Seeking Fortune and Avoiding Misfortune: Starting from the Celestial Master’s Mansion
Chapter 244: Send him to the west and ruin her future!

As Lin Chi fell, the condensed sword energy began to dissipate.

The Seventh Heaven expert, determined to deliver a mutual destruction strike filled with resentment, launched a fierce attack that resembled a cascading torrent, like a celestial river descending from the heavens.

This was the Nine Heavens Flowing Sword, a long-standing divine art passed down through the Jiangzhou Lin Clan’s scholarly tradition.

The Fated Star Avatar of Tianshi Mansion was surrounded by talismans flowing like a celestial river, seamlessly integrating offense and defense. However, since Lei Jun made no attempt to evade, much of the outer talismans were shattered by the Haoran Sword Qi, and the attack struck him directly.

But Lei Jun did not dodge for a reason.

Just as the Starlight Manifestation was about to crack, Ninefold Chaos Light enveloped him once more.

With Lei Jun's cultivation reaching the Upper Three Heavens, the amount of Ninefold Chaos Light he could channel had increased significantly.

Blocked in succession by the Celestial River Talismans and the Ninefold Chaos Light, Lin Chi’s sword energy, once unstoppable, finally lost its momentum and came to an abrupt halt.

Conversely, when the Lin Clan's ancestral land was breached, Lin Chi had been one of the high-ranking elders presiding over the grand ritual. The disruption in energy caused many sacrificial artifacts to be destroyed, leaving Lin Chi and the others wounded and without their protective spiritual treasures, except for the Dragon Serpent Brush which remained intact.

Originally, Lin Chi had been on high alert for long-range attacks from the enemy, but he instead rushed forward in an attempt to close the distance.

However, when he saw Lei Jun but found no sign of the expected Shushan sword masters or Confucian divine archers, he sensed that something was amiss. He immediately halted, adjusting his position to engage Lei Jun from afar with Haoran Sword Qi.

But by that point, it was already too late.

Lei Jun's speed and strength far exceeded Lin Chi’s expectations. In a sudden burst, he closed the gap and reached Lin Chi in an instant.

His close combat abilities rivaled even the most formidable martial artists. With a single ferocious strike, he killed the Lin Clan elder—one who had once been at odds with him in Cangling Valley and Tiansong Mountain, but whom he had never directly faced before.

Earlier, Lin Lang and others had been shot dead by Magnetic Sword Pellets from afar, while the remaining Lin Clan members hadn't even gotten a clear look at their opponents.

Now, in the distance, through the dust and collapsing mountains, they saw it clearly—amidst the shining starlight, a towering Doumu Star Avatar stood tall, shattering Lin Chi’s Haoran Sword Qi.

The battlefield was engulfed in intertwining sword energy and starlight, causing the earth to quake and the sky to churn, making it difficult for distant observers to see the exact details of the battle.

But as the Confucian aura faded, it marked Lin Chi’s demise, following in the footsteps of Lin Lang and the others.

Another Seventh Heaven Confucian master of the Lin Clan had fallen.

Originally, there were ten Upper Three Heaven cultivators in the Jiangzhou Lin Clan’s ancestral land.

But with the collapse of their stronghold, more than half had perished in mere moments.

Among the two Eighth Heaven Confucian masters, one was locked in battle with Tang Xiaotang, while the other was struggling against the Scholar’s Shackles.

Of the three remaining Seventh Heaven Lin elders, two were affiliated with Lin Yuwei’s branch family rather than the main lineage.

Previously, only Lin Che had managed to escape back to the ancestral land, but Lin Yuwei was nowhere to be found, and communication with him had been severed—an unsettling thought for the two elders.

Now, amidst this catastrophic upheaval, facing an enemy of overwhelming strength and unpredictable methods, even their numbers remained uncertain, making the two Lin elders hesitant to continue fighting.

From afar, Lin Che, the Lin Clan patriarch, saw through his clansmen's thoughts with chilling clarity. He could only sigh deeply.

Witnessing the death of his own son, Lin Lang, instead of further enraging him, it forced him to regain his composure.

And when he sensed Lin Chi's demise, he was struck with even greater alarm.

He had previously believed there were only a few enemies in that direction.

