Seeking Fortune and Avoiding Misfortune: Starting from the Celestial Master’s Mansion
Chapter 241: Seventh Heaven, All the Way!

"I’ve never seen anyone undergo closed-door cultivation like you—still able to chat with me so casually."

Lei Jun glanced around at the black thunderclouds looming like a suspended glacier in the sky.

Still, he believed that his Senior Sister was indeed in seclusion. And not just any seclusion—a life-or-death breakthrough that could not be interrupted.

It was just that her method of cultivation was a bit... unique. Then again, that was entirely in line with her usual style.

Xu Yuanzhen also sized up Lei Jun from head to toe.

"You've refined your Dao power, and your Dao aura is deeply restrained… Have you reached the Sixth Heaven Dao Seal realm already? And your foundation is quite solid—faster than I expected. Looks like you’ve had more than just diligent cultivation these past years. You must have gained quite a bit elsewhere too?"

Lei Jun gave her a brief rundown of the most important events in recent years.

Finally, he said, "Two years ago, the Tianshi Seal was rekindled, and I successfully advanced my comprehension to the Clear Tranquility level. Aside from that, I also had some luck through Junior Brother Chu—I obtained an Immortal Spirit Seed."

Xu Yuanzhen nodded. "Not bad. Keep working hard."

She seemed rather intrigued by most of the news, including the Tianshi Sword’s return to Mount Longhu, listening to it like a fascinating story.

However, when she heard about the latest Battle of Liwai, she shook her head slightly.

"So all of Li Clan's High Priests perished… Hmph. They brought it upon themselves, but even I wasn’t expecting that outcome."

Compared to the political struggle between the Tang Imperial Court and the noble clans, or even the chaos of Wei Anchang and the Southern Wastelands, what really caught her interest was the mysterious expert who ambushed Li Hongyu, causing the Tianshi Robe to go missing.

And then there was…

"Looks like Xiaotang got her wish." Xu Yuanzhen commented calmly.

"Not bad. She went from an apprentice to Tianshi in one leap. Now we just have to wait and witness the shortest reign of a Tianshi in history."

Lei Jun looked up at the sky.

He knew Xu Yuanzhen wasn’t implying that she would challenge Tang Xiaotang for the Tianshi position once she emerged from seclusion.

Rather, knowing Tang Xiaotang’s personality, she would grow bored of it soon enough.

Her restless nature had already made her run out of the mountains for adventure—and that was only the beginning.

In a way, his Junior Sister was a true chaos magnet, so it wasn’t surprising that even Senior Sister was eagerly waiting for her next stunt.

"Senior Sister, where exactly is this place?" Lei Jun asked, glancing around.

Xu Yuanzhen’s lips curled into a slight smile.

"It’s a bit broken, but interesting nonetheless."

She suddenly asked an unrelated question.

"Have you ever been to the southern region of the Great River in Central Province?"

Lei Jun thought for a moment.

"I passed through during my journey north, but I didn’t take the time to explore properly."

Xu Yuanzhen nodded. "If you get a chance later, you should go."

Lei Jun’s thoughts stirred.

He looked at the surrounding world again, his mind racing with possibilities.

But he wasn’t sure yet.

"Senior Sister, I haven’t traveled much through Central Province, but I haven’t heard of any major upheavals there..."

Sure, the massacre at Bodhi Monastery had far-reaching consequences.

But it hadn’t been so devastating that it wiped out an entire piece of the Central Province from the world.

Moreover, the Confucian mansions in these ruins, along with the wild, domineering martial will lingering in the air, felt completely unfamiliar.

"That’s why it’s interesting."

Xu Yuanzhen actually smiled—a rare sight.

Lei Jun pondered her words.

"What do you think of this place?" she asked.

Lei Jun gave it some thought.

"The battle between Confucianism and Martial Dao—where Martial Dao won. The martial techniques here seem extremely effective at countering Confucian Daoist traditions."

"However…"

"Both the Confucian and Martial Dao traditions here are completely different from the ones currently passed down in the Tang Dynasty."

"The martial techniques in this place do seem to have some suppressive effects on the current Tang Dynasty’s Confucian scholars, but not as much as they did on the scholars from this land. Still, there’s a lot to learn from here."

Xu Yuanzhen nodded in agreement.

