Seeking Fortune and Avoiding Misfortune: Starting from the Celestial Master’s Mansion
Chapter 248: The Taoist Magical Treasure, the Immortal Bamboo of Shangqing Yuchen

Generally speaking, during the triennial Initiation Ceremony at Mount Longhu—the ancestral home of the Talismanic Branch—visiting guests mainly focus on identifying promising new disciples emerging from Tianshi Mansion.

However, this year was slightly different. A significant number of guests had their attention on Lei Jun, who was standing as a master for the first time.

Elder He Dongxing of the Shushan Sect was seated next to Zhang Mu, the Prince of Xunan from the Tang Imperial Clan.

As he observed the ceremony, He Dongxing softly asked, “Prince Zhang, I assume you’re also about to take that final step?”

Zhang Mu replied, “To be honest, Elder He, I don’t have all the details myself, but I believe there’s a fair degree of certainty.”

He Dongxing congratulated him. “That is truly a cause for celebration.”

Zhang Mu smiled. “I hear that your sect also has a Daoist at the Sixth Heaven, just one step away from breaking through? Allow me to congratulate Shushan in advance.”

He Dongxing waved a hand modestly. “Still consolidating—too early to say, too early to say.”

Despite his words, his expression was calm and composed, suggesting that the internal consensus within Shushan was optimistic.

After offering his congratulations, Zhang Mu turned his gaze back to the ceremony, though his mind clouded slightly.

Although Zhang Jingzhen was a member of the imperial clan, she had trained at Mount Longhu from a young age and was cultivated by Tianshi Mansion.

Even without the late Li Zhengxuan, Tianshi Mansion was now on the verge of producing four Upper Three Heavens cultivators in its younger generation.

Shushan seemed slightly behind, but its younger disciples were also brimming with talent.

With the resurgence of spiritual energy in the world, young cultivators were emerging faster than ever, and the great sects were beginning to display an advantage over noble families.

No wonder the Four Great Surnames and Six Prominent Clans were becoming uneasy.

In truth, even the imperial clan and aristocracy felt the pressure.

The imperial clan was in a relatively better position. If there was any force in the Tang Dynasty with more young experts than Tianshi Mansion, it would be the Tang Imperial Family itself.

Though only two individuals could receive the Imperial Daoist Arts at a time, the empire’s vast resources meant that Zhang Tang’s royal lineage could still cultivate and support more talents than any other single power.

But as time passed, that might no longer be the case…

As Zhang Mu continued watching the ceremony at Tianshi Mansion, he couldn’t help but think of the now-extinct Li Clan of Xinzhou.

Once upon a time, the Li Clan had been the pinnacle of its era, drawing the attention of the world.

Before Xu Yuanzhen, the last Great Ascension True Immortal of the Talismanic Branch had been the First Tianshi, Li Zhiyuan, once hailed as the strongest Daoist of his time.

After Li Zhiyuan’s death, it took until Xu Yuanzhen for the Talismanic Branch to produce another Ninth Heaven cultivator.

A single extraordinary individual could dominate an era, but it wasn’t enough to build a lasting legacy.

However, fate had blessed the Li Clan with an extraordinary stroke of fortune—Li Zhiyuan’s three sons all became remarkable cultivators.

His eldest son, Li Yang, became the Second Tianshi.

His second son, Li Bai, succeeded as the Third Tianshi.

His youngest son, Li Song, reached the Eighth Heaven and became one of the most senior elders of Tianshi Mansion.

A single father producing three sons who all reached the Eighth Heaven—such an achievement was almost unheard of, even among the Five Great Surnames and Seven Prominent Clans.

Later, Li Yang’s son, Li Cangting, emerged as the most outstanding genius of his generation, famous throughout the Tang Dynasty and closely watched by many powerful factions.

Meanwhile, Li Bai’s children—Li Qingfeng, Li Hongyu, and Li Ziyang—though differing in age, also became accomplished cultivators.

Even though Li Song’s children were relatively unremarkable, the Li Clan’s third generation still possessed extraordinary talent.

