Seeking Fortune and Avoiding Misfortune: Starting from the Celestial Master’s Mansion
Chapter 321: The Blood River Master doubts his life

Lei Jun sat with his eyes closed, seemingly resting, but the mystical effects of his Celestial Ground-Through Talisman were operating at their peak.

Invisible talismans continuously formed in the air, taking shape before vanishing into nothingness, only to spread outward, permeating the space around the floating island.

Without the Grand Celestial Mirror and under the harsh conditions of the Deep Sea, the effectiveness of his Heavenly Sight and Earthly Hearing Talisman was greatly diminished.

However, over time, he had gradually adapted to the environment of the Deep Sea.

His Clear-Tranquility Insight allowed him to subtly adjust and refine his Heavenly Sight and Earthly Hearing Talisman, ensuring that the talisman attuned itself to its master and adapted to the current surroundings.

Suddenly, ripples stirred in the depths of Lei Jun's mind.

The sensation was fleeting—so brief that it felt like an illusion.

But he was certain.

Someone powerful was approaching.

As the saying went, in moments like these, when an instinct felt like an illusion, it often signaled an even greater danger—meaning that the opponent’s ability to conceal themselves was extraordinary, capable of erasing their presence so thoroughly that they could approach undetected.

Yet, nothing else happened after that.

Lei Jun remained composed, continuing his quiet breathing exercises, harmonizing yin and yang, and adjusting to the Deep Sea’s energy.

He did not allow himself to second-guess his initial judgment.

Someone had indeed come near this Hanging Abyss.

But the intruder appeared to be observing—waiting.

Perhaps, if Lei Jun had not been here, guarding this place with the Tianshi Sword, the intruder would have already made their move.

In other words, the target was not Lei Jun himself but Tang Xiaotang, who had transformed into a Three-Tiered Altar.

More precisely, Tang Xiaotang, who was on the verge of breaking through to the Nine Heavens Realm.

Compared to Lei Jun, who was still at the Eighth Heaven, Tang Xiaotang, despite having just overcome the Heavenly Chasm Tribulation and stepping into the Nine Heavens, was in a moment of vulnerability—she had not yet fully stabilized her breakthrough and had not truly exited seclusion.

For that brief moment, Tang Xiaotang’s ability to counterattack was actually weaker than when she had been in the Eighth Heaven.

Weaker even than Lei Jun, who was still in the Eighth Heaven but wielded the Tianshi Sword.

At that instant, she was the more valuable target—and, ironically, the easier one to take down.

After all, in the entire world, there was hardly a Nine Heavens cultivator more vulnerable than one attempting a breakthrough in such a treacherous environment.

Even if the window of opportunity lasted only a moment.

This style of prioritization revealed the identity of the intruder with absolute clarity to Lei Jun.

The only obstacle to the intruder’s attack—was Lei Jun himself.

However, Tang Xiaotang’s breakthrough was bound to draw other formidable figures here.

Even now, Lei Jun could faintly sense that the intensity of the battle over at Xiongbu Mountain was slightly diminishing.

Many had taken notice of the disturbance at this Hanging Abyss.

Still, for warriors like Shangguan Yunbo, Li De, Feng Gui, Hu Hengyuan, and Li Yongzong, the threats they faced in their immediate battle were far more pressing.

The conflict had reached a point of no return—neither side could simply walk away.

Yet, the events unfolding at the Abyss were impossible to ignore.

Especially for the Jiuli Cultivators, who were more familiar with the Deep Sea’s conditions.

A sinking feeling spread among them:

“That’s the direction of the Fractured Abyss, isn’t it?”

“Could it be a sign of an impending Yin Tide Surge?”

“...No, this is beyond that. It feels like an Extreme Yin Tide.”

“But there’s something else… an incredibly intense Pure Yang Energy!”

“Pure Yang Physique… is it that woman from earlier?”

“If she possesses a Pure Yang Celestial Physique, and she encounters an Extreme Yin Tide, then… could it be…?”

A slight commotion rippled through the Jiuli Cultivators.

Tang Xiaotang’s entry into the Deep Sea had caused quite a stir.

It was due to her and Shen Qubing arriving here one after another that this grand battle had erupted.

But after that, Tang Xiaotang had vanished, becoming a lingering concern for both the Poli Tribe and the Bili Tribe.

Right now, Li Yan, the Poli Tribe Chief, was absent from Xiongbu Mountain, partially due to their blood feud with the Wuli Tribe, but also because he had been searching for Tang Xiaotang.

A powerful yet elusive foe disappearing without a trace, only to reappear and cause yet another major disturbance…

Even Li De, the Bili Tribe Chief, who was stationed at Xiongbu Mountain, couldn’t help but furrow his brows.

One by one, the Jiuli experts began shifting their positions slightly toward the Fractured Abyss, one of the Seven Hanging Abysses.