"When I killed Lin Feng in the void turbulence, I accidentally stumbled into this place."

"At that time, it was far more chaotic than it is now. I had to spend a lot of time stabilizing the turbulent energy here."

Back then, the rampant energy turbulence made the entire realm collapse upon itself, completely hiding all the ancient ruins.

Meanwhile, Lin Che had been adrift in the chaotic void for even longer.

By the time he finally found his way here, he had the misfortune of arriving just as Xu Yuanzhen was bringing order to the realm.

She ambushed him immediately, inflicting serious injuries that forced him to stumble back into the Tang Dynasty’s mortal realm.

However, the violent energy surge during the clash severely wounded Lin Che.

When he returned to Jiangzhou, he had no choice but to hide away and recuperate for a long time.

It was only recently that he recovered.

Lin Che didn’t fully understand the secrets of this place, but Xu Yuanzhen did.

After stabilizing the chaos here, she discovered remnants of Confucian and Martial Dao legacies buried in the ruins—and extracted their essence.

However, since this realm was cut off from the Tang Dynasty’s mortal world, even Xu Yuanzhen had been unable to re-establish contact with their sect.

Not that she particularly minded.

Lei Jun nodded slightly.

He had experimented with the Heaven's Sight and the Thousand-Mile Transmission Talismans, but even those couldn’t pierce through the void to send messages back.

This place’s space-time domain was indeed strange.

"Lin Che was ignorant back then, but he must suspect something now."

Xu Yuanzhen spoke casually.

"And even if he doesn’t realize it, someone else will remind him."

Lei Jun narrowed his eyes.

"Ye Moquan or Chu Xiuyuan, perhaps?"

Ye Moquan—the former clan leader of the Jinzhou Ye Clan.

Chu Xiuyuan—the former clan leader of the Suzhou Chu Clan and father of Chu Yu and Chu Zhe.

Both were Ninth Heaven Confucian scholars, renowned for generations.

"It could be one of them—or someone else entirely."

Xu Yuanzhen spoke indifferently.

"With the current surge in spiritual energy, it’s hard to say who else might rise to prominence."

"But recently, a Ninth Heaven Confucian scholar tried to enter this place—and was rejected by the realm itself."

Lei Jun’s eyes sharpened.

"No wonder Lin Che and his allies are focused on sealing or destroying the entrance, rather than gathering forces to break in and attack you directly."

This realm’s energy structure was already hostile to Confucian scholars.

Now that Xu Yuanzhen had further refined it, any Confucian cultivator who tried to enter would be in for a rude awakening.

Still…

"If they’re growing aware of this place’s uniqueness, the Four Surnames and Six Prominent Clans will likely band together even tighter."

"The surface-level conflict in Jiangzhou and Youzhou is just the tip of the iceberg."

Xu Yuanzhen smirked.

"An iceberg? Forget them. I’d rather see how big of an iceberg Zhang Wantong turns out to be."

The elder had left the ancestral land and was now standing on the bank of a great river.

The Northern Great River and the Southern Grand River were among the most spiritually abundant waterways in the world.

Unlike in Lei Jun’s former life, the northern river here did not freeze over in the harshest winters—it roared ceaselessly, its torrents surging ever forward.

The old man stood at the riverbank, watching the rushing waters in deep contemplation.

He had no entourage, only a single young scholar standing by his side.

The scholar appeared to be in his early twenties, with a refined and handsome demeanor.

This was none other than the elder’s eldest grandson, Ye Feishan, the most outstanding talent of the younger generation in the Jinzhou Ye Clan.

His father, Ye Wei, remained at the ancestral land in Jinzhou, so Ye Feishan was the one attending to his grandfather, Ye Moquan, at this moment.

Though he looked youthful, by mortal standards, he should have had children and grandchildren by now.

However, in the world of cultivation, considering his level of strength and longevity, it was not unreasonable to still consider him a youth.

Yet, Ye Feishan was naturally calm and composed. Despite his young age, he already carried the demeanor of a great master, standing silently and motionless behind his grandfather.

Until—

His expression suddenly shifted, and he retrieved a booklet from his sleeve, presenting it to the elder in front of him.

“Grandfather, an urgent message from Jinzhou. Father instructed that you must see it immediately.”