With such successive generations of talent, the Li Clan’s rise was inevitable.

Looking back through history, the Five Great Surnames and Seven Prominent Clans, other illustrious noble families, and even past imperial dynasties had all followed a similar pattern—an explosion of talent across multiple generations, laying the foundation for a lasting legacy.

But that was only the beginning. The true test was whether a lineage could endure the erosion of time, withstand its inevitable declines, and sustain itself for centuries.

The Li Clan of Xinzhou had enjoyed an almost miraculous three generations of outstanding talent.

Yet, as the fourth generation—Li Zhengxuan, Li Xuan, and Li Kong—rose, their brilliance no longer matched that of their ancestors.

Li Xuan and his peers were certainly not mediocre; all had the potential to reach the Seventh Heaven within a century.

Li Zhengxuan had even ascended to the Upper Three Heavens, becoming a High Priest. He possessed a Sacred Physique and Illuminated Comprehension, with immense potential, steadily following in the footsteps of his forebears.

But talent is always relative.

First came Xu Yuanzhen. Then, Tang Xiaotang.

They overshadowed the entire Li Clan’s younger generation.

Now, the Li Clan had faded into history.

If they were still around today, the pressure on them would be even greater.

The newly ascendant Lei Jun had already surpassed the once-revered Young Tianshi Li Zhengxuan in every aspect.

If the Li Clan still existed, Zhang Mu wondered—how would they feel witnessing this moment?

At the very least, he knew that many noble families and aristocrats now wore grim expressions.

Even Tianshi Mansion itself would find it difficult to replicate the brilliance of Lei Jun’s generation in the future, let alone sustain such a lineage indefinitely.

But their odds were still better than those of the noble families…

As Zhang Mu pondered, his vision suddenly blurred.

The ceremony had reached its core segment.

The new disciples and their Initiation Masters stood on opposite sides. After the officiating High Priest recited the Ten Precepts, they proceeded with the Separation of Rings and Breaking of Tokens ritual.

Most of the Initiation Masters wore the deep-red robes of Talismanic Disciples, except for one—Lei Jun, who stood out in a regal purple robe.

Not only was Elder Lei’s attire striking, but his tall and imposing stature made him even more prominent among his peers.

However, the one standing opposite him—his disciple—was even more eye-catching.

Among all the masters, Lei Jun was the tallest and most distinguished, standing like a jade tree in the wind.

Among all the disciples undergoing initiation, his student was the shortest.

Short, round, and… furry.

A black-and-white bear cub stood solemnly in front of Lei Jun, earnestly holding a brush to write the ceremonial document alongside him, presenting it in honor of Heaven and the Grandmasters.

Many guests watching from the outer circle had slightly peculiar expressions.

Still, they all maintained their composure, not daring to show any overt reactions.

Those with inside knowledge had already heard that Elder Lei’s first personal disciple would be a Mountain Bear Spirit.

But the fact that the bear had not taken on a human form and was instead participating in the ceremony in its natural state caught many off guard.

Hearing about it was one thing—seeing it in person was another.

Some onlookers instinctively turned their gaze toward Yuan Mobai, the High Priest officiating the ceremony, who was also wearing a purple robe.

Although rarely spoken about, it was now well-known that during the final battle of Liwai, Yuan Mobai had revealed his true nature—he, too, was a Mountain Bear Spirit who had taken human form.

Fortunately, Yuan Mobai had no intention of revealing his true form today.

Otherwise, if two black-and-white bears—one large and one small—stood side by side at the ceremony, it would have been difficult for some to keep a straight face.

“Elder Lei… certainly seems to have a special connection with Mountain Bears,” someone whispered.

The person beside them looked even more amused.

Elder Lei’s master was a Mountain Bear Spirit.

Elder Lei’s personal disciple was also a Mountain Bear Spirit.

So what about Elder Lei himself…?

Could it be that this was truly a direct lineage?

In that instant, his composure shattered.

It felt like he had returned to his youth.

