Seeking Fortune and Avoiding Misfortune: Starting from the Celestial Master’s Mansion
Chapter 345: The Han Dynasty that has survived to this day?

The Stone of Taiyu—named for its rocky appearance—resembled a jagged, lumpy boulder on the surface at first glance.

But when Lei Jun activated it with his own mana, the initially fist-sized stone dispersed into a cloud-like or mist-like vapor sphere, colorless and formless, with an empty, undefined appearance.

The vapor sphere drifted until it stabilized at a few feet in diameter, as if it had tangible form and boundaries, no longer expanding. Yet inside it, a vast space seemed to reside, containing a world of its own.

Breathing in a steady rhythm, Lei Jun drew the vapor into his body. Then, just as effortlessly, he exhaled it whole once again. With each cycle, the vapor showed no sign of diminishing.

Meanwhile, Lei Jun’s Divine Court Universe became more stable, with faint signs of expanding outward.

After familiarizing himself with the spiritual energy of the Stone of Taiyu, Lei Jun began unfolding the external universe of his Divine Court. During combat, his Xuanhuang Universe projected externally was vast and imposing. But now, while cultivating in solitude and under full control, only a black, opaque orb the size of a fist floated midair in his quiet chamber.

On the surface of the black orb, starlight shimmered, and celestial bodies rotated, resembling a miniature cosmos.

As Lei Jun continued to refine the Stone of Taiyu, his Divine Court’s outer universe transformed, covered in a swirling array of glowing talismanic symbols.

After repeating this cycle several times, the vapor transformed from the stone was finally absorbed completely, no longer exhaled again.

The external manifestation of his Divine Court Universe became more fluid in motion yet increasingly stable.

Within the Xuanhuang Universe, the Yellow Origin Magnetic Sea surged. The dual Divine Court Universes, formed via the Two-Element Microparticles, now showed signs of internal disturbance.

In combat, Lei Jun’s external Divine Court was incredibly powerful and always caught his enemies off guard. However, stabilizing and growing it through daily cultivation required just as much, if not more, effort.

If the Stone of Taiyu could be used more than once by a single person, Lei Jun’s cultivation would progress even more smoothly. But for cultivators, such precious treasures typically only worked once per person.

Otherwise, with two Stones of Taiyu at once, Lei Jun’s dual external Divine Courts might evolve even faster.

Still, he wasn’t concerned.

This single Stone of Taiyu had already been a tremendous help, saving him a significant amount of time in cultivation and giving him an edge toward achieving Perfection in the Eighth Heaven Realm.

With the vapor fully refined into his body, the stone's spiritual power would continue to nourish his Divine Court's external manifestation.

Calm and focused, Lei Jun cultivated silently.

Fourth Martial Uncle Yao Yuan had returned to seclusion at the ancestral restricted area and wouldn’t be appearing anytime soon. Both Xu Yuanzhen and Tang Xiaotang were currently away from the mountain.

Master Yuan Mobai was largely focused on disaster relief, working together with Sun Mingjing, Yu Cheng, and Ji Dongquan on alchemy and medicine.

Thanks to the seasoned Shangguan Ning providing support, and Zhang Jingzhen, Chu Kun, and Lin Shan helping with various responsibilities, Lei Jun was able to relax about daily Tianshi Mansion affairs and instead focus more on decision-making.

Of course, some duties couldn’t be delegated—such as, as the Tianshi, hosting lectures and transmitting the Daoist teachings to the disciples.

In the past, both Li Qingfeng and Tang Xiaotang had done the same during their tenures.

Lei Jun didn’t mind this at all; in fact, he found it quite enjoyable.

Typically, these lectures focused on the True Canon of the Dao of Righteousness, the foundational scripture of the Tianshi Mansion, emphasizing core cultivation rather than combat with talismans.

But Lei Jun added an additional course—on his self-created line of Five Thunder Talismans, Yin Five Thunder True Law Talismans, and the Mysterious Firmament Five Thunder Talismanic Canon—much to the disciples’ delight.

These talismans were now officially included in the Tianshi Mansion's talismanic canon.

In recent years, the lower and middle-tier versions of the Five Thunder Talismans and Yin Five Thunder Talismans had already been picked up by younger disciples. Some even chose them as their life-bound spells.

Now, having Tianshi Lei Jun, the founder of this line, personally teach these arts was an invaluable opportunity. The disciples gained immensely.

Strictly speaking, Lei Jun only had Zhuo Huajie as a direct disciple. But now, as the Tianshi, all younger disciples of the sect could be considered his students in a broader sense.

He was more than willing to teach his own mystical Daoist abilities during his lectures.

As for his other spells—like the Two-Element Celestial Talisman and Celestial Ground-Through Talisman, which involved sensitive matters linked to external factions—Lei Jun chose to keep them confidential for now. He would only include them in the sect’s canon once it was safe to do so.

