Seeking Fortune and Avoiding Misfortune: Starting from the Celestial Master’s Mansion
Chapter 325: Elder Lei never comes back empty-handed when fishing

After leaving the mountain, Lei Jun traveled east, arriving in the mountain ranges between Zhejiang and Jiangxi.

Based on Senior Sister Xu Yuanzhen’s previous investigations, the Mortal Daoist Nation had likely used the Taiyi Innate Tower to traverse space, and they were now most likely somewhere at sea.

This time, Lei Daozhang was fishing—and only those willing would take the bait. But if he had a choice, he would rather hook someone from the Mortal Daoist Nation than a Shushan cultivator.

Thus, he deliberately chose a direction away from Shushan.

Upon reaching the mountains between Zhejiang and Jiangxi, Lei Jun scouted the area, selected a suitable location, and entered the Earth Veins.

With a casual flick of his hand, a streak of purple light—resembling both starlight and sword radiance—illuminated the darkness beneath the earth.

At the center of the purple glow, a long sword shimmered with a chilling brilliance.

It was none other than Shushan’s lost treasure—the Purple Micro Sword.

Lei Jun waved his hand again, dissipating his own mana imprint from the sword.

Then, he tossed the priceless blade into the raging currents of spiritual energy surging through the Earth Veins.

The instant the sword touched the river of spiritual energy, its purple radiance flickered—and then, it vanished.

Lei Jun, cloaked in the Supreme Purity Eight Sceneries Treasure Mantle, followed closely behind.

With the Dark Side of the Heavenly Book and the Eight Sceneries Treasure Mantle, he subtly influenced the Purple Micro Sword, ensuring that it circulated within a large yet confined area—never straying too far from this region.

However, Lei Jun did not impose any additional restrictions. He simply let the sword quietly radiate its sword intent within the Earth Veins.

Meanwhile, his Grand Celestial Mirror hovered high above, watching over the land, its mirror-light scanning all directions.

Through his prior studies of the Purple Micro Sword, Lei Jun could now reverse-trace any attempts made by others to track the sword, giving him insight into the movements of those pursuing it.

As he waited for his targets to take the bait, Lei Jun remained calm and patient, meditating within the Earth Veins while observing the Purple Micro Sword.

At the same time, he familiarized himself with the underground Primal Magnetism Forces of this vast region—silently refining and assimilating them.

Xu Yuanzhen and Tang Xiaotang did not approach immediately, lest their presence alert the target.

They were waiting for Huang Xuanpu himself to appear.

Until that happened, they would not act rashly—everything was left to Lei Jun’s discretion.

After a period of patient waiting, Lei Jun’s senses suddenly stirred.

Above ground, the Grand Celestial Mirror flickered, its light subtly shifting direction.

Deep within the Earth Veins, Lei Jun’s eyes glowed with the radiance of the Celestial Ground-Through Talisman, sending ripples across the metaphysical plane.

This time, the signal was clear.

It seemed someone had left the Taiyi Innate Tower—exposing their whereabouts.

Lei Jun silently noted the direction of their emergence—it confirmed that the Taiyi Innate Tower was indeed located further east, out at sea.

However, the distance was too great, and Lei Jun could only ascertain a vague location—somewhere in the northeastern waters.

The exact angle and coordinates remained unclear.

Still, Lei Jun was in no hurry.

He continued waiting.

Yet, the target did not head directly for Zhejiang-Jiangxi’s mountainous region where the Purple Micro Sword lay.

Instead, they seemed to be moving southward.

“Did I overestimate him?”

Was he heading toward Dihai instead—toward the Southern Wasteland’s Void Gateway, where the Purple Micro Sword had originally been?

Lei Jun was still pondering when, suddenly, his Celestial Ground-Through Talisman flickered once more.

This time, the signal came from the west.

Shushan cultivators?

Had they also detected the Purple Micro Sword’s presence?

Not surprising.

After all, the Azure Abyss Sword was still in Shushan’s Xiaoding, and aside from Chen Donglou, other Shushan disciples had long been searching for the Purple Micro Sword.

Previously, the sword had been lost in Dihai, leaving Fu Dongsen and Zhang Taigang with no leads.

But now, with Lei Jun lifting his obstructions, both the Mortal Daoist Nation’s Fu Dongsen and Shushan’s Zhang Taigang, Xu Duan, and others would finally be able to track its presence.

As Lei Jun analyzed the situation, his senses stirred again.

This time, the disturbance came from the north.

Another party was also searching for the Purple Micro Sword?

“Well, well… My fishing trap is working splendidly.”

“So many fish have been drawn in.”

“The only question is… How many were part of my plan, and how many are unexpected surprises?”