"Kid, couldn’t hold back, huh?" Lei Jun asked with a smile.

Zhuo Baojie quickly straightened his posture, putting on an expression of ‘I’m all grown up and very mature’. "Thank you, Master, for the bestowed treasure."

But when he saw the artifact Lei Jun had gifted him, he froze for a moment.

Regaining his senses, Zhuo Baojie instinctively looked up—only to see both Lei Jun and Wang Guiyuan smiling at him.

The little panda picked up the Talisman Brush in his hands, inspecting it left and right. "Master, this artifact… it looks familiar…"

Lei Jun nodded with a smile. "This is the Yin-Yang Brush, personally refined by me. Its quality surpasses all other Talisman Brushes in the mansion. I hope you nurture it well."

With Lei Jun’s current cultivation, he could effortlessly inscribe talismans without needing the Yin-Yang Brush.

Just as he had once received the Vermilion-Tipped Brush from his own master, Yuan Mobai, he was now passing down the Talisman Brush he had used during his Middle Three Heavens cultivation to his disciple.

"Since Master has bestowed this artifact upon me, I will be sure to nurture and study it diligently." Zhuo Baojie carefully put away the Yin-Yang Brush.

His small eyes suddenly twinkled as he looked eagerly at Lei Jun.

Lei Jun calmly sipped his tea.

Finally, Zhuo Baojie dropped his ‘mature disciple’ act, his face lighting up with a very human and bootlicking grin. He scooted closer to Lei Jun and began massaging his leg.

"Master…"

Lei Jun responded, "Hmm, good pressure. Move a bit to the right."

Zhuo Baojie: "Yes, disciple obeys!"

After a few more kneads, he cautiously probed, "Master, if you happen to have any other unused artifacts…"

Lei Jun: "Do I?"

Zhuo Baojie paused, then used both his hands—or rather, both his paws—to trace the outline of a giant bamboo shoot in the air.

Lei Jun: "Keep going, don’t stop."

"Yes, sir!" Zhuo Baojie immediately resumed his enthusiastic massaging.

Lei Jun nodded approvingly before finally speaking. "The Upper Qing Golden Bamboo…"

The little panda nodded furiously.

Lei Jun: "I have other plans for it."

Zhuo Baojie instantly froze, his face turning despondent, as if his soul had left his body.

Wang Guiyuan, watching the antics between master and disciple, chuckled and shook his head. "We should at least settle Baojie’s Daoist name first. It has to align with the official records."

Lei Jun: "I’ve already decided. This generation follows the character ‘Hua’..."

The little panda, who had just withered like a frostbitten eggplant, suddenly sprang to his feet, shaking both paws frantically. "Master! Absolutely not Zhuo Baohua or Zhuo Huabao!"

Lei Jun looked at his disciple.

The little panda pouted. "Disciple will follow whatever Master decides."

Lei Jun: "I’ll take the ‘Jie’ from your name and name you Hua Jie."

Zhuo Baojie let out a sigh of relief. "Thank you, Master!"

Lei Jun: "…But that doesn’t mean I won’t still call you Bao Bao."

Zhuo Baojie: "…"

Wang Guiyuan: "Junior Brother, forgive my bluntness, but you and the Sect Leader both don’t seem very suited to being mentors…"

Though his master had teased him endlessly, following the Initiation Ceremony, the little panda was now officially a Tianshi Mansion Initiate Disciple.

Lei Jun also began formally instructing him.

In teaching, Lei Jun did not adopt the freeform, self-exploratory style he used for his own cultivation.

Instead, he followed the same structured and orthodox approach that Yuan Mobai had used to teach him.

At least, that was the case while Zhuo Baojie was still laying his foundation.

Later on, when Zhuo Baojie had made solid progress, Lei Jun would allow him more freedom to develop his own techniques.

His own cultivation habits were one thing, but when it came to teaching, his methodology closely followed that of his master, Yuan Mobai.

Zhuo Baojie’s situation was somewhat unique.

