Seeking Fortune and Avoiding Misfortune: Starting from the Celestial Master’s Mansion
Chapter 364: Entering Mount Xumi and destroying Vajra

Within Mount Sumeru, the once black sea had now turned white.

Outside the sea, Master Luochi and other disciples of the Vajra Division of Mount Sumeru were striving to break through this white sea that had replaced the black—yet they couldn’t find a way.

As the illusory tide surged, the white ocean began to shrink, its waves receding.

But Master Luochi, with his keen intuition, sensed a growing sense of dread.

Finally, when the sea of white fully contracted, what appeared before them were only two Daoists—a man and a woman.

Both were tall. The man wore a Nine-Colored Radiant Robe, the woman donned a Purple-Gold Daoist Robe. They stood in the midst of Mount Sumeru.

Yet the Ninth-Heaven Vajra Division Elder, Master Cizong, was nowhere to be seen.

Even the Vajra Division Leader, Master Jialuotu, was reduced to nothing but a broken corpse, entirely devoid of life.

The tall Daoist in the radiant robe, wearing the Primordial Crown, raised his hand and formed a hand seal.

The shrinking white sea condensed into a black-and-white talisman, which then flew back toward the entrance of Mount Sumeru.

Meanwhile, the tall woman in the purple-gold robe, her expression unchanged, had golden thunderfire flickering in her eyes as she scanned the surroundings.

Above her head, a Divine Firmament Pure Yang Talisman radiated pure golden light, crackling with lightning that leapt through the air.

As the roar of dragons echoed through the heavens, a massive golden dragon head emerged—

The Pure Yang Thunder Dragon soared skyward, coiling through the sky.

Moments later, golden lightning began to rain down.

Though the Vajra Division cultivators nearby struggled to resist, save for a few like Master Luochi, most were struck down by the golden lightning, charred and thrown into disarray.

Lei Jun stood beside his Little Senior Sister, Tang Xiaotang, hands behind his back.

In his left palm, he held a lustrous white jade, drawing spiritual energy to replenish his own.

In his right hand, he passed a red-blue shimmering crystal to Tang Xiaotang.

She accepted it with one hand behind her back, glancing at him.

Lei Jun said, “Our Third Martial Brother’s reserves.”

Tang Xiaotang, with her Pure Yang Celestial Physique, possessed even more abundant mana than Lei Jun’s Two-Element Celestial Physique, though her recovery speed was somewhat inferior.

Her combat style and mystical arts were overwhelmingly aggressive—extremely draining.

Still, as a Great Ascension Realm cultivator at the Ninth Heaven, she wasn’t feeling depleted yet.

But having entered Mount Sumeru, she had no intention of leaving anytime soon.

In that case, Chu Kun’s support was extremely well-timed.

Compared to Lei Jun, who was at the Eighth Heaven, Tang Xiaotang needed even rarer heavenly treasures to quickly replenish her power.

Chu Kun’s Shrinking Pouch contained only one such red-blue crystal.

Lei Jun had specifically set it aside before heading to the Vajra Monastery.

“Chu Kun’s quite the big spender, huh?” Tang Xiaotang, the Grandmaster of Tang, commented.

With the red-blue crystal boosting her spiritual flow, the Pure Yang Thunder Dragon above grew even more ferocious.

The golden thunderstorm intensified, reducing the Vajra Division's forces to corpses.

At that moment, a trumpeting sound echoed from afar.

A giant green silhouette, like a towering mountain, emerged.

Its steps were silent, yet massive.

A colossal green elephant—swiftly approaching.

Lei Jun initially thought it was a great demon, but upon closer inspection, confirmed it was a Buddhist divine artifact.

Its name: Akshobhya Elephant Throne.

One of the Five Great Thrones of the Vajra Realm, it was the seat of Akshobhya Buddha.

Within Mount Sumeru’s Vajra Realm, it was considered a treasure equal to the Five-Pronged Vajra Scepter.

But more than that, it served as a guardian treasure, and had never left Mount Sumeru before.

When Master Cizong went to aid the Tang Realm, he had hesitated over bringing the Elephant Throne, but ultimately chose not to. He believed the force sealing the Void Gateway wasn’t unshakable.