Ye Moquan gave a slight nod, accepting the booklet and unfolding it to read.

He read slowly.

Ye Feishan stood quietly beside him, saying nothing.

After a long pause, the elder finally set the booklet aside and spoke in an even tone—

“Zhenren Huang of Pure Yang Palace has invited me for a visit.”

Ye Feishan took a deep breath.

Ye Moquan murmured softly, as if speaking to himself—

“Zhenren Huang… Has his health fully recovered?”

He then lifted his gaze, staring southward across the river for a long time before speaking again—

“Did His Majesty react this swiftly, or has he been aware all along?”

Ye Feishan remained silent, not daring to disturb his grandfather’s thoughts.

Yet, his own mind was equally unsettled.

His grandfather had rarely left seclusion—but now, he was personally preparing to head to Longhu Mountain in Xinzhou.

This wasn’t just a matter of the Jinzhou Ye Clan making a move—

The Fang Clan of Jingxiang, the Chu Clan of Suzhou, and the Lin Clan of Jiangzhou, who stood directly opposite Longhu Mountain, were all mobilizing.

But then, Zhenren Huang, the most powerful Daoist of Pure Yang Palace, a Ninth Heaven Great Ascension cultivator, had sent this unexpected letter.

Or rather—unexpectedly early.

By inviting Ye Moquan to Pure Yang Palace, the underlying message was clear—

If Ye Moquan insisted on heading south, Pure Yang Palace would intervene.

They were even willing to go to all-out war over this.

But why such an immediate and decisive response?

More importantly—was that old Daoist truly healed after all these years?

It was well known that Zhenren Huang had always allied with Shushan and Tianshi Mansion, prioritizing the unity of Daoism. It wasn’t surprising that he would voice support or even send elders to assist Tianshi Mansion.

But for him to personally risk his injured body to fight for the Talismanic Branch’s Tianshi Mansion—even going as far as to declare war against the Jinzhou Ye Clan—seemed highly unreasonable.

During the Western Wasteland Demon Crisis, Pure Yang Palace had suffered devastating losses.

If the lips are gone, the teeth grow cold—they were already struggling to hold onto their position. If they weren’t careful, they might go from being the teeth to the lips themselves.

Such an extreme reaction from Pure Yang Palace suggested that someone else was backing them behind the scenes.

And the most likely suspect—

Was the Tang Imperial Court.

That Empress…

Ye Moquan’s voice broke the silence—

“What about Youzhou?”

Ye Feishan answered, “The Master of Yanran Mountain has decided to leave seclusion and travel to the Northern Frontier.”

Master of Yanran Mountain—the Youzhou Lin Clan’s clan leader, Lin Huan.

Ye Moquan spoke slowly, “Send a reply to Zhenren Huang of Pure Yang Palace—thank him for his generous invitation. I shall visit Zhongnan Mountain to pay my respects.”

Ye Feishan bowed, “Yes, Grandfather.”

After issuing that reply, the elder took up his brush and penned another letter—one bound for a different place.

Qingzhou.

Ye Feishan knew this letter was meant for Ye Yan, the clan leader of the Qingzhou Ye Clan.

The former emperor’s father-in-law.

The Western Wasteland Demon Crisis had not only taken away the previous emperor, but in recent years, the aristocratic clans had also suffered heavy losses.

The Jiangzhou Lin Clan had grown weak.

The Xiao Clan of Longxi had switched sides.

If Ye Moquan was to deal with the re-emerging Zhenren Huang, then the Suzhou Chu Clan’s patriarch alone was not enough to restrain the empress in the capital.

Ye Yan needed to step forward.

Then, Ye Moquan gave a final order—

“Spread the word that Xu Yuanzhen has reached the Ninth Heaven of Daoism.”

Ye Feishan nodded. “Yes, Grandfather.”

They had no way of confirming Xu Yuanzhen’s exact cultivation level.

But that didn’t matter—so long as the world believed she had ascended to the Ninth Heaven.

—

Suzhou, Chu Clan

The old clan patriarch, Chu Xiuyuan, was also away from the ancestral land.

At this moment, Chu Guolao stood atop a treacherous peak in Huai Mountain, gazing out over the majestic landscape before him.

Several high-ranking members of the Chu Clan stood behind him, led by his third son, Chu Zhe, the most accomplished of his children.