But the moment the Doumu Star Avatar manifested, he was no longer sure.

Not knowing the enemy’s numbers or hidden strategies was the most unsettling aspect of all.

And yet, he had no time to focus his senses on that battlefield.

Facing Tang Xiaotang alone demanded his full concentration, leaving no room for distractions.

Moreover, as the lead officiant of the Grand Ancestral Ritual, he had suffered significant backlash.

Even though he still wielded the Dragon Serpent Brush, he was finding it increasingly difficult to withstand Tang Xiaotang’s relentless assault.

With the clan suffering heavy casualties and the situation spiraling out of control, Lin Che made a decisive call.

"Retreat!" he roared.

"As long as the green mountains remain, we will always have firewood to burn."

The ancestral land was lost; further losses would only lead to complete annihilation.

The more people escaped now, the greater the chance to revive their scholarly legacy and restore their family's honor in the future.

Even Lin Che himself had to leave—only then could he tend to his wounds and stabilize his condition.

He wielded his brush like a sword, sweeping bold strokes through the air.

A surge of Haoran energy roared forth like a mighty river, stretching across the sky.

In an instant, it seemed as if time itself flowed forward, an unstoppable current sweeping all away.

The Lin Clan’s greatest divine art, the legendary Grand River Flows East!

Like a lone leaf drifting upon the water, Lin Che rode the river of time, narrowly evading Tang Xiaotang’s Purple-Gold Thunder Dragon, vanishing into the distance.

He did not abandon Lin Chou, the Eighth Heaven elder, willingly.

Despite his age, Lin Chou was undeniably the Lin Clan’s strongest remaining pillar.

But trapped by the Scholar’s Shackles, he was immobilized despite his struggle.

Lin Che had intended to break the shackles, but Grand River Flows East only bought him a fleeting moment.

In that instant, thunder rumbled once more, and Lin Che could already feel the Pure Yang Celestial Thunder and Nine Heavens Divine Thunder closing in.

With no choice, he pushed forward with all his might.

Behind him, a golden thunder dragon pursued relentlessly, while the purple Nine Heavens Divine Thunder transformed into a storm cloud, orbiting the golden lightning beast.

One fleeing, one chasing—they disappeared into the horizon in an instant.

Following Lin Che’s command, the remaining Lin Clan members hesitated no longer and immediately scattered in different directions.

Even now, they had no idea how many enemies they faced.

But at this moment, their only instinct was to flee in all directions.

Ironically, they were never truly surrounded.

After slaying Lin Chi, Lei Jun remained vigilant but did not pursue the remaining Seventh Heaven elders.

He didn’t even acknowledge Lin Chou, the Eighth Heaven powerhouse trapped by the shackles.

Instead, his focus was solely on Lin Che, the Lin Clan patriarch.

More precisely, he fixated on Lin Che and the Dragon Serpent Brush.

The Dragon Serpent Brush was the Lin Clan’s most sacred heirloom.

Even with Tang Xiaotang wielding the Tianshi Sword, she had been unable to take Lin Che down quickly.

Years ago, during the Battle of Liwai on Mount Longhu, Li Hongyu had donned the Tianshi Robe and was nearly invincible—but Li Hongyu had only just stepped into the Eighth Heaven, whereas Lin Che’s cultivation was slightly stronger.

Though Tang Xiaotang could defeat him, he still had a chance to escape.

And now, as he distanced himself from the ancestral land, his situation was rapidly improving.

While their ruined homeland had become a cage, escaping it allowed the Dragon Serpent Brush to heal and strengthen him.

But Tang Xiaotang’s aggressive attacks continued to push Lin Che to the edge.

Even as he attempted to withdraw, his movements remained sluggish.

However, he had fully regained his composure.

Silently, he followed the riverbank, moving against the current.

Then, at the perfect moment, he unleashed Grand River Flows East once more—

This time, not to escape—

But to strike back!

At that instant, a flash of lightning streaked through the air, and the power of magnetism surged.

A colossal, specially crafted Refined Metal Sword Pellet crashed onto the Golden Mountain and Ink River.

However, the Two-Element Magnetic Sword Pellet, which had been unstoppable for Lei Jun so far, failed to break through his opponent’s defenses this time.