He went alone to attack the gateway, leaving the Akshobhya Elephant Throne to guard the Vajra Division's holy land.

But now, the throne had been forced into battle.

And neither Master Cizong nor Jialuotu would ever have the chance to wield it again.

Master Luochi leapt onto the back of the green elephant, joining with another Eighth-Heaven Vajra cultivator, Master Duopei.

Under their control, the elephant’s green aura expanded further, like a sacred mountain, shielding the remaining Vajra disciples.

Wherever the green light reached, the essence of Vajra manifested—indestructible and eternal.

The Akshobhya Elephant Throne’s power represented the unbreakable strength of Vajra—pure, unshakable, flawless.

Seeing this, Tang Xiaotang’s golden eyebrows arched. She sneered coldly.

Facing that mountain-like elephant, she took one step forward.

Where her foot landed, countless strands of pure gold converged beneath her, forming a massive divine warship, several hundred meters long.

Bathed in golden light, the Pure Yang Divine Vessel thundered forward—straight into the green elephant.

In midair, both forces collided.

The massive green elephant stumbled backward several paces—the earth itself seemed to quake.

Tang Xiaotang let out a long howl, and the divine ship surged forward once more.

Master Luochi and Master Duopei looked grim.

They were all too familiar with Tang Xiaotang.

She had once represented the Tianshi Mansion, competing with the Vajra Division for dominance of Daoism and Buddhism in the Tang Empire.

In the end, she had won—named Imperial Protector of the Tang, putting Daoism above Buddhism.

Had it gone otherwise, the Vajra Division wouldn’t have turned to distant allies like the Lone Eagle Khanate.

But now, they were reaping the consequences of their delay.

If a Ninth-Heaven Vajra Elder were commanding the Elephant Throne, it wouldn’t have been so easily pushed back.

But now, Luochi and Duopei could only hold on.

“We’ve already sent word to the Treasure Division Master,” Duopei said.

Luochi simply nodded, focusing all his strength on controlling the Elephant Throne, resisting the Pure Yang Vessel’s onslaught.

Other surviving Vajra disciples climbed aboard the throne, silently chanting sutras.

Tang Xiaotang stood tall atop the divine vessel and struck again.

This time, Master Luochi conjured a Three-Pronged Vajra Scepter, but didn’t swing it. Instead, he held it before him and pressed his other hand toward the ground in a Earth-Touching Mudra.

An invisible force surged forth, helping the Elephant Throne resist.

Lei Jun and Tang Xiaotang both brightened at the sight.

They had previously concluded that only Vajra cultivators who had attained the Ninth-Heaven Dharmic Body Realm could master the Earth-Touching Mudra—a powerful seal that sent demons fleeing at its presence.

Even the likes of Master Gongbu, who was at the Peak Eighth Heaven, had never grasped it.

But Master Luochi had—likely not because he was Jialuotu’s personal disciple, but due to his extraordinary talent.

Unfortunately, his opponent was Tang Xiaotang.

The tall woman shouted, and a giant tiger of green flame, made of Nine Abyss True Flame, appeared at the prow of the Pure Yang Vessel.

At the same time, the golden Pure Yang Thunder Dragon descended from the sky.

With dragon roars and tiger howls, a gold-green Taiji Diagram emerged, bursting forth a blinding beam of light that struck the Elephant Throne.

Both Luochi and Duopei groaned in unison.

Lei Jun, standing beside Tang Xiaotang, now had two talismans above him—a pure black one and a crimson-gold one.

The Mysterious Firmament Five Thunder Talisman summoned the Yin Thunder Dragon.

The Heavenly Sun Ascendant Talisman summoned the Yang Fire Tiger.

Under the fusion of yin and yang, the black-red Taiji Diagram spun once more, unleashing another Dragon-Tiger Strike.

The beam of light struck the Elephant Throne again.

Luochi and Duopei were shaken in both body and soul.

Then came the next impact from the Pure Yang Vessel.

The giant green elephant staggered, its footing lost, falling sideways toward the ground.

Blood trickled from the mouths and noses of Luochi and Duopei.

Other Vajra disciples, weaker in cultivation, vomited blood—some even thrown from the Elephant Throne entirely.