Lei Jun coldly observed.

First, the east.

The one emerging from the eastern seas—likely from the Mortal Daoist Nation—did not head straight for Zhejiang-Jiangxi but instead traveled southward.

Then, Lei Jun noticed something strange.

The target was up to something.

For a brief moment, even Lei Jun himself felt a slight illusion—as if the Purple Micro Sword had suddenly manifested in the Southern Wasteland.

It was as though the sword, long lost from Shushan, had finally resurfaced there.

The illusion was so remarkably realistic that even Lei Jun momentarily doubted whether the sword in his possession was real.

For an instant, it felt as if the true Purple Micro Sword was still in the Southern Wasteland.

“Huh… Not bad.”

“Looks like I didn’t overestimate him—I actually underestimated him.”

Lei Jun remained calm.

This was likely the work of Fu Dongsen from the Mortal Daoist Nation.

That former Shushan sect master had spent years accumulating vast knowledge and experience.

Lei Jun had no doubt—Fu Dongsen had likely determined the general vicinity of the Purple Micro Sword by now.

But to eliminate competition, he first created a false lead in the Southern Wasteland to mislead others.

Then, while everyone else was chasing phantoms, he could take his time tracking the real sword’s exact location.

Lei Jun chuckled in the darkness of the Earth Veins.

The deception was impressively convincing.

“Well played.”

He silently clapped for Fu Dongsen’s performance.

Now, the only remaining question was:

Would Huang Xuanpu accompany him?

Fu Dongsen’s cautious nature didn’t seem like the reckless, direct approach of a top-tier powerhouse like Huang Xuanpu…

No matter.

Let the willing ones take the bait.

As long as someone bites, Lei Jun had nothing to worry about.

At worst, he simply had to wait a little longer.

Meanwhile, far to the north of the Great River, two human cultivators quietly crossed the majestic waters.

Their control over spiritual energy was precise, preventing any violent surges in the river’s Qi—avoiding the massive reactions caused by great demons.

Though the river’s spiritual energy was immense and turbulent, these two—a man and a woman—were skilled enough to navigate it safely.

They were not of the Tang Dynasty, but rather from another human world.

Two Daoist cultivators from another realm.

Their names were:

Shang Nan and Xue Xingzi.

And so, the hunt for the Purple Micro Sword continued…

As the sword light flickered and flowed, faint traces of purple radiance emerged.

He Dongxing and Ji Dongquan carefully examined the glow emanating from the treasured sword, following its guidance eastward.

"Some things really shouldn't be spoken of lightly, lest they come true."

At the summit of Xiaoding, the ancestral grounds of the Shushan Sect, Supreme Elder Xu Duan sighed.

They had just been discussing unusual disturbances in the Huangquan Sealed Realm. And not long after Zhang Dongyuan and the others had departed, Shushan's underground had once again been breached by Huangquan’s waters.

Xu Duan, Zhang Taigang, Ye Dongming, and the others wasted no time and began sealing the fissure once more.

This time, however, the waters of the Forgetting River did not surge forth violently.

In fact, after only a small trickle, the waters ceased flowing into the underground realm of Shushan.

Zhang Taigang and the others exchanged curious glances at the phenomenon.

Still, considering the overall state of Shushan, and out of a desire to avoid unnecessary trouble, they decided to reinforce the seal immediately.

Yet, an unexpected change occurred.

From Huangquan, a person emerged into the Mortal Realm.

A living person.

A woman.

She wore plain robes and straw shoes, her hair tied in a simple Daoist bun—the attire of a Shushan disciple.

Though her black robes bore subtle differences from those of the Tang Dynasty's Shushan cultivators, her cultivation path was unmistakably of the Shushan Artifact Refining Sect.

The young female Daoist gazed at Zhang Taigang and the others, her face filled with shock and wariness.

She did not speak in the Jiuli tongue, which was vastly different from Mortal Realm languages, but her speech carried a distinctly ancient tone.

After much effort, both sides managed to communicate, exchanging basic information.

The female Daoist introduced herself as Cao Heng.

A genuine Shushan disciple.

But what left Zhang Taigang, Xu Duan, and Ye Dongming utterly dumbfounded—was her origin:

Within Huangquan, one of the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, long considered a realm of the underworld, alongside Avīci and Luoyuan, there existed a Shushan Sect lineage.

Shushan had taken root within Huangquan, forming a branch sect known as "Inner Shushan."

And Cao Heng was a True Disciple of Inner Shushan.

Now that Huangquan had reconnected with the Tang Mortal Realm, she had accidentally discovered the Void Gateway and came to investigate.

She never expected that the gateway’s exit would be directly beneath the ancestral grounds of Shushan in the Tang Dynasty.