“The Vast Void Temple remains focused on Tianlong Monastery,” Chu Zhe reported. “However, their disciples have also been sighted near the Southern Bodhi Sect.”

Chu Xiuyuan stood with his hands behind his back. “As expected.”

Among the Four Great Orthodox Buddhist Sanctuaries, Bodhi Monastery had already been destroyed, with only a few remnants surviving under the protection of the Tang Imperial Court.

Even so, if the Vast Void Temple had the chance to completely eradicate them, they wouldn’t hesitate.

As for the remaining three sanctuaries,

Vajra Monastery and Xuanyan Temple were highly defensive and had minimal contact with outsiders, making them difficult to assault.

Thus, after toppling Bodhi Monastery, the Vast Void Temple’s next major target was always going to be Tianlong Monastery.

“Xuanyan Temple is experiencing internal disputes, and Vajra Monastery has been sealed off for years,” Chu Zhe continued. “Though they’ve shown some movement, their actions are mostly perfunctory, meant to appease the imperial court.”

Chu Xiuyuan said indifferently, “Jinzhou has been working on Xuanyan Temple for years. They are not a concern.”

He then narrowed his eyes. “Vajra Monastery, however… They may have something hidden. Do not lower your guard.”

His subordinates all acknowledged the order.

—

The storm was brewing.

Across Jinzhou, Youzhou, Suzhou, Qingzhou, and beyond—the great aristocratic clans, Daoist sects, and Buddhist temples were all beginning to move their pieces on the board.

Qingzhou Ye Clan Ancestral Land

Clan Lord Ye Yan, also known as Ye Chiyuan, was hosting a guest.

The Tang Imperial Clan’s Prince Xunan, Zhang Mu, had come to visit the head of the Ye Clan of Qingzhou.

"Congratulations, sir, on attaining the 'Pacifying the World' realm." Zhang Mu spoke calmly.

Ye Yan waved his hand dismissively. "I don’t deserve such praise, I don’t deserve it. I have merely been contemplating certain principles. This world belongs to the Tang Dynasty, after all. In recent years, I have traveled to the capital less frequently, which has led to certain rumors. These have disturbed Her Majesty’s ears, and I must trouble Your Highness to speak on my behalf and clarify my stance to the Empress."

Within the Confucian cultivation system, all realms of the Three Major Lineages shared common names. Both the First Heaven and the Ninth Heaven were called 'Enlightenment.'

For the Confucian Scholarly Lineage, the progression was seamless—

• Second Heaven: Cultivating Oneself
• Fifth Heaven: Governing the Family
• Eighth Heaven: Ruling the Nation
• Ninth Heaven: Pacifying the World

Zhang Mu responded evenly, "These titles have existed since ancient times. Her Majesty herself once studied the path of Confucian scholarship. Why would she misunderstand? You are overthinking it, sir."

On the surface, his expression remained neutral, but as he gazed at Ye Yan, his emotions surged beneath the calm exterior.

Truth be told, he had considered the possibility of this outcome—

After all, Ye Yan had once been a peerless prodigy in his youth. He had not only reached the Upper Three Heavens at an early age but had soared past the Seventh Heaven (Astrological Mastery) and Eighth Heaven (Ruling the Nation) to achieve all four aspects of Confucian governance.

Yet after that, he had seemingly stagnated, remaining in the Eighth Heaven for decades.

By now, he was over two hundred years old, well past the prime years for rapid advancement among Upper Three Heaven cultivators.

Though he had yet to decline, most had assumed he would never reach the Ninth Heaven—his time had passed.

Given that his eldest daughter had become the Empress, he had also frequently traveled to the capital, leaving little room for speculation that he had secretly ascended in power.

And yet—he had advanced.

Now that the truth stood before him, Zhang Mu could not help but feel deeply shaken.

Ye Yan had reached Pacifying the World.

Zhang Mu quickly composed himself. "Sir, you have indeed visited the capital less frequently in recent years."

Then, in a more pointed tone—"But you still have family there."

Ye Yan smiled and nodded. "I ask Your Highness to inform Her Majesty that I sincerely wish for an audience and humbly seek her permission."

Zhang Mu responded, "That is only natural."

Ye Yan was not concerned about entering the capital and never returning.

