase after Lin Likong.

From a distance, Lei Jun watched.

Suddenly, in Lin Likong’s escape direction, a surge of sword energy erupted into the sky.

Cold and piercing, it was even more savage and frigid than the blizzards of the northern lands.

It was a sword technique unique to the Youzhou Lin Clan—a lineage technique passed down through generations.

Compared to Lin Likong’s previous use of poetic verses to summon northern winds, this invisible sword energy was far stronger.

A Confucian sword technique, wielded by an Eighth Heaven scholar of the Youzhou Lin Clan.

As expected, Youzhou had sent stronger reinforcements.

They had refrained from entering Great Black Mountain’s region immediately, likely to avoid provoking the Tang Imperial Court.

But the unexpected disaster unfolding on the mountain had finally forced the Eighth Heaven elder to reveal himself.

The Sea King Chrysanthemum clones were ferocious.

Even as the raging sword-energy snowstorm tore through their delicate white tendrils, most of them withstood the onslaught.

Though they appeared fragile, they charged through the blizzard with relentless aggression, continuing to assault the two Confucian scholars of the Youzhou Lin Clan.

No wonder the Lin Clan and Dakuang Monastery placed such high hopes on these creatures.

Despite his overwhelming sword presence, the Eighth Heaven elder didn't fight head-on.

He had to protect Lin Likong, who was a rank lower in cultivation, so he fought while retreating.

Like bloodthirsty sharks, the long-stemmed white chrysanthemums chased after the sword-energy blizzard, gradually disappearing into the horizon.

Lei Jun watched from afar, his thoughts churning.

Those two Lin Clan scholars clearly understood the nature of these creatures.

Their decision to stall rather than fight directly suggested that the long-stemmed chrysanthemums had a time limit.

If they could outlast them, the creatures might wither and die on their own.

Of course, that was only an option if they could survive long enough.

Lei Jun didn't follow to see the outcome.

Instead, he turned his gaze back to Great Black Mountain, observing the remaining long-stemmed chrysanthemums.

At this point, they could no longer be called white chrysanthemums.

After feasting on blood, they had all turned deep crimson.

Yet, despite the slaughter, these creatures did not grow stronger.

Instead, their delicate tendrils began to wither.

Moments later, their blood-red hue darkened to deep red, then black, as their bodies shrank and decayed.

The killing spree had also accelerated their demise.

In contrast, the ones that had not fed on blood—the ones still chasing Lin Likong—were lasting much longer.

"No wonder they’re not truly connected to the real Sea King Chrysanthemum. Strictly speaking, they can't even be called its clones."

Lei Jun understood now.

Observing their changes, he deduced that while these creatures were related to the Sea King Chrysanthemum, they were more like discarded remnants—akin to how a gecko sheds its tail to survive.

Perhaps when the Empress severely wounded the Sea King Chrysanthemum, its injuries were so severe that it couldn’t fully heal, forcing it to sacrifice part of its body in a desperate act of self-preservation.

It must have been a huge sacrifice, something the creature wouldn’t do lightly.

But considering that the Sea King Chrysanthemum was a peak-level demon, equivalent to a Ninth Heaven human cultivator, it was still immensely powerful.

These discarded remnants absorbed the Empress’s divine energy, eventually mutating into these long-stemmed white chrysanthemums.

The fact that Dakuang Monastery had acquired them was, in a way, a waste turned into a resource.

Lei Daozhang thought this was an excellent use of leftovers.

More importantly, it gave the lurking Youzhou Lin Clan elder something to do—a perfect distraction.

Now, both sides canceled each other out, allowing Tang Xiaotang to focus on her mission with fewer obstacles.

…Though judging by that reckless Tianshi’s fighting style, she probably wasn’t worried to begin with.

Earlier, Shangguan Ning had sent word to the Tang Imperial Court.

A response had already arrived from the capital.

Tang experts were secretly heading north, but their exact arrival time was uncertain.

Hopefully, they wouldn’t show up after everything was already over.

Lei Jun shook his head slightly.

Great Black Mountain had become a graveyard.

Most of the Lin Clan cultivators had perished, including the Seventh Heaven elder who had stayed behind.

He had fought bravely but was eventually overwhelmed by the last of the remaining monsters.

His death—tragic and unnecessary.

After their final massacre, the monsters also expired.

Their withered corpses, now black as charcoal, crumbled like ash in the cold northern winds, dissolving into nothing.

Lei Jun shifted his gaze to the mountain’s peak.

He could still sense unusual distortions in the void above, but there were no further changes for now.

To the naked eye, aside from the blowing snow, the sky looked normal.

Should I check if Little Senior Sister found anything at Dragon Bone Ridge?