Even before returning to the mountain, he had already been laying a strong foundation through the Sutra of Universal Salvation, under Lei Jun’s guidance.

Additionally, his natural talent was exceptionally strong, so even though Lei Jun taught him in a step-by-step, rigorous manner, Zhuo Baojie’s cultivation still progressed in a manner resembling the Confucian scholars who emphasized slow accumulation before explosive breakthroughs.

Shortly after receiving and practicing the first volume of the True Canon of the Dao of Righteousness, Zhuo Baojie successfully established his Foundation.

And even after that, his progress remained astonishingly fast.

"Our sect emphasizes dual cultivation of essence and vitality, prioritizing Life Canon. Cultivation at First and Second Heaven mainly focuses on body refinement and blood vitality," Lei Jun remarked while chatting with Xu Yuanzhen, Tang Xiaotang, and Yuan Mobai. "Hua Jie’s foundation in this aspect is exceptionally strong, so it’s no surprise that his cultivation is skyrocketing."

"In fact, one could argue that he already possesses power beyond First or even Second Heaven, but he needs to convert that into our sect’s orthodox cultivation method."

The difficulty of this was self-evident—after all, Zhuo Baojie had already spent over ten years at Mount Longhu.

From a time investment perspective, it wasn’t necessarily a gain.

But for the sake of the future, the effort now was necessary.

"In terms of bone structure and aptitude, he likely surpasses the Sacred Physique, though it’s hard to say if he reaches the level of the Celestial Physique," Yuan Mobai remarked, evaluating his grand-disciple.

Lei Jun: "When it comes to physical refinement and Life Canon, he’s undoubtedly comparable to a Celestial Physique—otherwise, all his years of gorging on food would’ve gone to waste."

The compatibility between different physique types and cultivation lineages sometimes played a role in a person's growth.

However, physiques like the Sacred Physique or Celestial Physique provided a high floor, ensuring a solid foundation at minimum.

To break through to higher limits, though, the best-case scenario was to align with a suitable Daoist tradition.

For comprehension abilities, even when two people possessed Illuminated or Clear Tranquility aptitude, the difference in cultivation approaches—such as sudden enlightenment in Buddhism versus gradual accumulation in Confucianism—could result in varying outcomes.

Zhuo Baojie’s comprehension ability was also quite strong.

However, at this stage, his physical foundation was his greatest advantage.

In a way, this was part of his racial talent.

Despite devouring food recklessly in his youth, he was able to convert all of it into cultivation resources, a talent of its own.

That said, as Lei Jun spoke, his gaze was particularly sincere as he looked at his own master.

Yuan Mobai said nothing—he simply raised his hand and pointed at Lei Jun.

"Senior Sister," Tang Xiaotang suddenly said, looking toward Xu Yuanzhen, "speaking of aptitude and talent, I was just discussing this with Lei Jun the other day."

Xu Yuanzhen was casually painting, her brush strokes flowing effortlessly.

The image depicted a landscape in the rain.

"Hmm?" she asked, without pausing.

Tang Xiaotang grinned. "Has anyone ever told you what your bone structure and comprehension aptitude are rated at?"

Upon hearing this, Lei Jun’s gaze also shifted.

Generally speaking, he rarely pried into others' private affairs.

However, if anything truly piqued his curiosity, Xu Yuanzhen’s cultivation was definitely one of those things.

Tang Xiaotang’s Celestial Physique and Clear Tranquility Aptitude were now widely known.

From Lei Jun’s observations, Tang Xiaotang’s cultivation speed had always been faster than Xu Yuanzhen’s in the Lower and Middle Three Heavens.

Whenever they broke through to a new major realm, Tang Xiaotang always took less time—without exception.

That was, until they reached the Upper Three Heavens.

Both had taken about twelve years to progress from Seventh to Eighth Heaven, their speeds now nearly identical.

Looking back, the lower their cultivation level, the greater Tang Xiaotang’s advantage had been.

But as their cultivation deepened, that gap gradually disappeared.

In some ways, it felt like Xu Yuanzhen’s cultivation was accelerating over time.

