Seeking Fortune and Avoiding Misfortune: Starting from the Celestial Master’s Mansion
Chapter 25: No compensation for killing someone

Obscured by the mist, blocking vision and perception, Li Ming couldn't be sure if Lei Jun's words were true.

He searched the area again, but Chen Yi was nowhere to be found near the Middle Immortal Pool.

Unbeknownst to Li Ming, during his patrol of the Upper Immortal Pool, both Lei Jun and Chen Yi had gone to the very top layer of the Cloud Sea.

Now, with Chen Yi’s whereabouts unknown in both the Upper and Middle Immortal Pools, Li Ming was beginning to feel suspicious.

If it were just Lei Jun’s word, Li Ming would have been more skeptical than trusting.

But he recalled something else.

That Chen kid had been blessed with good fortune in recent years, seemingly experiencing various serendipitous encounters.

Perhaps he was carrying some kind of mystical ability. Could he have discovered a unique opportunity in the Lower Immortal Pool?

At this thought, Li Ming made up his mind.

He glanced back at Lei Jun, who appeared entirely unaware and was absorbed in his cultivation practice, thinking that there would be time in the future to "trim" this potentially troublesome branch.

Li Ming quietly left the Middle Immortal Pool and descended into the Lower Immortal Pool.

The spiritual energy here was relatively thin, unable to provide the same cleansing effects as the Middle Immortal Pool.

Yet, after diving deeper, Li Ming indeed found something unexpected.

"Hot Crystal Sand? There's actually Hot Crystal Sand in the Lower Immortal Pool?"

At the lake bottom, Li Ming discovered some rare spiritual items, something he hadn’t known was here before.

The spiritual energy in the Cloud Sea Immortal Pools constantly shifts, often producing unexpected changes in the water, and Li Ming couldn’t quite deduce the reason for the appearance of Hot Crystal Sand.

But upon seeing these spiritual items, he thought to himself it was no wonder Chen Yi would come here.

That kid indeed had something special, able to sense opportunities and treasures others could not.

Where was he now?

Li Ming observed the depths of the lake.

He wasn’t intent on confronting Chen Yi directly at this moment but was keen to uncover his secrets before slowly devising a plan.

Thus, Li Ming dived even deeper to search for any sign of Chen Yi’s whereabouts.

---

In the Middle Immortal Pool, Lei Jun sensed Li Ming’s departure but did not follow; instead, he continued his cultivation peacefully in the pool.

Everyone had seen it—if Li Ming chose to go to the Lower Immortal Pool, that was his own decision.

Now, the stage was left once more to those who enjoyed putting on a show.

Put on a grand performance to prove who the real star is, then retreat from the stage with dignity.

Lei Jun calmly continued his cultivation, nurturing his Dao Foundation.

As the circulation of mana and spiritual energy within his body gradually reached a stable balance, he opened his eyes, his upper body rising out of the water.

Lei Jun moved his fingers, and a Spirit Talisman appeared.

On the yellow paper with cinnabar inscriptions, a layer of frost mist had formed.

Lei Jun rubbed the talisman, feeling the chill of the frost, a spark of insight lighting up his mind:

Mist-Wrapped Cloud Crystal

He recalled reading this name in the sect’s records… Lei Jun took a moment to remember.

Once, a disciple of the Tianshi Mansion had collected this kind of spiritual item from the Cloud Sea Immortal Pool.

But that was only once, and it happened several hundred years ago.

The environment of the Cloud Sea Immortal Pool is ever-changing, and so are the spiritual items it produces. After accumulating over a thousand years, hundreds of spiritual items have emerged, most appearing only once or twice, rarely repeating.

Due to the numerous factors affecting the small Grotto Heaven’s spiritual energy, it was difficult for the sect elders to make these treasures reappear regularly.

Mist-Wrapped Cloud Crystal is one of the more outstanding items among the many produced.

According to ancient records, it can help cultivators at the Second Realm of Foundation Establishment more easily break through the Heaven’s Chasm and reach the Third Realm Altar Stage.

“Not bad, it suits my needs, though not immediately.”

Lei Jun nodded slightly and put away the Spirit Gathering Talisman that held the Mist-Wrapped Cloud Crystal.

Thanks to today’s nurturing in the Cloud Sea Immortal Pool, he should soon be able to advance to the middle stage of Foundation Establishment.

However, after that, he would have to progress from the middle stage to the late stage of Foundation Establishment, and from the late stage to complete Foundation Establishment.