Meanwhile, techniques like the Mysterious Firmament Five Thunder Talismanic Canon and Yin Five Thunder True Law Talisman had no such restrictions and could be openly taught.

Teaching and explaining these to his juniors helped Lei Jun consolidate and refine his own system, providing him fresh insights in return.

That’s how the Tianshi lineage always evolved: through summarizing, distilling, and passing on knowledge.

Tang Xiaotang, during her time, had done the same. With her high comprehension and cultivation, she had also developed a nearly complete system of self-created mystical techniques, making it easier for future disciples to learn.

However, since she had worked backward from advanced to basic, her methods were less beginner-friendly compared to Lei Jun’s bottom-up approach, which made his teachings more accessible.

Still, Lei Jun now faced a similar challenge as Tang Xiaotang.

His own Yang Fire Tiger and Heavenly Sun Ascendant Talisman were powerful divine arts developed at a high level. To make them suitable for transmission, he needed to reverse-engineer them—breaking them down into simpler parts, then building back up.

Lei Jun enjoyed this process.

With things peaceful within the sect, and under public perception, Lei Jun’s leadership had brought a sense of calm and detachment to Tianshi Mansion, appearing aloof and worldly-wise.

He kept to his own rhythm—cultivating, teaching, and living.

---

Winter gave way to spring, and spring to early summer.

One day, in the Celestial Starry Universe of the Heavenly Book, the Seven Luminaries convened again.

This time, Water Luminary (Chen Star) was absent; the other six arrived.

The Solar Luminary, widely believed to be Empress Zhang Wantong of the Tang Dynasty, brought up a familiar question—once again asking about the Five Divisions of the Vajra Realm as spread by the Western Buddhist sects: had there been any news of the other four divisions apart from the Vajra Division?

Lei Jun still had no clear leads.

Though he had previously gleaned insights while organizing Master Zongcuo’s belongings—particularly signs of worsening serfdom in the Buddhist-controlled Western Regions—the artifacts left behind weren’t enough to unlock more secrets.

Still, Lei Jun had his suspicions.

Penglai, one of the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, seemed to be connected with both the Tang and Ming human realms.

Huang Xuanpu and the mysterious Western White Emperor—likely the head of Shushan Sect in the Ming Realm—were both tied to Penglai.

If other so-called “Emperors” were each building their own Daoist nations in different realms, then the number of human worlds linked to Penglai, directly or indirectly, could be quite large.

Likewise, Yellow Springs, also part of the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, was rumored to have abducted large populations from other human realms into its nether world.

On the Tang side, Yellow Springs might also connect two different realms.

So what about Sumeru?

Xu Yuanzhen, his eldest senior sister, once said that the disciples of the Vajra Division of Sumeru came from many sources. Besides the Tang human realm, they might also have operations in other realms—possibly even more advanced than here.

Otherwise, it was hard to explain their vast numbers and strength.

Perhaps the Five Divisions of the Vajra Realm operated independently in their own territories while remaining interconnected—sharing resources and populations.

That might be why Empress Zhang Wantong continued to distrust them.

Still, both she and Lei Jun had nothing solid yet—only speculation.

"I want to ask everyone about something too,” Lunar Luminary spoke up at this moment. “It’s still about the Li Shushan Lineage in Yellow Springs, but this time it’s not about the Ten Thousand Souls Banner.”

During the war in Bashu and Nanzhao, the Ten Thousand Souls Banner was indeed a crucial weapon used by the Li Shushan branch to set up the Great Nether Reversal Nine-Palace Immortal Formation, but it no longer manifested evil souls like the one of former Tang Shushan elder Wang Kun.

That, at least, was a good thing—although there might be other hidden causes still unknown.

The Lunar Luminary went on, “Today, what I want to ask about is the rumored Daoist theory of the Five Paths of Reincarnation, supposedly derived by the Li Shushan branch. They refer to the Heavenly Path, Human Realm Path, Path of Beasts, Hungry Ghost Path, and Hell Path.”

“So far,” she continued, “it appears that four of these have already manifested. One of the Six Founding Treasures of the Shushan Sect, the Five Decays Dao Bell that ended up in Yellow Springs, likely corresponds to the Heavenly Path. The Bone Ark, injured by the former Tianshi of Mount Longhu, likely corresponds to the Human Realm Path. The Ten Thousand Souls Banner matches the Hungry Ghost Path. And that ruthless, savage flying sword must represent the Hell Path.”

“With four out of five revealed… does that mean the Li Shushan branch has a fifth top-tier magical item that corresponds to the Path of Beasts?”

Lei Jun nodded silently. He too had previously entertained similar speculation.

Unfortunately, Yellow Springs remained a mystery. At present, there was no stable channel for gathering intelligence from there.

As for Zong Han, the “Ghost King” believed to be colluding with the Li Shushan line, he had once again vanished before the Nanzhao War had even begun. Now, people from many factions were trying to track him down.

No one had an answer to the Lunar Luminary’s question, but this was common. Everyone stayed calm and looked to Mercury Luminary—Lei Jun himself—to continue.