Luochi and Duopei didn’t dare hesitate. They immediately guided the throne into retreat.

Tang Xiaotang gave chase with the divine vessel.

Lei Jun, still standing aboard, spent more time observing their surroundings than chasing enemies.

Having just entered Mount Sumeru, many things remained unknown.

With the Celestial Ground-Through Talisman flowing in his eyes, he surveyed in all directions.

The divine ship passed over a great river.

Standing atop it, Lei Jun studied the water below.

He murmured, “Little Senior Sister, go on ahead. I’m preparing a gift for the others in Mount Sumeru.”

Within Mount Sumeru, the Five Divisions of the Vajra Realm all had guardians stationed.

Now that intruders were present, the others wouldn’t stay idle.

Lei Jun had always been wary of Mount Sumeru—just like he was of the Great Wilderness.

The Buddhist Mudra Lineage and the Four Great Khanates of the Song Realm’s outer tribes were all formidable powers.

Mount Sumeru and the Great Wilderness may yet hold deeper secrets.

But since the fight had begun, he might as well go all in.

“Gift?” Tang Xiaotang looked at the river. “Hmm, this river is rather unusual…”

Sharp-eyed and quick-witted, she guessed Lei Jun’s intent immediately.

Lei Jun said, “It might be usable. Also, I’ve just received word—Elder Xiao of the Xiao Clan from Longxi has arrived at the Vajra Monastery ruins with the Righteous Sword-Star. I’ve asked him to guard the Void Gateway.”

“Great. Since we’re already here, let’s make it big—cut off the Vajra Division’s roots!” Tang Xiaotang declared.

She continued her pursuit.

Lei Jun, meanwhile, quietly disembarked.

The river was murky, filled with drifting sand.

After close inspection, he extracted a massive amount of it from the riverbed.

[Ganges Sand]

A name flashed through his mind—Ganges Sand.

Was this the Ganges River?

Ganges Sand… Ganges Sand…

He felt inspiration stir but suppressed the thought for now. He sealed the sand away.

Then, he brought out another item—Black Bodhi Seeds.

This was where Senior Brother Wang Guiyuan’s habit of preparing extra truly shone.

When Lei Jun had ambushed Master Jialuotu, the Black Bodhi Seeds had caught him off guard.

That time, Lei Jun used twenty-four seeds.

Now, eighty-four remained.

Though Jialuotu had since grown wary, the others in Mount Sumeru hadn’t seen it yet…

Lei Jun selected twenty-four more, planted them beneath the riverbed sand, and sealed them with talismans—set to lie dormant.

His preparations complete, he followed the river downstream to rejoin Tang Xiaotang.

Later, a surge of Buddhist light appeared ahead—something familiar to Lei Jun.

A green Buddhist Pure Land lay before him.

It resembled the Miaoxi Pure Land conjured when the Vajra Monastery’s Grand Formation was at full strength.

The two were clearly connected.

Lei Jun lacked the silver spike crafted by Senior Sister Xu Yuanzhen, but Tang Xiaotang was a Ninth Heaven Great Ascension Realm cultivator, wielding the Tianshi Sword.

Master Luochi and others had withdrawn with the Akshobhya Elephant Throne, retreating into the Miaoxi Pure Land.

But from the heavens, a massive pillar of light—purple and gold, like thunder and swordlight entwined—descended upon it.

Though the Pure Land, bathed in green light, appeared fragile like glass, it was as sturdy as Vajra steel.

Even Tang Xiaotang’s strike with the Tianshi Sword couldn’t break through immediately.

Still, her blade poured endless blazing yang thunder into the Miaoxi Pure Land.

Its once-impenetrable surface began to ripple—like water.

The Vajra monks guided the Elephant Throne back into position, trying to stabilize the domain.

But Tang Xiaotang’s Pure Yang Vessel crashed into it again.

Now, the prow of her ship wedged into the green barrier like a blade.

A crack formed.

Even with the Elephant Throne returning in time, the Miaoxi Pure Land now bore a flaw.

The area where the Pure Yang Vessel had pierced into began to lose its bluish Vajra Essence, the Buddha Light shifting into a golden hue, with strands of golden radiance continuously drifting outward.