After laying out these next two steps, he only needed to continue cultivating… Lei Jun calmed his mind and resumed his breathing exercises, nurturing his Dao Foundation.

After an unknown amount of time, he suddenly sensed movement, realizing someone was approaching.

Lei Jun turned to look in that direction.

After a few breaths, the mist cleared, revealing a young man.

The newcomer was dressed similarly to Lei Jun in a yellow Daoist robe, appearing about four or five years younger.

"Senior Brother Lei?" The newcomer was slightly surprised.

The young Daoist was Shangguan Hong, a disciple of Elder Shangguan, Lei Jun’s fifth martial uncle.

In terms of when they entered the Daoist Children’s Academy, Shangguan Hong had actually joined earlier.

However, as they were in the same group for the Initiation Ceremony and formally joined the sect at the same time, Lei Jun, being older, was addressed politely as “Senior Brother” by Shangguan Hong.

Lei Jun greeted him, “Junior Brother Shangguan?”

Shangguan Hong replied, “I wanted to try the different pools here at the Middle Immortal Pool to see if there’s any variation, so I came by to check each one. Sorry to disturb you, Senior Brother Lei.”

Lei Jun shook his head, “It’s no bother; feel free.”

“Thank you, Senior Brother Lei.” Shangguan Hong entered the pool, letting the water of the Immortal Pool purify his body.

Looking at Lei Jun, whom he had coincidentally encountered, he couldn’t help feeling curious.

Among the people who entered the Cloud Sea Immortal Pool today, apart from the unusual cases of Li Ming and Fang Jian, the oldest was Lei Jun, who was already twenty.

Li Ying, Chen Yi, Guo Yan, and Shangguan Hong himself were only about fifteen or sixteen years old.

In the world’s eyes, a fifteen-year-old cultivator at the Twelfth Layer of Qi Refining would have vastly different potential compared to a twenty-year-old at the same stage.

A fifteen-year-old Foundation Establishment cultivator would also likely have a much brighter future than a twenty-year-old one.

But here was an anomaly.

According to rumors, Lei Jun had only been cultivating on the mountain for about two years.

Two years from scratch to Foundation Establishment—this was in a league of its own.

Shangguan Hong observed Lei Jun quietly, while Lei Jun appeared indifferent.

However, information about the young man floated to the forefront of Lei Jun’s mind:

Shangguan Hong, whose master Elder Shangguan is also his aunt.

He wasn’t just riding on family connections—he had a reputation as a young prodigy back in the Daoist Children’s Academy.

Shangguan Hong’s reputation stemmed from his comprehension rather than his bone structure.

While bone structure is measurable, comprehension is harder to define, but the cultivation world had a general grading for it.

For instance, Lei Jun, before he awakened the Hidden Dragon Spirit Physique, had been considered by the Daoist Children’s Academy as having mediocre bone structure but a decent level of comprehension.

In terms of Lei Jun’s average bone structure, his comprehension was at least above-average, with some instructors even rating it as upper-grade.

Li Ying and Chen Yi were also rated as having upper-grade comprehension.

For bone structure, above the basic five grades lie Spirit Physique, Sacred Physique, and Celestial Physique.

For comprehension, above the basic five grades lie Outstanding, Enlightened, and Pure.

Shangguan Hong possessed upper-grade bone structure and “Outstanding” comprehension, marking him as a young prodigy.

Though delayed after the Initiation, he still achieved Foundation Establishment smoothly before the Cloud Sea Immortal Pool’s opening.

As for his family background, it was even more unique.

The Shangguan family were founding ministers of the Tang Dynasty, their military achievements enshrining them in nobility and binding them closely to the Tang imperial family.

They were not just noble and royal relatives in name alone.

The Tang imperial family and the Shangguan family shared such a close bond that they were almost like one entity.

According to the information Lei Jun had heard, this family dynamic was reminiscent of a historical bond on Blue Star, similar to the ties between the Cao and Xiahou families.

By bloodline, Elder Shangguan, a fifth disciple directly taught by the previous Tianshi, and the young Shangguan Hong himself, were both relatives of the Tang imperial family.

Their entry into the Tianshi Mansion and subsequent elevation to True Disciples was naturally intriguing…

“Ah!!”

Lei Jun and Shangguan Hong were chatting when suddenly a scream came from the Upper Immortal Pool.

Above?

Lei Jun looked up.