After all, Ye Moquan and Chu Xiuyuan were outside the capital.

If they were to negotiate face-to-face, then even if all three of them were present, the Tang Empress would not feel threatened.

But if they were scattered, then the Empress would only be able to target one at a time—and breaking that balance would have unpredictable consequences.

After exchanging a few more words, Zhang Mu took his leave and headed to his assigned residence.

—

Outside, a guard hurried over. "Your Highness, there is still no exact information on the whereabouts of the Southern Wasteland rebel, Wei Anchang. We've only heard that the various factions of the Southern Wasteland Witch Sect continue to hunt him down."

Zhang Mu nodded lightly.

After being severely wounded by Shangguan Bo and the others, even though Tang Dynasty’s top cultivators had returned north, and the White Lotus Sect’s so-called Future Maitreya had gone missing, the Southern Wasteland factions had not ceased their pursuit of Wei Anchang and the Blood River Sect.

At the very least, they could not allow him to recover in peace.

If Wei Anchang fully healed, he would once again become a lethal blade hanging over the heads of all the sects in the Southern Wasteland.

He was vicious, ruthless, and highly ambitious—far beyond mere personal grudges.

He might not risk exposure by heading north to seek revenge against the Tang Imperial Court, White Lotus Sect, or Shushan, since that would draw too much attention and invite another siege.

However—the Blood River Sect was like a shark that smelled blood.

If war broke out, there was no guarantee that Wei Anchang wouldn't lurk in the shadows, waiting for his chance to strike…

Zhang Mu’s gaze darkened. "And the White Lotus rebels?"

His guard reported, "Ever since the so-called 'Future Maitreya' of the White Lotus Sect vanished in the Southern Wasteland, their entire sect has gone silent. They've rarely been heard from recently."

Zhang Mu’s expression turned grave. "Do not lower your guard. The three major rebel sects—White Lotus, Huangtian, and Vast Void—must be monitored at all times!"

"Yes, Your Highness!"

After dismissing his subordinates, Zhang Mu found himself unable to sleep.

His gaze turned northward, and he stood in silence for a long time.

—

Qingzhou Ye Clan, Late Night

Within the Ye Clan’s grand estate, the lights burned through the night.

Ye Yan, too, had not slept.

Standing in the courtyard, his own gaze turned north.

"The leaks are worse than expected," he murmured. "Far worse."

He had already heard of the unfavorable developments in the Northern Frontier.

Lin Che and the others were facing failure after failure.

But the amount of leaked intelligence was far beyond what was anticipated—and not just regarding Great Black Mountain.

The Tang Imperial Court's swift and decisive response was proof that they had concrete intelligence—enough to mobilize large-scale forces, and even persuade Pure Yang Palace and Shushan to commit their full strength.

That meant the leak came from a very high level within the Four Surnames and Six Prestigious Clans.

Figures like Chu Yu of Suzhou, Fang Yue of Jingxiang, or even the Xiao Clan of Longxi could be ruled out—

Since they had already broken ties, there was no way they had access to core secrets.

If it was the Jiangzhou Lin Clan, then the only explanation would be Lin Che himself being a traitor.

But if it wasn't the Jiangzhou Lin Clan—

Then where was the leak?

Ye Yan's gaze shifted westward.

Toward the capital.

Toward Zhang Wantong.

"What exactly are you trying to do…?"

—

Within a Ruined Foreign Realm

At the heart of the devastation—

A strangely thriving scene had emerged.

Massive streams of spiritual energy converged, swirling around a floating, glacial-like thundercloud suspended in the sky.

The energy continuously circulated, as if nourishing something within.

As time passed, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth gradually weakened.

Meanwhile, the mass of black thunderclouds—suspended in the sky like a frozen storm—continued to expand.

Beside it, a smaller yet radiant glow flickered, its scattered light particles resembling a nebula.

Lei Jun remained seated in the void, completely still, yet an array of stellar-like lights surrounded him, orbiting and revolving continuously.

Despite the black thundercloud’s expansion, Lei Jun was not drawn into it. Instead, he maintained a constant distance from it, as though an invisible force kept them in balance.

Within this stellar ring, the space around Lei Jun began to shift.

Beneath him, a grand Daoist altar formed—woven entirely from golden radiance.