Seeing this, Lei Jun didn’t rush. Instead, he began another arrangement outside the Miaoxi Pure Land of the Vajra Division in Sumeru.

He took out thirty-six of the remaining sixty Black Bodhi Seeds.

This time, once again, he did not activate them directly. Instead, he arranged them according to the Thirty-Six Heavenly Fiends of the Heavenly Firmament Number, forming another layered formation.

Each Black Bodhi Seed was matched with thirty-six talismans crafted by Lei Jun.

Then Lei Jun began to walk.

Ever since he ascended to the Upper Three Heavens Realm, his Stepping the Big Dipper technique had evolved into the Encircling Stars and Lining the Dipper method. He rarely performed the original formation anymore.

Yet now, as he walked, the talismans and Bodhi Seeds all vanished from sight.

Before long, a large group of Sumeru monks arrived.

Among them were several Buddhist masters who had reached the Dharma Body Realm.

Although each of the Five Divisions of the Vajra Realm in Sumeru governed their own domains, it was clear they still retained top experts stationed within Sumeru itself.

Normally, they upheld a strict rule of non-interference. But the commotion caused by the Vajra Division today had finally forced the other divisions to step in.

As they drew near, the leading monks sensed something amiss.

But due to the presence of the Black Bodhi Seeds, the formation remained deeply hidden. By the time the monks sensed the anomaly—it was too late.

The formation expanded with a speed far beyond their expectations, sealing off a vast area in and around the Miaoxi Pure Land.

Faint starlight formations shimmered into view, hiding the Black Bodhi Seeds within.

Lei Jun observed from a distance.

From the inner lining of their kasayas, he could see white, green, and crimson—representing the five signature colors of the Five Divisions in the Vajra Realm: White for the Buddha Division, Crimson for the Lotus Division, and Green for the Karma Division.

That meant, besides the Vajra Division that had already suffered disaster, there was at least one more—perhaps the Treasure Division… Lei Jun raised his brow slightly.

In his pupils, the Celestial Ground-Through Talisman quietly flowed, observing the land.

In the distance stood a towering Golden Mountain, faint and veiled.

Could that be the legendary Mount Sumeru, the very center of the realm? Lei Jun mused.

The golden radiance pulsing atop the mountain flickered with instability.

Was a master from the Treasure Division working to stabilize it?

He pondered briefly, then refocused.

The current formation he’d laid down wasn’t as powerful as the Grand Two-Element Final Dharma-Reversing Immortal Array, and it wouldn’t hold off Ninth Heaven Buddhist masters for long.

But buying time wasn’t an issue.

Conversely, the Miaoxi Pure Land was reaching its limit.

Master Luochi and Master Duopei looked on helplessly.

Leading the monks of the Miaoxi Pure Land, they all joined hands to form seals and chanted in unison:

"Vajra Paramita Bodhisattva!"

A colossal hanging scroll unfurled from within the pure land, rising into the air. It hovered mid-sky, upheld by the incense offerings from the many temples below.

Upon the scroll was the image of a Bodhisattva—the Vajra Paramita Bodhisattva, one of the Five Mothers of the Vajra Realm.

The Mother archetype was not born of force but of nurturing—thus forming the foundation of each Vajra Division.

The Five-Spiked Vajra Pestle, the Akshobhya Elephant Throne, and the Vajra Paramita Mother Scroll together made up the Three Supreme Treasures of the Vajra Division.

Now, with the Mother Scroll present, golden Buddha Light spread across the entire Miaoxi Pure Land, turning it from real into illusion.

The massive Buddhist paradise began to contract—as if it were vanishing before Lei Jun and Tang Xiaotang’s eyes.

This was the transformation known as Vajra Reverting to the Womb Realm.

In the Buddhist Mudra Lineage, there was the theory of Vajra and Womb Realms.

The Wisdom Virtue realized by the Great Sun Tathagata is sharp and shatters ignorance, revealing true nature—unyielding like a vajra jewel.

By contrast, the Womb Realm represents the compassion that nurtures all existence, like a fetus in the womb or a seed within a lotus, hidden but full of potential.

Now, with the transformation of the Mother Scroll, the Miaoxi Pure Land began to vanish—like a lotus seed buried in mud, like a fetus returning to its mother's body.