Lei Jun, having personally improved his own bone structure and comprehension ability multiple times, was particularly sensitive to such things.

"In terms of bone structure, I’m not as good as you," Xu Yuanzhen said calmly. "I have the Sacred Physique, not the Celestial Physique."

Tang Xiaotang let out a mischievous laugh.

Lei Jun, however, caught something in Xu Yuanzhen’s wording, and his gaze flickered slightly.

Even Yuan Mobai, standing nearby, turned his head to look, a rare trace of curiosity appearing on his usually composed face.

Xu Yuanzhen remained as calm as ever, as if discussing something entirely unrelated to herself. “However, my comprehension surpasses yours…”

Her tone was steady.

Tang Xiaotang, on the other hand, was anything but calm. “... Natural?!”

Xu Yuanzhen casually nodded.

Yuan Mobai clapped his hands in admiration. “It’s true!”

Lei Jun spoke in a low voice, “Typically, among cultivators with Fifth-Grade or higher bone structure and comprehension, there are three recognized tiers:

• Bone Structure: Spirit Physique, Sacred Physique, Celestial Physique
• Comprehension: Exceptional, Illuminated, Clear Tranquility

Although these are exceedingly rare, the world is vast and teeming with people, so every now and then, a few individuals emerge.

However, those who surpass these levels have not appeared for a long time—as if they are myths or legends, making it difficult for modern cultivators to discern whether they truly exist.”

Lei Jun had only ever read about such individuals in ancient texts—specifically regarding the First Tianshi, the founder of Mount Longhu’s Tianshi Mansion.

The records mentioned a level of comprehension above "Clear Tranquility", referred to as "Natural".

Dao follows nature.

This level of comprehension allowed one to grasp Daoist arts without formal instruction, treating heaven and earth as their master—a level even beyond perceiving profound truths from subtle hints in the Clear Tranquility tier.

"Swoosh!"

Tang Xiaotang suddenly stood up, pacing around the room several times before abruptly stopping and turning to stare at Xu Yuanzhen.

Xu Yuanzhen casually remarked, “Did that shake your confidence?”

Tang Xiaotang widened her eyes, staring at Xu Yuanzhen for a long moment. Then, she suddenly burst into laughter.

Her already striking features seemed to glow with brilliance, her rare, dazzling smile lighting up the dimly lit room.

“Senior Sister…” Tang Xiaotang’s eyes gleamed like never before, as if golden flames were dancing within them. “If it weren’t for that old fox in Jinzhou, I’d be dying to spar with you right now!”

Xu Yuanzhen, utterly unbothered, simply repeated, “Then you’d better work hard.”

Tang Xiaotang nodded. “Of course I will!”

With that, she turned and left without hesitation, pushing open the door and vanishing from sight.

Lei Jun blinked. “...Is Little Senior Sister going into seclusion?”

Yuan Mobai smiled. “It seems so.”

Ever since reaching the Eighth Heaven, the Divine Court Realm, Tang Xiaotang had spent most of her cultivation time refining her self-created divine abilities and talismans.

Recently, she had been less focused on directly advancing her realm, but now that her divine arts were nearing completion—and after Xu Yuanzhen’s provocation—she was clearly about to make a move.

As expected of her—swift and decisive.

Meanwhile, Xu Yuanzhen remained indifferent, fully absorbed in admiring her painting.

Lei Jun glanced over and saw an ink painting depicting a stormy, thunderous scene, completely devoid of sunlight.

...Eldest Senior Sister, your sense of humor is truly wicked.

“I’m not sure if Little Senior Sister was shaken by you, but I definitely was,” Lei Jun said, shaking his head with a wry smile. “I need to find a place to heal my wounded soul.”

Yuan Mobai chuckled. “Are you heading to Shangqing Thunder Altar Grotto-Heaven?”

Lei Jun replied, “I plan to visit Biyou Immortal Mountain.”

Now that he had advanced to the Seventh Heaven and become a High Priest Elder, he had free access to Shangqing Thunder Altar Grotto-Heaven.