With their profound cultivation, Xu Duan, Zhang Taigang, and Ye Dongming examined the Middle Three Heavens Realm Cao Heng and confirmed her background.

Firstly, her heritage was indeed Shushan’s.

However, due to Huangquan’s unique environment, her soul and Daoist techniques had developed differences compared to the Mortal Realm's Shushan disciples.

Her yin energy was incredibly dense.

According to Cao Heng, generations of Inner Shushan elders had adapted and refined their Daoist methods to survive in Huangquan, leading to their current form.

The founding of Inner Shushan dated back to the end of the Han Dynasty, when some Shushan ancestors had accidentally discovered Huangquan and entered it.

Many Bashu commoners, fleeing from war and calamity, also sought refuge within Huangquan, where they prospered over the centuries.

Since then, the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths had been cut off from the Mortal Realm, and it was only in recent years that Huangquan had reopened a passage to the Mortal Realm.

However, it had previously connected to a different Mortal Realm—not the Tang Dynasty.

That other Mortal Realm had been ravaged by war, forcing many refugees to flee into Huangquan, where they found sanctuary under Inner Shushan.

Now, with the emergence of a new Void Gateway leading to the Tang Dynasty, Cao Heng was equally surprised.

Zhang Taigang glanced at Xu Duan.

Ye Dongming did the same.

Xu Duan remained calm, instructing Ye Dongming to continue hosting Cao Heng, while he held a private discussion with Zhang Taigang.

"Martial Granduncle, if I recall correctly, our sect's historical records mention an incident during the fall of the Han Dynasty..." Zhang Taigang whispered.

Xu Duan fell silent, then nodded without speaking.

Zhang Taigang continued, "But the details are vague in our records..."

Xu Duan replied, "It was not a glorious history, so it was gradually forgotten. I only learned of it because I overheard our elders mention it in passing."

He sighed softly. "In the early days of our sect, there were multiple schisms and reunifications. Some elders and ancestors, due to differences in ideology, left the Shushan Sect and Xiaoding behind."

Zhang Taigang nodded. "So, Inner Shushan’s situation in Huangquan is likely different from that of the other Mortal Realm, like Ming?"

Xu Duan: *"Highly possible. However, one thing has now become clear—the Five Decline Dao Bell is in Huangquan.""

The Five Decline Dao Bell was one of Shushan’s Six Founding Treasures, lost centuries ago. Even among Shushan disciples today, few knew of its existence.

According to Cao Heng, Inner Shushan had established itself in Huangquan using this very artifact as its foundation.

"Martial Granduncle, what are your thoughts?" Zhang Taigang asked.

Xu Duan: "The true state of Huangquan is still unknown. This is an extraordinary revelation. I believe we should not hastily seal the Void Gateway but instead investigate thoroughly before making any decisions. Until then, we must guard the passage carefully."

Zhang Taigang: "By your reasoning, Inner Shushan’s founding ancestor and our sect’s other ancestors..."

Xu Duan sighed heavily. "Yes, I understand what you mean. But as long as this is not another Mortal Dao Nation, then there is still room for discussion."

Zhang Taigang fell silent, then nodded firmly.

Before they could issue orders to Ye Dongming and Zhang Dongyuan, an urgent message arrived:

"The underground Huangquan portal—an Upper Three Heavens cultivator from Inner Shushan has arrived!"

Zhang Taigang and Xu Duan exchanged looks before rushing to investigate.

At the Void Gateway, in addition to Ye Dongming and other Tang Shushan elders, stood a new figure—a Daoist woman, appearing to be in her thirties, calmly standing at the entrance to Huangquan.

"I am An Zhiyu, of the Inner Shushan Sect," she declared, her gaze sweeping over the Tang Shushan disciples.

From beside her, Cao Heng stepped forward and respectfully bowed.

"Master."

Then, she stood behind An Zhiyu.

Meanwhile, in the Zhejiang-Gan Mountains…

At the true resting place of the Purple Micro Sword, Lei Jun quietly stood guard, all while keeping an eye on various movements in the distance.

The Shushan Sect’s forces seemed to have split into two groups—one heading south to the Southern Wastelands, while the other moved east, toward the Zhejiang-Gan Mountains.

At the same time, a new presence had emerged from the sea—a figure suspected to be Fu Dongsen, who had misled others in the Southern Wastelands before making his way northeast.

His destination: Zhejiang-Gan Mountains.

"The others don't matter. The Mortal Dao Nation has arrived—that’s all I need."

Lei Jun nodded to himself.

The intruders spent quite some time confirming the precise location of the Purple Micro Sword.

Finally, as they drew closer, Lei Jun’s Grand Celestial Mirror began capturing their figures, growing increasingly clear with each passing moment.