It looked illusory, yet was as real as any physical structure.

The altar was complete, encompassing the Eight Gates and Nine Regions, with Six Curtains and Six Halls arranged in harmony.

At its center, a three-tiered altar emerged:

• The first level was square.
• The second level was octagonal.
• The third level was circular.

Atop this three-tiered altar, Lei Jun sat in quiet meditation.

Above his head, four Primal Talismans appeared, each standing in one of the four directions.

Unlike before, these talismans no longer bore complex seals and symbols—only four simple, yet profound diagrams:

1. A Yang Dragon embracing a Yin Tiger.
2. A Yin Dragon embracing a Yang Tiger.
3. A celestial formation of countless stars.
4. The grand convergence of mountains and rivers.

Above these four Primal Talismans, a radiant mountain emerged, its light shimmering.

Passing through its gates, the first sight upon entering the front slopes was the Southern Dragon-Tiger Dao Palace.

Continuing higher, the main peak housed the Central Three Purities Dao Palace.

To its left and right, the Western Spirit Officer Dao Palace and Eastern Mystic Altar Dao Palace stood guard.

Beyond them, on the rear mountain, rested the Northern Abyssal Dao Palace.

At the very heart of the Central Three Purities Dao Palace, a Dao Seal was enshrined.

This ancient Dao Seal appeared unadorned and restrained.

Gone were the flamboyant mystical auras of the past, replaced instead with a profound stillness—as though it was concealing its true divinity.

At that very moment—

Deep within Lei Jun’s soul, within his True-One Altar Grotto-Heaven, an identical Daoist altar was illuminated.

The Four-Nine Lamps flickered, their glow resonating with the stellar lights encircling him.

Within the three-tiered True-One Altar, the Heavenly Generals, Divine Soldiers, and myriad celestial ancestors all manifested, emerging from layers upon layers of Daoist essence.

Ordinarily, when Daoist Talismanic Cultivators of Middle Heaven sought to break through to Upper Heaven, they needed the support of the Sect’s Grand Altar.

For the direct disciples of Mount Longhu’s Tianshi Mansion, they were required to cultivate near the Grand Altar of Ten Thousand Laws to attempt the Seventh Heaven breakthrough.

Lei Jun, however, was an exception.

For he possessed the True-One Altar, derived from the Grand Altar of Ten Thousand Laws, making it essentially an extension of the Grand Altar itself.

At this moment, Lei Jun’s personal Daoist altar resonated with his True-One Altar.

Then—

A thunderous sound, vast and world-shaking, echoed through the void.

Yet, only Lei Jun alone could hear it.

The tribulation between the Sixth and Seventh Heaven—had arrived.

Under the resounding boom of divine thunder, Lei Jun’s altars and Dao palaces trembled, showing faint signs of collapse.

But his Dao Seal stood unwavering, anchoring the turbulence and stabilizing the turmoil.

Outside—

Lei Jun’s celestial stellar array stood opposed to the black thunderclouds.

One was active, one was still.
One was light, one was dense.

The contrast between motion and stillness, between vastness and weight, unexpectedly formed a harmonious balance—like Yin and Yang interwoven.

Upon Lei Jun’s Dao Seal, a layer of divine lightning gradually emerged.

Yet, it did not harm him.

Instead, as the thunder surged to its peak, the Dao Seal pulsed like a living seed—taking root, growing, and awakening!

A colossal pillar of light erupted upward—shattering the Central Three Purities Palace!

Though the Dao Palace crumbled, its scattered fragments transformed into countless Daoist talismanic runes, which were continuously absorbed into the pillar of light.

Then—

The same fate befell the other Dao Palaces, Primal Talismans, Altar, and Dao Foundation.

All of them dissolved into Daoist essence, merging into the radiant column of divine brilliance.

The pillar of light expanded, growing ever brighter, until it completely engulfed Lei Jun’s body.

At that moment, his spiritual radiance pierced through both heaven and earth.

Lei Jun’s senses expanded infinitely, merging with the entirety of nature itself.

His awareness stretched further, intertwining with the cosmos, the stars, and the celestial firmament.

And with this moment—

Lei Jun had successfully ascended another step forward.

The Seventh Heaven of Daoist Talismanic Cultivation.

The Tongtian Realm.

He had succeeded!