For most disciples, Biyou Immortal Mountain, the core of the grotto-heaven, was practically a forbidden zone.

But now that Lei Jun had grown strong enough, he could enter without anyone's guidance.

Of course, he didn’t intend to permanently reside there.

For one, the Tianshi Mansion was already short-staffed—only Yuan Mobai remained as a High Priest Elder while Lei Jun assisted him.

Secondly, Zhuo Baojie had just formally become his disciple and was in a crucial phase of cultivation. As his master, Lei Jun needed to oversee his progress.

After bidding farewell to Xu Yuanzhen and Yuan Mobai, Lei Jun ascended into the skies above Mount Longhu’s main peak.

He looked up at the sky, where dense thunderclouds churned, and streaks of purple lightning flickered across the heavens. He then raised his palm.

In his hand, light gathered and manifested into a talisman.

With this, Shangqing Thunder Altar Grotto-Heaven opened, and Lei Jun ascended into it.

Ignoring the peripheral areas, he headed straight for the core—Biyou Immortal Mountain.

There, Nine Heavens Divine Thunder filled the air, masculine and fierce, carrying both nurturing vitality and destructive force.

Lei Jun walked through the storm, his body surrounded by countless shimmering star-like talismans that rotated around him in an endless celestial dance.

Like a flowing river of stars, he passed through the sea of lightning, heading straight for Biyou Immortal Mountain’s summit.

With his innate talismans circulating around him, Lei Jun resembled an astral deity.

One of the abilities of the Doumu Star God Apparition was that the talismans around him functioned as both offense and defense, dispersing incoming attacks while simultaneously allowing him to redirect external forces for his own use.

Thus, standing atop the peak, Lei Jun remained unharmed by the Nine Heavens Divine Thunder. Instead, he began to draw strands of purple lightning into himself.

He then retrieved the Shangqing Golden Bamboo, which had grown significantly larger after absorbing the Kui Ox’s blood.

The moment the surrounding purple lightning touched the Golden Bamboo, it burst forth with radiant thunderlight.

Lightning interwove with lightning.

In an instant, an enormous net of thunder spread outward, coiling and expanding, endlessly cycling between contraction and release.

At this moment, Lei Jun took out a massive quantity of "Mountain God Jade", obtained from the defeat of the Jiangzhou Lin Clan’s ancestral land.

The violent purple thunder shattered the Mountain God Jade into fine dust.

Yet, instead of dispersing, the dust lingered in the air above Biyou Immortal Mountain, forming the phantom of a towering peak.

The actual Biyou Immortal Mountain below trembled slightly, and an innumerable array of Daoist runes surfaced.

Lei Jun then sat cross-legged, channeling his mana into a perfect interplay of yin and yang, guiding the surrounding various energies into harmony.

The thunder’s power transformed into the pivot of yin and yang, allowing the Nine Heavens Divine Thunder and the Mountain God Jade’s spiritual essence to continuously fuse into the Shangqing Golden Bamboo.

For the first time ever, a surge of overwhelming vitality erupted from within the bamboo.

As time passed, the Golden Bamboo, which had long been refined into a magical artifact, began to come to life.

The transformation started from its tip—slowly, inch by inch, it grew.

Until, eventually, a tall bamboo stalk stood proudly atop Biyou Immortal Mountain’s summit.

Lei Jun smiled. With one hand, he formed a seal, and with the other, he pointed at the bamboo.

Instantly, the thunderous energy and the Mountain God Jade’s light merged into the now towering bamboo.

The once dark-colored bamboo gradually turned green.

Its originally golden glow slowly transformed into a purple-gold radiance.

With no one else around, Lei Jun summoned the Tianshi Seal, drawing upon the power of the Nine Abyss True Fire.

At that moment—heavenly lightning and earthly fire united to forge a treasure.

A new magical treasure was born.

The first treasure Lei Jun had ever crafted with his own hands.

A Dao Foundation Artifact.

Shangqing Jade Celestial Bamboo!