Meanwhile, the human cultivators—though less knowledgeable about the Deep Sea, were all too familiar with Tang Xiaotang.

When Shangguan Yunbo, Ye Mo Rong, Feng Gui, and Hu Hengyuan sensed the surge of Extreme Yin Energy and Pure Yang Energy, they didn’t even need to see it directly.

Their minds all reached the same shocking conclusion:

Tang Xiaotang of the Tianshi Mansion… is she trying to break through to the Nine Heavens here in the Deep Sea?!

Their immediate instinct was to reject such an outrageous thought.

She was still so young!

Hadn’t she just reached the Eighth Heaven recently?

Would she really dare to attempt a breakthrough here, in this place, under these circumstances?

And with Xu Yuanzhen breaking through before her, would the Tianshi Mansion now have two Nine Heavens Daoist Masters at the same time?

How long had it been since such a thing happened?

In recent years, every Nine Heavens breakthrough in the Tang Daoist world had required years of grueling cultivation and countless fortuitous encounters.

And yet, somehow, she was…?

As much as they resisted believing it, they all had to admit—some people were simply different.

They recalled when Tang Xiaotang had broken into the Seventh Heaven at eighteen and reached the Eighth Heaven by thirty.

All they could do was sigh.

The day she would step into the Nine Heavens… was upon them.

But while accepting reality was one thing, dealing with it was another.

For the human cultivators, the Jiuli warriors remained their immediate threat.

But as they moved, their positions subtly shifted south of Xiongbu Mountain, drawing them closer to the Fractured Abyss.

Veteran archer Ye Mo Rong, who covered the battlefield with long-range arrows, was now positioned between Xiongbu Mountain and the Fractured Abyss, frequently glancing toward the latter.

As a master archer, his strength lay in long-distance observation and precise perception.

Then, suddenly—

He vaguely glimpsed a vast surge of blood-red mist rising from the direction of the Fractured Abyss.

In the dimly lit Deep Sea, it loomed like an ominous shadow, shrouding the sky.

Atop the Fractured Abyss, on the floating island, Lei Jun opened his eyes.

A vast crimson tide surged upward from below the inverted abyss.

A Nine Heavens master of the Blood River Lineage of the Witch Sect—

But it was not Wei Anchang.

Lei Jun’s gaze locked onto the rising blood mist.

At its center, a towering, muscular middle-aged man emerged, his skin marked with intricate sigils, his face expressionless, and his eyes a chilling blood-red.

For many Tang Daoist cultivators, this man was no stranger.

The Nine Heavens Grand Shaman of the Jiuli—Li Yan, Chief of the Poli Tribe.

The Nine Heavens Divine Thunder fully emanated from the Tianshi Sword, while Lei Jun himself focused all his efforts on channeling the Xuanxiao Celestial Thunder.

After all, he was still an Eighth Heaven cultivator—his foundation, though strong, was slightly inferior to that of the Tianshi Sword.

As a result, the fusion between yin and yang was not yet perfect, requiring constant adjustments to maintain balance.

Because of this, subtle gaps formed between his sword strikes.

These gaps were imperceptible to Eighth Heaven cultivators—but not to a Ninth Heaven master.

Yet, despite recognizing these openings, Li Yan found himself at a frustrating impasse.

His Blood Battle: Massacre of the Mortal Realm was fast and relentless but lacked the pinpoint intensity needed to exploit those tiny weaknesses.

On the other hand, his Blood Battle: Hell’s Descent was sharp and deadly, yet lacked the speed to strike during those fleeting moments.

For a Ninth Heaven cultivator, saying that an attack was too slow was almost nitpicking.

But against Lei Jun’s swordsmanship, almost wasn’t enough—he needed absolute precision.

And those minuscule openings?

Li Yan could see them.

But he couldn’t use them.

Which meant they might as well not exist.

If given enough time to slowly wear Lei Jun down, he might eventually grasp an opportunity.

But time was a luxury Li Yan did not have.

Not just because of the ongoing battle at Xiongbu Mountain—

But because of Tang Xiaotang, cultivating on the island within the Fractured Abyss!

The black three-tiered altar where she was undergoing her breakthrough was flickering more intensely, its golden radiance growing ever brighter.

Seeing this, Li Yan’s gaze turned ice-cold.

Against Lei Jun’s sword light, the Jiuli Grand Shaman suddenly slowed for an instant.

Lei Jun’s sword struck him directly.

At first glance, Li Yan’s body seemed torn open, blood gushing.

But as Lei Jun observed closely, he noticed something chilling—

The wounds on Li Yan’s body didn’t rupture; they shifted.

His torn flesh and flowing blood twisted, transforming into a terrifying, grotesque suit of armor.

It was another one of Li Yan’s life-bound divine abilities—

Blood God’s Curse Armor.