Amidst the booming thunder and raging flames, the Golden Mountain and Ink River remained intact.

“As expected, there’s still plenty of room for improvement.” Seeing this, Lei Jun remained calm.

Lin Che, on the other hand, immediately sensed the source of the attack. His gaze swept toward Lei Jun, and he froze for a moment.

“…Lei Jun, Lei Chongyun?! That was you at the Ancestral Land just now?”

Unfortunately, he had no time to dwell on his shock.

Lei Jun’s interference forced Lin Che to halt his steps, and in the next moment, a Thunder Dragon and Fire Tiger roared toward him from another direction.

The escape opportunity Lin Che had painstakingly fought for vanished in an instant.

In the distance, Lei Jun shifted his position, carrying the massive Metal Rail with him.

He didn’t recklessly approach nor strike too hastily.

Although Confucian scholars skilled in sword arts weren’t as fast as martial artists, Lin Che, a cultivator at the Eighth Heaven Realm, was already faster than most people in the world.

Moreover, his senses were razor-sharp, and he remained vigilant at all times. If Lei Jun wanted to lock onto him again, he needed patience to find the right moment.

But even without attacking, Lei Jun’s mere presence weighed heavily on Lin Che’s mind, limiting his movements.

In battles between top experts, even the slightest difference could determine victory or defeat.

And Lin Che was already struggling against Tang Xiaotang alone.

In just a few breaths, the two top-tier experts, wielding two supreme treasures, exchanged blows multiple times in a fast-paced duel.

The more they clashed, the worse Lin Che’s situation became.

At a critical moment, Lin Che abruptly changed tactics.

He took Tang Xiaotang’s sword strike head-on.

Purple lightning crackled, and blood splattered.

But Lin Che clenched his teeth and endured it. With a stroke of his Ink Brush like a sword, he unleashed a flurry of sword energy.

At the peak of the Eighth Heaven Realm, a Grand Scholar proficient in the Three Discourses of Nation-Building displayed his true mastery—his immense scholarly aura seemed to distort the boundaries of reality, making him the temporary ruler of this space.

However, this technique wasn’t aimed at attacking Tang Xiaotang.

Within his domain, Lin Che momentarily wielded the power of “words made manifest, heaven and earth bending to his will.”

Under his control, the distance between him and Lei Jun was instantly erased—the two were now face-to-face!

Just as Lei Jun prepared to react, he was shocked to realize that Lin Che’s movements seemed to accelerate yet again.

The Great River Flows East!

The tip of Lin Che’s Dragon-Serpent Brush, sharp as a sword, was already aimed at Lei Jun’s forehead.

He wasn’t avenging his son, Lin Lang.

At this moment, Lin Che was extremely calm.

He didn’t even need this strike to kill Lei Jun—just incapacitating him would suffice.

Without Lei Jun interfering, Lin Che would finally have a chance to escape from Tang Xiaotang’s relentless pursuit.

In this fleeting instant, Lin Che didn’t need to look back to know that Tang Xiaotang’s Tianshi Sword was already inches away from the back of his head.

But there was no other way—he had to find the weakest point to break through.

Taking a hit from Tang Xiaotang’s sword was the price for seizing this fleeting opportunity…

“Swish…”

A sound like fabric being cut by a blade echoed.

Lin Che’s pupils shrank sharply.

In his vision, layers of dim yellow spiritual light manifested around Lei Jun, forming an earthen barrier.

Yet, under the might of the Dragon-Serpent Brush’s imposing scholarly aura, the barrier was sliced through as effortlessly as a blade through tofu.

But just as his sword energy was about to pierce Lei Jun’s forehead, nine-colored radiance suddenly flickered, blocking the incoming attack!

Mixed Cavern Nine Lights?

Tianshi Robe?!

Lin Che was all too familiar with this nine-colored glow.

Fortunately, when his brush tip struck the barrier, it successfully shattered the light.

After all, it was only a trace of the Tianshi Robe’s power, not the real robe itself.

But…

Something else was real.

In Lin Che’s field of vision, a dazzling blend of purple, gold, and green light intertwined.

It was as if three worlds layered together, forming a massive and majestic three-tiered altar.