Or should I search elsewhere?

Lei Jun pondered.

Just as he was thinking, a light sphere flashed in his mind, revealing a new omen:

"Step by step, the path to the heavens rises. Wild chaos and scholarly brilliance bring shifting fortunes."

Lei Jun raised an eyebrow.

He glanced toward Great Black Mountain’s sky, considering the meaning of "the path to the heavens."

Did it refer to a direct path to an otherworldly realm?

Or something else?

Four omen readings appeared before him:

[Upper-Moderate Omen]

→ Go to Pine Leaf Ridge first, wait for the right moment, then return to Great Black Mountain.

→ Possible rewards: One Third-Grade Opportunity and One Fourth-Grade Opportunity.

→ Minimal immediate danger, but potential future risks.

→ Good fortune.

[Moderate Omen]

→ Stay away from Great Black Mountain, Dragon Bone Ridge, and Morning Drum Mountain.

→ No gains, but no losses.

→ Neutral.

[Lower-Moderate Omen]

→ Go to Dragon Bone Ridge.

→ No gains. Potential risk.

→ Unlucky.

[Lower-Moderate Omen]

→ Go to Morning Drum Mountain.

→ No gains. Potential risk.

→ Unlucky.

Lei Jun examined the omens and mentally mapped the region.

The Lower-Moderate omens likely hinted at dangers in those locations.

But Pine Leaf Ridge…

A Third-Grade and Fourth-Grade Opportunity was a ridiculous stroke of luck.

Still…

It wasn’t a Supreme Good Omen for a reason.

No immediate danger, but potential hidden risks.

Lei Jun thought for a moment, then turned away from Great Black Mountain.

Pine Leaf Ridge it is.

Though few in number, the Lin Clan disciples at this location had arranged an elaborate and formal ritual.

At the center of the ceremonial site stood a bronze cauldron, with wisps of blue smoke rising from within, forming the faint outline of mountains and rivers in the air above.

For Lei Jun, most cultivation techniques held no secrets. Even if he couldn’t grasp every intricate detail at a glance, he could generally deduce their purpose after some observation.

As expected, the Lin Clan was attempting to seal the "portal" in the void above Great Black Mountain.

Impressively, they had prepared a second contingency plan. While the main ritual was being conducted at Dragon Bone Ridge, they had quietly set up another at Pine Leaf Ridge.

However, this secondary ritual was still in its early stages, unlike the long-established one at Dragon Bone Ridge. That meant it was still fragile—offering an opportunity for manipulation.

His divination omen had indicated that he should come to Pine Leaf Ridge first before returning to Great Black Mountain. Clearly, this was where he needed to act…

Lei Jun calmly pulled out a metal rail and pointed a finger at Lin Qing.

The air between them suddenly twisted and rippled like waves.

"Snap!"

"Boom!"

Lin Qing had been entirely focused on the ritual, relying on the Lin Clan’s archers atop the mountain for vigilance.

Before she could react, her pristine white robes suddenly darkened, as if soaked in ink.

The blackened fabric expanded outward, attempting to form a protective inky mountain around her.

But before it could fully manifest, it snapped apart, shattering into drifting fragments.

That brief moment of protection was just enough for another defensive treasure—a black inkstone—to emerge from Lin Qing’s body.

Yet, with a boom, the inkstone was also shattered.

Only now did Lin Qing finally register the attack. She quickly dodged to the side while turning her head—only to see a tall Daoist in a deep-red robe.

Tianshi Mansion… Lei Jun!

She knew this man’s face well.

But the weapon in his hands—she had never seen anything like it before.

Just as Lin Qing was about to warn her clan members and contact her father, Lin Che—

"Bang!"

A massive hole suddenly appeared in her chest and abdomen.

The wound on her back was even more horrific.

Even with the protection of Confucian righteous energy, she was unable to withstand the devastating impact of Lei Jun’s second Primal Magnetism Sword Pellet.

Lei Jun had expected Lin Qing, as Lin Che’s daughter, to possess powerful defensive artifacts. That’s why he opted for a swift and decisive strike—hitting her with two sword pellets in succession.

Her Confucian treasures were indeed formidable, able to vaguely sense the magnetic energy condensing around her and trigger a rapid response.

However, Lei Jun had attacked from close range, ensuring his shots were impossibly precise.

Lin Qing didn’t even have the chance to decide whether to engage Lei Jun in close combat or retreat.

She was simply blown backward.

She possessed an Innate Sacred Physique, allowing her cultivation to progress rapidly and making her a renowned fighter.

But today, she never even got the chance to fight back…

In the blink of an eye, this so-called "proud daughter of heaven"—a Sixth Heaven cultivator of the Jiangzhou Lin Clan—died with her eyes wide open in disbelief, her blood staining the snowy ground.