Though he had not cultivated the infamous Blood God Child, he had instead fused its principles with his own flesh and physique, creating a unique defensive divine ability suited for a Jiuli Blood River Grand Shaman.

Glowing curse patterns and writhing blood surged across his form.

Although Lei Jun’s sword light burned away many of the runes and fresh blood, the armor held firm in the short term.

Old flesh was incinerated, new flesh rose to replace it, continuously reinforcing his defense.

However—

To the naked eye, it was clear that Li Yan’s regenerative speed was falling behind the destruction caused by Lei Jun’s sword.

Given time, Lei Jun’s sword light would eventually cut through completely.

But Li Yan didn’t need to last forever.

He only needed to last for this moment.

His blood-red eyes gleamed, and an intense, blinding light exploded within them—

Slaughtering Demon Eyes.

This was Li Yan’s life-bound technique from his time in the Middle Three Heavens—Deathly Aura Shroud—which had ascended into a far greater ability upon his breakthrough into the Upper Three Heavens.

It condensed pure killing intent and death energy into tangible force, striking at the very soul of his opponent.

A single glance from Li Yan could outright shatter a person’s spirit—or drive them into insanity under the sheer pressure of murderous intent.

Even Eighth Heaven cultivators were prone to trembling in terror if caught by his gaze.

In that instant—

A deafening buzz rang through Lei Jun’s mind.

At the same time—

The black three-tiered altar beside him erupted in a golden blaze.

Countless golden talismans surfaced across the altar’s blackened exterior, gradually replacing its darkness.

In this moment—

The altar was turning from black to gold.

Simultaneously, the surrounding abyssal waters surged, rushing out of the inverted chasm, now overflowing with immense Yang energy.

The tide, which had been suppressed and frozen beneath the altar, broke free all at once, erupting into an overwhelming Extreme Yin Tide.

Seizing the opportunity, Li Yan surged forward, aiming to reach the island before the tide fully sealed off the path.

But just as he was about to step forward—

His vision blurred.

A radiance of purple, gold, and blue surged forth, forming a vast three-tiered altar, materializing between him and the island.

At its center—

A massive white jade seal hovered in midair.

Li Yan slammed into the altar.

A muffled grunt escaped his lips as he was knocked backward, forced out of the Extreme Yin Tide’s boundary.

His Blood God’s Curse Armor cracked apart from the impact, golden sparks flashing in his eyes.

He looked up—

Lei Jun was completely unfazed by his Slaughtering Demon Eyes.

If Lei Jun had merely relied on the Tianshi Seal to protect himself, he wouldn’t have had time to block Li Yan’s path.

But the reality was different.

Lei Jun’s soul had endured the attack head-on, emerging unscathed.

This was the result of his years refining his spirit with the Forgetting River Mist and White Jade Bodhi.

His own soul’s resilience was strong enough to withstand the Ninth Heaven Blood River Grand Shaman’s soul attack.

Though his mind had briefly wavered, he recovered instantly.

Then—

With the Tianshi Seal, he had slammed Li Yan out of the Extreme Yin Tide.

The tide erupted violently, sealing the island’s entrance.

At the same time—

Another blood-red tide suddenly surged from a different direction, rushing toward the golden three-tiered altar.

A blood sea crashed forth, aiming to overwhelm the altar before it fully solidified into gold.

But then—

A storm of shadows, like raging dragons, surged forth, forming a fortress of astral winds, shielding the golden altar below.

The blood sea collided with this barrier—and was stopped.

“What the hell is this?!”

Since when did Tianshi Mansion possess such a powerful artifact?

A handsome middle-aged man emerged from the blood sea, his expression grim.

It was none other than Wei Anchang, Sect Master of the Blood River Lineage of the Southern Wasteland Witch Sect.

His first strike had failed.

Despite his surprise, his reaction was immediate—

A crimson blade gleamed.

With a single stroke—

Blood Battle: Mortal Realm Massacre.

His blade slashed toward the wind barrier protecting the altar.

But just as he made his move—

Lei Jun struck.

A sword light flashed—

Wei Anchang blocked it with his blood blade, his face darkening.

At the same time—

Blood-red figures emerged from the surging blood sea.

Each of them was identical to Wei Anchang himself.

They were his Blood God Children.

These entities were even more corrupting than a standard blood sea, their presence polluting the Supreme Purity Eight Sceneries Mantle.

But then—

Lei Jun suddenly raised his hand.

A green bamboo staff—an eight-sectioned rod—shimmered in purple and gold light.

With a single swing—

Lei Jun struck a Blood God Child.

The clone froze midair, then shattered like porcelain, crumbling into dust before vanishing with the wind.

“...What the hell is that?!”

For the first time, Wei Anchang’s eyes widened in shock.

And Lei Jun—

Calmly took another step forward, shattering another Blood God Child with his bamboo staff.