At the center of this illusionary altar, a white jade seal pulsed with purple, gold, and green radiance, crashing down toward Lin Che’s forehead!

“Tianshi Seal?!!”

Lin Che had prepared for Lei Jun’s desperate counterattack.

But never in his wildest dreams did he expect that Lei Jun actually possessed the Tianshi Seal, and now it was smashing directly onto his forehead!

Despite his vast scholarly aura protecting him, Lin Che’s head was split open, nearly bursting from the impact.

Not only was his physical body injured, with blood streaming down his face, but his very soul trembled, his vision blackening.

The Nation-Building Manifestation he had conjured faded away like dust in the wind.

Lin Che even momentarily lost control of his Dragon-Serpent Brush.

Fortunately, the ancestral treasure of the Jiangzhou Lin Clan possessed its own spirit. It ceased attacking Lei Jun and returned to protect its master.

Meanwhile, the Tianshi Seal flew back into Lei Jun’s hand just as Tang Xiaotang’s Tianshi Sword slashed into Lin Che’s back.

The Dragon-Serpent Brush barely managed to block the devastating purple lightning, but Lin Che still took a heavy hit, his blood splattering across the river.

At the brink of death, Lin Che forced himself to remain conscious. He commanded the Dragon-Serpent Brush once more and unleashed Mountains and Rivers Eternal.

But his strength was already waning, and he could no longer withstand Tang Xiaotang’s relentless assault.

The terrifying pillar of purple-gold light reappeared, this time shattering the illusory golden Kuanglu Mountains and severing the phantom black river.

A sorrowful wail, almost sentient, echoed through the air.

The Jiangzhou Lin Clan’s thousand-year ancestral treasure, the Dragon-Serpent Brush, could no longer endure.

At this moment, Tang Xiaotang’s Tianshi Sword slashed the Dragon-Serpent Brush in two!

Spiritual energy erupted in chaos, spreading in violent currents.

Thanks to the brush’s protection, Lin Che barely survived, staggering to escape. But just as he moved, a colossal apparition loomed before him.

Starry light shimmered.

Lei Jun once again manifested the Doumu Star God Apparition.

Numerous talismans that had hovered around him now converged at his forehead, shielding him from the lingering force of Lin Che’s final attack.

“Using it like this is truly disrespectful to a divine treasure… but it’s just too convenient. A sin, a sin…” Lei Jun muttered.

As he spoke, the Doumu Star God Apparition raised one hand, as if lifting a massive three-tiered altar.

And as the altar descended, the White Jade Seal slammed down again.

Directly onto Lin Che’s head!

Purple, gold, and green light erupted together, piercing straight through Lin Che from head to toe!

The Clan Leader of the Jiangzhou Lin Clan wavered for a moment in midair.

Then, his skull exploded.

"Brother Kuangze, have you reached Jiangzhou's borders?"

The other party inquired, and Fang Du replied, "We're almost there. What about you, Brother Youliang?"

The powerful expert of the Chu Clan, Chu Peng, answered, "We're planning to approach from the Xinzhou direction."

Fang Du raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Brother Youliang, could it be that you intend to...?"

Chu Peng said, "No firm decision yet. We'll assess the situation before acting. What do you think, Brother Kuangze?"

"I've heard the Tianshi Sword has emerged, but the Tianshi Mansion’s mountain gate and ancestral grounds still have the Ten Thousand Methods Sect Altar. We mustn't underestimate them."

Fang Du picked up his brush and wrote: "Only if Xu Yuanzhen, Tang Xiaotang, and Yuan Mobai are all absent from the mountain will we have the confidence to act together. But Brother Chengming in Jiangzhou—who knows how long he can hold out? To be safe, I still prefer to reinforce Jiangzhou first."

Chu Peng nodded, "Brother Kuangze, that is a prudent stance..."

As the two continued their written exchange, Fang Du didn’t stop traveling, moving swiftly downriver.

But suddenly, his pace slowed.

The disciples of the Fang Clan beside him looked on in curiosity. "Sixth Uncle?"

Fang Du frowned deeply, gazing at the Great River, then looking toward Jiangzhou.

As an Eighth Heaven Great Confucian, his perception was keen. Having frequently traveled along the riverbanks and interacted with the Lin Clan of Jiangzhou, he was highly attuned to the river’s flow and the spiritual energy veins. And now, something felt... off.