The Pure Yang Vessel instantly lost its chance to enter.

But at that moment, Lei Jun boarded the vessel, raised his hand, and scattered black dots across the sky.

Twenty-four Black Bodhi Seeds descended and began to twist and coil mid-air, manifesting into blackened Bodhi trees.

These Bodhi trees, synchronized with the transformation of Vajra Reverting to the Womb, were absorbed into the very heart of the Miaoxi Pure Land.

Then the void itself trembled slightly.

And the transformation reversed.

The Miaoxi Pure Land, which had seemingly disappeared, reappeared once more.

Only now, the once bluish Vajra Essence had completely faded, leaving only golden Buddha Light behind.

Within the reappeared Pure Land, black Bodhi trees had taken root—twisted and coiling—tainting its once-pure aura.

The Mother Scroll in the sky trembled violently, as if being wrung by unseen hands.

Although this Buddhist treasure possessed countless wondrous abilities—it could nurture Mudra Lineage cultivators, transform Vajra and Womb Realms, and protect the Miaoxi Pure Land—it wasn’t meant for intense combat.

Now, with the Vajra Essence gone, the Pure Land could no longer resist Tang Xiaotang’s ferocious strike with the Tianshi Sword.

A magnificent sword light slashed into the Mother Scroll, instantly shattering one of the Vajra Division’s supreme treasures!

Master Luochi, Master Duopei, and the other Vajra monks stared, dumbstruck.

When they finally regained their senses, they were practically coughing blood from rage.

Their technique, Vajra Reverting to the Womb, had essentially been like opening the door and welcoming a thief inside.

Had they not used that maneuver, the Black Bodhi seeds might never have infiltrated so deeply—not more easily than the Tianshi Sword or the Pure Yang Vessel.

But due to that cycle of releasing and reclaiming the world, the Bodhi seeds had slipped in, tearing the Pure Land apart from within.

Master Luochi urgently activated the Akshobhya Elephant Throne to suppress the chaos.

But the Pure Land was already crumbling.

The vast Pure Yang Vessel descended once more, ramming into the Elephant Throne.

“Little Senior Sister.”

Lei Jun conjured a black Mystical Firmament Five Thunder Talisman.

At the same moment, Tang Xiaotang conjured a golden Heavenly Radiance Pure Yang Talisman.

The Yin Thunder Dragon and Pure Yang Fire Tiger merged once again.

The gold-black Taiji Diagram spun.

The two unleashed a combined Dragon-Tiger Strike, blasting the Elephant Throne with overwhelming brilliance.

The Pure Yang Vessel pressed forward once more, slamming the massive blue elephant to the ground.

Tang Xiaotang’s Tianshi Sword cleaved down again.

The elephant burst with golden light—like blood spurting from its body!

While Lei Jun maintained the black Yin Thunder Dragon, he also summoned the Thunder Law Talismanic Canon and the Fire Law Earth Scripture.

The purple Yang Thunder Dragon and green Yin Fire Tiger manifested.

Tang Xiaotang, while maintaining her Pure Yang Fire Tiger, also conjured the Divine Firmament Pure Yang Talisman and Fire Law Earth Scripture.

A Pure Yang Thunder Dragon and another green Yin Fire Tiger joined the fray.

Above the Miaoxi Pure Land, dragons roared and tigers howled.

Beyond the gold-black Taiji Diagram, two more emerged: a gold-green and purple-green Taiji Diagram.

Three Yin-Yang diagrams hovered above the Pure Yang Vessel.

Triple Dragon-Tiger Strike, launched together in unison.

Blinding streams of light tore through the Elephant Throne and swept across the land.

The already-damaged Mother Scroll was reduced to ashes.

This one move severed the Vajra Division’s future.

Towering beams of brilliance annihilated countless Buddhas, temples, sacred trees, and lotus seas.

Massive casualties. Most of the Vajra Division’s disciples perished.

In that moment, the Vajra Division, one of the Five of the Vajra Realm in Sumeru, suffered a catastrophe akin to that which had befallen the Vajra Monastery of the Tang Realm.

As if the End of Dharma had truly come.

Master Duopei was thrown off the Elephant Throne, engulfed by the brilliance of the Dragon-Tiger Strike from Lei Jun and Tang Xiaotang.

