Seeking Fortune and Avoiding Misfortune: Starting from the Celestial Master’s Mansion
Chapter 36: Yangshan Biefu, Xuanyang Dongtian

Lei Jun let out a sigh of emotion. “Another Supreme Good Omen at last!” he thought.

He turned to Wang Guiyuan and said, “Senior Brother, I think we can give it a try.”

Wang Guiyuan shook his head and sighed.

Lei Jun looked at his master, Yuan Mobai, and spoke earnestly, “Master, this disciple would like to visit the Yang Mountain Branch to broaden my horizons.”

Yuan Mobai smiled and replied, “Very well, Chongyun, take some time to prepare. The spot for Zhonggui can be given to another disciple.”

After leaving the Master’s residence, Wang Guiyuan couldn’t help but comment, “Junior Brother Lei, you’re still young. Cultivation doesn’t need to be rushed, nor should you exhaust yourself pursuing every opportunity. But everyone has their aspirations, so I still wish you the best on this journey.”

Lei Jun responded with a bow. “Thank you, Senior Brother, for your kind words.”

After parting with Wang Guiyuan, Lei Jun returned to his own residence. After bathing and changing clothes, he cleansed his hands and mouth, then set up an altar for ritual incense to begin crafting talismans.

The Yang Mountain Branch and the Xuanyang Grotto-Heaven are abundant in Yang energy, with intense terrestrial flames that surpass even the Cloud Sea Immortal Pool. Unlike the Immortal Pool, however, they lack the excess moisture.

Among the foundational spirit talismans of the Tianshi Mansion, the Thunder Talisman and the Flame Talisman, which are already highly potent for attacks, would undoubtedly be even more effective in the environment of the Yang Mountain Branch.

Although his fortune indicated the journey would be smooth with minor risks, knowing there could still be potential dangers, Lei Jun took extra care over the next few days to prepare additional Thunder and Flame Talismans.

---

Seven days later.

Lei Jun and other young disciples gathered at the eastern midsection of the Mansion's mountain. This area had been cleared into a massive platform where several cloud carriages were stationed. Once everyone had arrived, they would depart for the Yang Mountain Branch.

As this was a newly established location, the number of disciples sent for training was relatively small—twenty in total, including the overseeing sect elders. Among them were four disciples from the Li Family. In past years, Li family members often made up one-third or more of such groups. However, in the past couple of years, the Li Family had become more restrained and low-profile. The four present this time were clearly the best of the best.

Even so, among the non-Li disciples selected for this journey, there were still several who maintained close ties with the Li Family. On the surface, at least, the composition of this group appeared more balanced than before.

Lei Jun scanned the group and recognized some familiar faces: Li Ying, Shangguan Hong, Guo Yan, and others from his cohort of Initiate Disciples. He also noticed Luo Haoran, who smiled and nodded in his direction.

“Junior Brother Lei?” A voice called out, surprising Lei Jun slightly. It was Qu Yong, a fellow disciple he had encountered once before.

Thinking back, Lei Jun remembered that before his Initiation Ceremony, when he had gone to Qingyun River Beach to aid in disaster relief, the Tianshi Mansion True Disciples leading the group had included not just Luo Haoran but also Qu Yong. However, Lei Jun hadn’t interacted much with him since.

“Senior Brother Qu,” Lei Jun greeted with a nod.

Qu Yong chuckled. “Back when I was in the Sixth Academy of the Daoist Children's Academy, too, we were practically neighbors. Let’s stay in touch more often.”

“Of course,” Lei Jun replied.

If memory served him correctly, Qu Yong was known for being friendly with members of the Li Family, especially those affiliated with Elder Ziyang’s faction.

As they made idle chatter, the platform gradually filled with people. However, one notable figure was absent—Chen Yi. Lei Jun recalled a conversation he’d had with Wang Guiyuan earlier.

“Junior Brother Chen Yi...” Wang Guiyuan had said with a slightly ambiguous tone. “He recently stepped down from his role in the Discipline Hall to focus on cultivation.”

Lei Jun had learned from Wang Guiyuan that Chen Yi’s departure had been partly due to an incident in the Discipline Hall. Chen Yi had caught a disciple breaking the rules and misappropriating resources, only to discover later that the rulebreaker was covering for someone else.

It turned out that the real culprit was a protégé of Elder Hongyu. After the truth came to light, Chen Yi was reprimanded by his master, Elder Yao, for being too impulsive. To show his repentance, Chen Yi voluntarily stepped down and entered seclusion for cultivation under Elder Yao’s guidance.

As a result, Chen Yi wasn’t joining the group heading to the Yang Mountain Branch. Wang Guiyuan had lamented, “It’s a pity. If Junior Brother Chen were coming, he would surely have benefited greatly. The Fire Essence Crystal gifted to him by Senior Brother was from the Yang Mountain Branch. If he could bring it back there, the results would likely be even better than what you all can achieve.”

Perhaps so. Then again, Chen Yi might have had his reasons and priorities for the decision.

---

Once everyone had gathered, the disciples boarded the cloud carriages, which were carried by spiritual beasts. The carriages ascended swiftly into the clouds. Lei Jun, seated by a window, watched as the mountains, rivers, and lakes below blurred past in a stunning display.

Having reached the Foundation Establishment stage, Lei Jun could already hover briefly in the air using his mana. However, he lacked the cultivation level needed for long-distance or high-altitude flight. The thought of soaring freely through the Nine Heavens, exploring the vast world, remained one of Lei Jun’s driving motivations for pursuing the Dao.

The geography of this world reminded Lei Jun of his previous life on Blue Star, specifically China. However, everything here seemed magnified many times over in scale and grandeur.

After half a day of travel, the cloud carriages gradually descended. The Yang Mountain Branch was in its infancy and naturally could not compare to the scale of Mount Longhu. Even so, as the disciples disembarked, they were greeted by an impressive Dao Palace, surrounded by sprawling estates and numerous courtyards.

Unlike the bustling towns at the foot of Mount Longhu, the area surrounding the Yang Mountain Branch consisted mostly of pristine mountains and streams. In the distance, however, signs of cultivation could be seen—lush green fields and village arches standing tall. All of it was under the Tianshi Mansion’s ownership.

The disciples were here to train, not manage the outer farms or estates. They headed straight to the Dao Palace and settled in for the night. The next morning, they gathered at the rear mountain, where the Xuanyang Grotto-Heaven lay hidden within a valley.

Although the grotto-heaven was newly formed and unstable, its immense Yang energy already influenced the surrounding valley, nourishing the souls and bodies of those present. Lei Jun noticed that even staying outside the grotto seemed more effective than immersing oneself in the Cloud Sea Immortal Pool’s Middle Pool.

As noon approached, Lei Jun glanced toward the grotto’s entrance. He knew the Fourth-Grade Opportunity foretold by his Supreme Good Omen awaited him within, but the time to seize it had not yet come.

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