"Why do the spiritual energy veins here seem so strange? Is it being influenced by Jiangzhou? If the disturbance extends this far, then what's happening over there?"

As Fang Du was still grappling with his thoughts, Chu Peng suddenly sent another message.

His tone was clearly different from before.

The message was brief:

"Something's wrong!"

At that moment, a Fang Clan disciple cried out, "Sixth Uncle, we can't reach Jiangzhou at all!"

Fang Du took a deep breath and decisively commanded, "Stay here and wait for my word!"

Then, he sped forward.

Yet, as soon as he formally entered Jiangzhou’s borders, his steps slowed once more.

This Eighth Heaven Great Confucian of the Fang Clan of Jingxiang found himself frozen in midair.

Because before his eyes, the Lin Clan's scholarly aura had been severed!

The grand literary radiance that once soared to the heavens was completely gone.

A noble lineage that had stood for nearly ten thousand years—its ancestral grounds had been breached?!

How long had the attack been going on?

How much time had the Tianshi Mansion needed to break through the Lin Clan’s defenses?

Fang Du couldn't believe his eyes, fearing he was mistaken. He cautiously approached.

But the brutal truth lay plainly before him.

Jiangzhou Lin Clan’s ancestral grounds were in ruins!

Where was Lin Che?

Where was Lin Chou?

Where was the Dragon Serpent Brush?

What about Lin Lang and Lin Chi?

At this moment, Fang Du did not dare to advance any further.

He contacted Chu Peng and decided to temporarily withdraw from Jiangzhou, regrouping elsewhere before making further plans.

The Suzhou Chu Clan and the Fang Clan of Jingxiang had long maintained close ties, frequently intermarrying.

Fang Du and Chu Peng, each a pillar of their respective clans, were in fact relatives.

But when the two met, these two Eighth Heaven Great Confucians found themselves momentarily speechless.

---

The battle for Jiangzhou drew attention from more than just Fang Du, Chu Peng, the Fang Clan, and the Chu Clan.

It wasn't just the noble families with legacies built upon Confucian traditions.

In Yuzhang, near the border between Jiangzhou and Xinzhou, a bloody shadow had silently arrived.

Yet, he too halted his steps.

A middle-aged man gazed toward Jiangzhou in silence.

His features were proper and handsome, his aura calm and unassuming, devoid of sharpness.

To an ordinary onlooker, he would seem nothing more than a refined scholar.

No one would imagine that this was Wei Anchang—the Master of the Blood River Sect, a fearsome Ninth Heaven expert of the Witch Sect, a man whose hands were stained with countless lives.

Since the Great Southern Wasteland War, the Blood River Master had ceased his high-profile activities, his whereabouts growing increasingly mysterious.

Yet, the Blood River remained the Blood River.

Wei Anchang had not wasted effort searching for the White Lotus Sect, his sworn enemy, whose whereabouts were equally elusive.

They would surface eventually.

There would always be a time for reckoning. No need to rush.

But some opportunities, once missed, would never return.

Such as the battle for Jiangzhou.

Like a bloodthirsty shark, he was drawn to the scent of carnage.

Yet, Wei Anchang would not reveal himself prematurely.

He might not even need to take action himself.

Simply being present could yield benefits—though not as much as striking personally.

How to act would be decided later.

Many were waiting for Wei Anchang to expose himself.

They too knew that the battle for Jiangzhou was an opportunity.

Wei Anchang was well aware of this fact. He merely smirked.

But now, he could no longer smile.

Not because his cover was blown.

Not because someone was targeting him.

But because the battle for Jiangzhou had unfolded in a way completely beyond his expectations.

He... had missed something.

The mighty Blood River Master had arrived too late.

---

After much effort, Fang Du and the others finally made contact with a few scattered survivors of the Jiangzhou Lin Clan, piecing together what had transpired.

The Lin Clan’s casualties were devastating—though not quite as severe as the previous annihilation of the Xiao Clan of Longxi and Bodhi Monastery, the difference was marginal.

Of the eight Seventh Heaven elders, more than half were dead or wounded. Only three had escaped.