Lei Jun raised his hand. The Tianshi Seal shot into the sky, transforming into a massive altar of purple, gold, and green light. It descended and locked down the Elephant Throne.

Tang Xiaotang’s sword came down again—decapitating the massive blue elephant!

The Elephant Throne erupted in radiant light.

But it was instantly shattered by the combined force of the Triple Dragon-Tiger Strike.

Master Luochi, the most brilliant Vajra disciple in generations—who had achieved Eighth Heaven Mudra Realm while still young—was doomed to never reach the Ninth Heaven Dharma Body Realm.

Tang Xiaotang unleashed her Pure Yang Sea, encircling him tightly, leaving no room for escape. Her Tianshi Sword fell and killed him on the spot.

A sea of golden Thunderfire surged, engulfing the remaining disciples.

With the destruction of the Five-Spiked Vajra Pestle, Elephant Throne, and Mother Scroll, and the near-total annihilation of their disciples—

The Vajra Division of Sumeru was utterly uprooted.

He had just fought several Buddhist cultivators of Mount Sumeru.
But once the waters of the Ganges surged against Mount Sumeru, and the resulting tremors spread across the realm, those Buddhist experts had retreated in haste.

Xiao Hang looked at the chaotic world before him, his face filled with confusion and unease.
While maintaining the Void Gateway from outside interference, he also tried to contact Lei Jun and Tang Xiaotang.

Just then, from within the turbulent Spiritual Energy Storm, a golden radiance broke through.
Moments later, an enormous Divine Vessel—hundreds of feet long—slowly emerged from the storm.

Lei Jun and Tang Xiaotang stood at the ship’s prow.
Seeing them return, Xiao Hang immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

“Thank you for your hard work, Layperson Xiao,” said Lei Jun.
“You’re too kind, Tianshi,” Xiao Hang replied, “I don’t dare accept the credit.”

He quickly observed Tang Xiaotang’s condition—though her mana aura was faint, indicating extreme mana depletion, she seemed unharmed.
After all, piloting the Pure Yang Vessel through that kind of spiritual storm would heavily drain her mana.

Lei Jun, on the other hand, looked much worse.
Aside from his weakened aura, his complexion was pale and his mana flow clearly unstable—he was clearly injured.

“Tianshi, is your body alright?” Xiao Hang asked with concern.
Lei Jun shook his head lightly. “No worries, Layperson Xiao. I’m fine.”

He turned to look at the aftermath across Mount Sumeru—what had once been a peaceful, light-filled Buddhist sanctuary was now wrecked and desolate.

Lei Jun nodded slightly and said to Tang Xiaotang and Xiao Hang, “At least we’ve given the Buddhists of Sumeru a proper lesson. But considering the current state of the Tang Empire, we’d better seal this Void Gateway to prevent future trouble.”

He had already prepared for this.
After the Great Two-Element Inversion End-Era Immortal Array had dissipated, the Black-White Talismanic Canon it produced would now come in handy.

After the three of them passed through the Void Gateway and returned to the Tang Mortal Realm, they immediately began to seal the gate.
With the black and white forces weaving together, the connection between Mount Sumeru and the Tang Realm was slowly cut off.

Lei Jun, though clearly injured, managed to seal the portal with Tang Xiaotang’s support.
The black and white faded into the air—no further anomalies in the void.

Lei Jun and Tang Xiaotang exchanged a glance.

Tang Xiaotang said bluntly, “That took more effort than sealing the Void Gateways in Nanzhao or the Southern Wasteland.”

Lei Jun nodded.
This... was not a good sign.

As the Imperial Preceptor of Tang, Tang Xiaotang could attune to the fortune of the realm and the dragon veins.
This made her extremely sensitive to the Tang Empire’s geomantic currents.

Even though they were in the Western Regions, not official Tang territory, much could still be inferred.
And right now, channeling the geomantic flow to seal the portal was far harder than before.

That meant one thing:
The empire’s fortunes were waning.

Even setting aside the Western Regions, just looking at the Northern Frontier, the victory over the Lone Eagle Khanate should’ve bolstered public morale and national will.
Yet despite that, the Tang Dynasty’s overall fortune was still declining...
Which most likely meant: The Empress's condition was not good.