The remaining Lin Clan disciples were momentarily stunned by the sudden change.

Yet, they recovered quickly.

Unfortunately for them, none were as strong as Lin Qing.

Lei Jun swiftly eliminated them as well.

Without a moment’s pause, he put away the metal rail and used the Dark Side of the Heavenly Book to clean up the scene—without disturbing the ritual.

Then, he approached the bronze cauldron and swiftly traced intricate talismanic runes in the air with his fingers.

The glowing runes left shimmering imprints in the air before stabilizing and embedding themselves onto the cauldron.

Seeing this, Lei Jun immediately turned and disappeared into the howling snowstorm.

—

Whether due to a father-daughter bond or his own continuous monitoring of the ritual, Lin Che, the clan lord of the Jiangzhou Lin Clan, sensed a subtle disturbance at Pine Leaf Ridge.

Although Lei Jun had used Primal Magnetism to cloak the area, Lin Che still felt something was off.

At first glance, Pine Leaf Ridge appeared normal.

But that very sense of deceptive calm made him more certain that something had gone wrong—only a master could have hidden the disturbance this well!

However, Lin Che had no time to split his focus.

The moment he glanced toward Pine Leaf Ridge, golden light flashed before his eyes, nearly engulfing him.

Overhead, the battle at Dragon Bone Ridge had already escalated into a full-scale inferno.

A massive Tai Chi Yin-Yang Diagram, half-golden and half-green, illuminated the skies. The harmonizing forces of Yin and Yang had reached the point where the images of a dragon and a tiger could faintly be seen.

"…That madwoman!"

Lin Che gritted his teeth.

He wanted to send Lin Yuwei to investigate Pine Leaf Ridge.

But for now, he had no choice but to deal with a certain someone who was already fighting like a lunatic.

—

Meanwhile, back at Pine Leaf Ridge, the ritual had gone completely out of control.

With no one to oversee it, the unstable ceremony became like a wild horse that had broken free from its reins.

The bronze cauldron trembled violently, cracks spreading outward from the talisman imprints Lei Jun had placed on it.

In the next moment, the cauldron exploded, sending shards flying in all directions.

And just like that, the ritual collapsed entirely.

A pillar of radiant light erupted from the valley below, shooting straight into the sky.

The ground trembled violently, triggering avalanches and landslides.

The flow of earth veins’ spiritual energy was thrown into chaos.

It was eerily similar to what had happened earlier at Dragon Bone Ridge.

As the terrain shifted, it felt as if an angry dragon was rampaging beneath the earth, shaking the mountains and sending tremors in all directions.

One of these underground dragons surged toward Great Black Mountain.

For a moment, the mountain remained silent.

Then, it shook.

But it did not crack.

It did not collapse.

Instead, the entire atmosphere of the region transformed.

The howling snowstorm stopped in an instant.

The thick clouds above dissipated, allowing the afternoon sunlight to pour down.

A towering spiritual energy pillar condensed atop Great Black Mountain, linking heaven and earth.

At its peak, the void rippled, creating what looked like genuine waves spreading outward.

The space surrounding the pillar became blurred, forming a semi-transparent boundary.

Lei Jun had already returned near Great Black Mountain, but he did not rush in recklessly.

Although the scene looked strange, this was undoubtedly the void portal that Lin Che had been obsessed with.

But what now?

The mountain had changed, yet Xu Yuanzhen was still nowhere to be seen.

And there were no signs of the Third-Grade or Fourth-Grade Opportunity mentioned in his divination.

Did this mean… he was supposed to go in himself?

Lei Jun took a deep breath.

Hopefully, this wouldn’t be one of those situations where it’s easy to enter but impossible to leave.

If he and his senior sister got sealed inside, the Lin Clan would laugh themselves to death…

Just then, another figure soared through the air toward Great Black Mountain.

It was an elderly Confucian scholar, dressed in bloodstained robes—Lin Likong, a Seventh Heaven elder of the Youzhou Lin Clan.

Unlike his previously refined demeanor, Lin Likong now looked disheveled and exhausted, his injuries evident.

Clearly, those monsters had given him a hard time.

But he had no time to rest.

The moment he arrived, he was stunned by the scene before him.

"The Vast Void Temple’s creatures messed up, and Jiangzhou’s ritual also failed?!"

Just as he began reciting poetry to manipulate the elements—

"Boom—"

Three golden bolts of thunder pierced through him.

Lin Likong's head was gone before he could finish his verse.

Far off on a snowy mountain, Lei Jun sat in meditation, recovering his mana.

Above him, three metal rails hovered in a triangular formation, still crackling with Primal Magnetism energy.