Even worse, the Eighth Heaven elder Lin Chou had been slain within the ancestral grounds—by none other than Tang Xiaotang, the current Tianshi of Mount Longhu.

Before this, Tang Xiaotang had been pursuing Lin Clan's patriarch, Lin Che, before returning.

As for Lin Che?

No news at all.

Such a catastrophic outcome left Fang Du and Chu Peng deeply shaken.

They now knew the general sequence of events—but their questions had only multiplied.

What was that broken spearhead?

How had it single-handedly destroyed the Lin Clan’s ancestral grounds, painstakingly built over centuries?

And that bizarre, disgraceful shackle—what was it?

How had it so easily bound an Eighth Heaven Great Confucian like Lin Chou?

Fang Du exhaled heavily. "...That strange foreign realm! The situation there is worse than we, Qingzhou, or even Brother Chengming himself anticipated!"

Chu Peng’s expression turned grim. "Yes. Xu Yuanzhen and Lin Chengming entered that foreign realm..."

Suddenly, he looked up. "I've received new intelligence—only Tang Xiaotang and the Tianshi Sword were seen in Jiangzhou. No sign of Xu Yuanzhen!"

Fang Du frowned. "I heard the same. No one has seen Xu Yuanzhen."

The two exchanged glances, both feeling a deep sense of foreboding.

They didn’t need to verify it themselves.

News soon arrived, relayed through Jingxiang and Suzhou.

The Northern Frontier, Youzhou, had changed!

Fang Du and Chu Peng stared at each other.

---

Killing Lin Chou had given Tang Xiaotang some satisfaction.

But something still felt off.

She didn't need to say a word—Lei Jun already knew what was on her mind.

But Lei Jun shook his head. "If we return north to find Senior Sister now, it'll be too late."

Tang Xiaotang held out her sword, crackling with purple lightning. "You've contacted her? What's happening with the Lin Clan in Youzhou?"

Just as Xu Yuanzhen had said before—her appetite was massive.

Since returning to the mortal world, her targets had never been limited to the Lin Clan of Jiangzhou alone.

Tang Xiaotang and Lei Jun had pursued Lin Che south to Jiangzhou.

Xu Yuanzhen, meanwhile, had gone... to the Lin Clan's ancestral grounds in Youzhou.

On the way, she first confronted Lin Huan, the current patriarch of the Youzhou Lin Clan.

Lin Huan, an Eighth Heaven expert at the Perfection Stage, was the Lin Clan’s strongest cultivator in Youzhou. Among the leaders of the Five Great Surnames and Seven Prominent Clans, she was the only female clan head.

In her youth, she was hailed as the number one talented woman under heaven, a figure who had once shaken the Great Tang.

Like Fang Jingsheng of the Fang Clan in Jingxiang, she had risen to prominence at a young age, ascending to leadership early. They were recognized as the two most talented aristocratic heirs of their generation and were widely regarded as the closest to reaching the Ninth Heaven among Confucian cultivators.

But this time, upon leaving Youzhou, she ran into a formidable obstacle.

Cautious by nature, Lin Huan had brought along the Lin Clan’s ancestral treasure—the Northern Gale Sword.

Her prudence had been justified. Though she couldn't save Lin Litao, who was refined to death by Xu Yuanzhen, she herself managed to retreat to the Lin Clan’s ancestral grounds in Youzhou.

Unfortunately, it was all for naught.

In a way, things had only gotten worse.

Because just as Tang Xiaotang had branded the Lin Clan of Jiangzhou as "barbarians," Xu Yuanzhen had delivered the same fate to the Lin Clan of Youzhou.

Thus, on the same day, two ancient aristocratic lineages—each with nearly ten thousand years of history—had both fallen!

The only slight difference was that the Lin Clan of Youzhou had a stroke of luck.

The former patriarch of the Ye Clan in Jinzhou, Ye Moquan, had arrived in time to intervene, preventing the Lin Clan of Youzhou from being slaughtered like their counterparts in Jiangzhou.

But…

"Senior Sister struck Lin Huan down, overriding Ye Moquan’s interference and injuring her."

Lei Jun paused briefly before adding, "Hmm… To be precise, Lin Huan’s injuries aren’t severe. However… her path forward has been completely severed."