Lei Jun said, “My question remains the same as before: any news about the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths or any other human realms—anything at all. I’ll offer compensation according to the value of the information.”

The Jupiter Luminary, the Future Maitreya, was next.

“I’m also seeking intel on the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths. But I only have one focus this time—does anyone have news about Shambhala?”

Lei Jun turned toward the symbol representing the Jupiter Luminary.

Shambhala, Sumeru, and Avīci were all realms within the Buddhist-affiliated Nine Heavens and Ten Earths.

Compared to Avīci, which was rife with danger, fortune, and disaster in equal measure, Shambhala—which ranked alongside Sumeru as one of the Nine Heavens—was far safer by contrast.

So Lei Jun speculated that the Future Maitreya may have found a clue already.

Water Luminary was absent this time. But Mars Luminary—Shen Qubing, who had missed several previous meetings—finally made it.

“I’ve got a bunch of questions,” he said. “But this time, I want to ask: does anyone have the Blood Dragon Scale?”

Lei Jun’s expression shifted slightly.

That item was a rare treasure required by high-realm martial cultivators. Generally, it was more useful for battle-oriented martial cultivators than for those who refined their bodies.

He wasn’t sure whether Shen Qubing wanted it for himself or on behalf of someone else.

That said, Shen Qubing himself had already reached the Eighth Heaven Realm in martial cultivation.

“I have one,” said the Jupiter Luminary, the Future Maitreya, at that moment.

But Shen Qubing looked a bit awkward. “I don’t have any intel on Shambhala in return.”

The Future Maitreya replied, “Would you be able to search the Vast Ocean for some spiritual items?”

Shen Qubing thought about it. “Depends on what exactly you need.”

“We can talk privately later,” the Jupiter Luminary suggested.

Lei Jun glanced toward the symbol representing Shen Qubing, wondering if his channels in the Vast Ocean were linked to the Wu Li Tribe of the Nine Li. Shen Qubing always seemed to have unexpected connections.

Then, the long-silent Saturn Luminary, Fang Yue, finally spoke: “Does anyone have Six Yang Essence?”

Lei Jun’s eyes narrowed slightly.

This essence was incredibly potent for Confucian cultivators, but it had disappeared from the Tang realm for many years, and hadn’t resurfaced—until recently, when Lei Jun obtained a small amount after resolving matters with the Ming Realm’s Xue Xingzi.

So he agreed to speak with Fang Yue in private.

When Fang Yue learned that Lei Jun indeed had some Six Yang Essence, he hesitated briefly. “As for the news you’re looking for—regarding the Nine Heavens and other realms—I happened upon something by chance. I don’t know if it’ll be enough to satisfy you.”

“Just speak freely,” Lei Jun replied. “If it’s not enough, you can always add something extra. But you’ll still get the essence.”

Fang Yue’s reputation for honesty and integrity was well-known.

“In that case, I thank you in advance,” Fang Yue said. “About a year ago, while wandering the northern regions, I came across a rare spiritual item. It led me to an independent minor grotto-heaven. Judging by its layout, it didn’t seem to have been left behind by any cultivators from the Tang realm. My guess is that it once belonged to someone from the Nine Heavens, Ten Earths, or another realm entirely. However, the furnishings inside were sparse and offered few clues.”

He paused before continuing. “The original owner of the grotto-heaven is probably already dead.”

Lei Jun asked, “Why do you believe they weren’t from our realm?”

Fang Yue explained, “There were scattered writings there, and the owner claimed to be from the era of the Han Dynasty. But judging by everything left behind, the place had only been abandoned for a few decades—maybe a hundred years at most.”

Lei Jun nodded in understanding.

In the Tang human realm, the end of the Han Dynasty had been over several thousand years ago. Fang Yue had every reason to be skeptical.

“I’m willing to trade this spiritual item in exchange for the Six Yang Essence,” Fang Yue added. “But the value of the grotto itself is limited, so I’m not sure if you’d find the trade worthwhile. If not, I can offer something else to make up the difference.”

Just as Lei Jun was about to respond, a Light Sphere flashed in his mind, revealing glowing words:

“Tang's moon of old, Han’s distant sky, meet at Dongyang Courtyard beneath the Mid-Autumn Moon.”

Then, three omens floated out and appeared before him:

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Upper-Moderate Omen: Trade for the Dongyang Jade Pendant, go to Dongyang Courtyard during the Mid-Autumn Moon. You’ll gain a Third-Grade Opportunity, with no immediate risk. However, there may be karmic entanglements later—handle it with care. Auspicious.

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Moderate-Moderate Omen: Do not trade for the Dongyang Jade Pendant. No gains, no losses. Neutral.

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Moderate-Moderate Omen: Trade for the Dongyang Jade Pendant, but go to Dongyang Courtyard outside of Mid-Autumn. No gain, lose the Six Yang Essence. Neutral.