It could’ve been a feigned injury to lure the enemy.
But the waning national fortune could trigger a chain reaction.
Even if new Void Gateways weren’t easy to open, old ones that had been sealed by the Imperial Family might now be vulnerable to reopening.

Standing nearby, Xiao Hang quietly stared at where the Sumeru Gateway had vanished.

In the distance, Lu Jinduan, a high-ranking elder of Pure Yang Palace, approached.
Alongside him was a middle-aged man in armor—General Lu Zhen of the Divine Strategy Army.
He had pursued the retreating Lone Eagle Khanate and arrived here in the West.

Elsewhere, Zhang Ying, Zhang Junhai, Yue Xiling, and Xu Duan were still hunting the remnants of the Lone Eagle Khanate, Three Spring Palace, and Vajra Division.

Meanwhile, Xiao Hang, Lu Zhen, and Lu Jinduan—three cultivators of the Eighth Heaven Realm—stayed at the ruins of the Vajra Temple to support Lei Jun and Tang Xiaotang.
A number of Seventh Heaven and Middle Heaven cultivators remained nearby as reinforcements.

Lei Jun and Tang Xiaotang soon spotted their fellow disciple, Chu Kun.

“We owe you both, Master Tang and Tianshi Lei,” Lu Zhen and the others bowed respectfully.

Then Chu Kun, dressed in a purple Daoist robe, stepped forward with several elders and Initiate Disciples of the Tianshi Mansion, all in deep red robes.
Together, they saluted the pair:

“Senior Brother Sect Master. Senior Sister Tang.”

Lei Jun gave them a once-over and nodded slightly. “Where’s Senior Sister Zhang?”

“Senior Sister Zhang was injured,” Chu Kun replied. “Junior Nephew Huajie and two others escorted her back to the mountain.”

“No serious injuries, I hope?” Lei Jun asked.

Chu Kun looked at his wounded Second Senior Brother, thinking Senior Sister Zhang's injuries are probably more legit than yours, but kept his expression neutral.
“She’s alright. Please don’t worry.”

Tang Xiaotang then asked, “What about the others?”
She had been constantly on the move and hadn’t heard much news—though she still fared better than Vajra Division Commander Jialuotu, who had been completely cut off inside the Great Ascension Dao Domain.

Only after escaping did he start to learn about the chaos in Yunzhou and the Vajra Temple—all bad news.

“Prince Huayang has fallen, Prince Weiyang’s old injuries relapsed, Elder Lin Liyun of the Lin Clan in Youzhou was seriously injured, and Senior Master Fang Huansheng of the Fang Clan in Jingxiang was also wounded...” Chu Kun first listed the Eighth-Heaven cultivators.

Casualties among the Seventh Heaven and below were even worse.

The Battle of Yin Mountain and the retreat that followed had been brutal.
Fortunately, after the Battle of Yunzhou, the situation reversed.
The Tang cultivators launched a successful counterattack, and though there were still losses, they were fewer.

“Prince Zhao and General Xiao Xueting have led the army to pursue the enemy all the way to the foot of Mount Boyan,” Chu Kun said. “The Void Gateway there hasn’t been sealed yet because some Divine Strategy Army troops are still deep in enemy territory.”

He added with a strange look:
“The lead general is Shen Qubing. Communications have been spotty, and their battle reports remain unclear, but one thing’s certain—they’ve captured a large group of prisoners and... a huge number of spirit beasts. Already partially tamed.”

Lei Jun and Tang Xiaotang’s eyes lit up. “Oh?”

Both were keenly interested in cultivation methods.

Previously, the Tang side had captured a few riders and picked up fragments of their beast taming techniques, but not enough to form a coherent system.
Most notably, they lacked any large-scale spirit beast taming arts.

Had Shen Qubing really brought back a whole army of "horses"?

The question now was—had he also brought back the method to tame them, or people who knew how to?

Yellow Dragon Windhowlers, Azure Dragon Windhowlers—these beasts were savage by nature. Without proper training, they could easily rebel.
But if they could be tamed, it would open a whole new branch of riding arts in the Tang Empire’s martial cultivation system.