The approaching figure seemed to be moving within a flowing current of wind, his form well concealed.

Even with the Grand Celestial Mirror, Lei Jun had to continuously focus and refine the reflected image to clearly discern the individual.

It was Fu Dongsen, the former Sect Leader of Shushan.

And his Surging Wind Sword.

Lei Jun observed carefully and saw that traces of purple radiance flickered on Fu Dongsen’s sword.

The closer he got to the Purple Micro Sword, the stronger the purple glow became.

Upon arriving in the Zhejiang-Gan Mountain region, Fu Dongsen retrieved another treasure—his Swamp Mirror.

At first, the mirror’s surface appeared murky and blurred.

However, when bathed in the purple radiance of the Surging Wind Sword, the mirror light became crystal clear, beginning to probe deep into the earth's veins.

Lei Jun did not rush to make a move.

He remained still, watching.

After some time, Fu Dongsen’s Swamp Mirror completely pinpointed the exact location of the Purple Micro Sword.

Without hesitation, he followed the flow of the earth’s spiritual currents and descended to claim his prize.

Deep within an underground river of spiritual energy, Fu Dongsen finally laid eyes on his target.

Taking a deep breath, he gazed at the Purple Micro Sword, his expression calm and unreadable.

Then, he unfurled his Kun Earth Banner.

As the banner billowed and unfurled, it began to sweep toward the Purple Micro Sword, attempting to envelop and seize it.

Instantly, the Purple Micro Sword shone brightly, its radiant sword aura flaring up, forcing the Kun Earth Banner to shrink back.

Fu Dongsen remained unfazed—this was simply the sword spirit's natural resistance.

He had anticipated this reaction and had long prepared the means to suppress it.

Apart from the Kun Earth Banner, Fu Dongsen summoned another lifebound treasure—his Qian Heaven Pagoda.

The Kun Earth Banner and Qian Heaven Pagoda together formed a powerful dual suppression technique—it was reminiscent of how Mount Longhu’s Taiyi Innate Pagoda and Qingxiao Hall had attempted to steal away the Ten Thousand Methods Sect Altar.

However, just as Fu Dongsen was preparing to complete his seizure, he suddenly paused.

His Swamp Mirror detected another presence approaching from the west.

Someone else was coming.

It was He Dongxing and Ji Dongquan.

He Dongxing wielded a treasured sword, while Ji Dongquan carried a ritual lamp.

As the lamp flame flickered, it resonated with the sword’s purple glow, forming a guiding light that led them directly toward the Purple Micro Sword’s location.

But as soon as they arrived, they saw that someone had beaten them to it.

Their expressions darkened.

"…Fu Dongsen!" Ji Dongquan's face grew severe as he locked eyes with his former Sect Leader.

Fu Dongsen remained calm.

"So, you still managed to track me down."

Before another word could be exchanged, his Surging Wind Sword and Thunderquake Sword shot forth—one targeting He Dongxing, the other Ji Dongquan.

He Dongxing had originally planned to use a Flying Sword Transmission to notify Zhang Dongyuan, but he was forced to evade first.

By wielding his dual swords, Fu Dongsen successfully suppressed He Dongxing and Ji Dongquan, but he himself remained focused on claiming the Purple Micro Sword.

Lei Jun Observes…

Lei Jun watched Fu Dongsen quietly.

Through his Heavenly Sight and Earthly Hearing Talisman, he could hear Xu Yuanzhen and Tang Xiaotang speaking.

Both of their voices carried a hint of displeasure:

"We didn’t find Huang Xuanpu."

"Only Fu Dongsen is here."

Lei Jun responded calmly:

"I will proceed as planned."

Under the cover of the Supreme Purity Eight Sceneries Treasure Mantle, a purple radiance flickered, fusing with Lei Jun's form.

His appearance and physique transformed.

His Tianshi Mansion’s purple robes shifted into plain robes and straw shoes.

Before him, seven flying swords lined up in a row.

Fu Dongsen’s Urgency

Fu Dongsen had no intention of wasting time on He Dongxing and Ji Dongquan.

The longer he delayed, the greater the risk of being surrounded by more enemies.

His best option was to seize the Purple Micro Sword and escape immediately.

However, just as he prepared to finalize his claim, a sudden unease struck him.

Then—

Before the person even arrived, their voice came first:

"What a delightful surprise, Fu Dongsen. Seeing you today makes me even happier than finding the Purple Micro Sword."

Not only Fu Dongsen, but also He Dongxing and Ji Dongquan were startled.

Turning to look, they saw a lively and spirited man step into the earth veins, his laughter echoing through the cavern.

Shushan Sect—Chen Donglou.