Seeking Fortune and Avoiding Misfortune: Starting from the Celestial Master’s Mansion
Chapter 365: The Pillar of the Tang Dynasty

Lei Jun didn’t hide anything regarding the current state of the Sumeru Vajra Division, detailing everything clearly and thoroughly.

However, most of the public credit was attributed to Grand Preceptor Tang, highlighting her contributions.

Tianshi Lei didn’t place much importance on such matters.

Tang Xiaotang gave Lei Jun an irritated look.

She liked the spotlight, sure—but only the kind she earned herself.

Lei Jun’s deference wasn’t something she particularly wanted.

But given the many secrets surrounding Lei Jun and the Tianshi Mansion, some burdens—and some achievements—had to fall squarely on her shoulders.

“Venerable Cizong…” Lu Zhen, Lü Jinduan, and the others looked at each other.

Xiao Hang said, “The Akshobhya Throne, the Division Mother's Diagram… the Sumeru Vajra Division is stronger than we imagined. We truly owe this victory to Grand Preceptor Tang and Tianshi Lei.”

Lei Jun responded, “Perhaps we were overconfident. Or maybe it was Sumeru Vajra Division's own misjudgment. Otherwise, the outcome could’ve gone another way.”

The Division Mother’s Diagram was manageable.

But if Venerable Cizong had brought the Akshobhya Throne into the Tang Mortal Realm to join forces with the Vajra Commander, the difficulty of the battle would’ve soared.

It wasn’t just because Cizong wielded the Akshobhya Throne, or because the Vajra Commander had the Five-Prong Vajra Scepter.

The true threat was if the Vajra Commander Jialuotu had both the scepter and the throne at once—their synergy would produce a force greater than the sum of its parts.

Among the Five Divisions of the Vajra Realm, the Vajra Division already placed the greatest emphasis on Vajra Will—unyielding in both offense and defense, solid and unbreakable, able to sever all things.

If Jialuotu combined that with the power of the Akshobhya Throne, his defense would rival that of a Daoist Five-Energies Converging to the Origin formation.

Given the disparity in cultivation realms, even with Lei Jun wielding the Grand Two-Element Yin-Yang End Era Immortal Formation and the Black Bodhi Seed, he still wouldn’t have guaranteed breaking through that defense.

It wouldn’t necessarily flip the outcome of the battle, but it would have made things much harder—perhaps even affected the final result.

“No matter what, today the Tianshi Mansion of Mount Longhu has defeated the Sumeru Vajra Division,” Lu Zhen praised.

“You flatter me, General Lu.”

Lei Jun then asked, “Earlier I heard… Prince Huayang has fallen?”

Lu Zhen replied slowly, “His Highness Prince Huayang died in service of the empire.”

Tang Xiaotang snorted lightly.

Lei Jun gave a slight nod. “A loss we grieve—he stood firm against foreign threats.”

Lu Zhen sighed internally.

Prince Huayang Zhang Rui had once been a trusted expert of the Tang Imperial Clan, especially after the Empress ascended the throne.

But around the time Xu Yuanzhen of the Tianshi Mansion battled Ye Moquan, the old patriarch of the Ye Clan of Jinzhou, it came to light that Zhang Rui had been secretly colluding with the Ye Clan.

Since then, the Huayang line had kept a low profile.

In this recent northern campaign, the Yin Mountain defense line was broken earlier than expected, and Tang cultivators had to retreat.

During the withdrawal, enemies chased relentlessly, and casualties occurred.

The highest-ranking cultivator among them—was Prince Zhang Rui.

Given the past scandals, the entire affair stirred mixed emotions. The world is ever unpredictable.

Now that the main conflict had ended, plenty of follow-up work remained.

The Vajra Monastery was history. The Sumeru Vajra Division no longer existed. The Mudra Lineage of Buddhism had temporarily lost its sacred foundation in the Tang.

But remnants of Vajra Monastery and the Sumeru Vajra Division still existed in the form of satellite temples and monasteries.

The Tang Dynasty had to do more than just wipe out the remaining main forces. It also had to gradually eliminate these Mudra Lineage offshoots.

Though the Western Region wouldn’t be fully annexed into Tang territory, the Imperial Court began leaving its mark while cleansing Buddhist influence there.

Lu Zhen, Elder Princess of Shanyang Zhang Ying, and others stayed behind to oversee this task.

The Tianshi Mansion left no powerful personnel in the region.

On the contrary, Lei Jun and Tang Xiaotang gave tacit approval for the Pure Yang Palace to assist the Tang Court in the West.

This caused elders like Lü Jinduan of the Pure Yang Palace to sigh in admiration.

Lei Jun, Tang Xiaotang, and the Tianshi Mansion—were not like Huang Xuanpu, Fu Dongsen, or the Mortal Daoist Nation.

At the same time, those remaining in the West were also tasked with monitoring the Vajra Monastery ruins, ready to act if the void gateway reopened and Sumeru returned to the mortal world.

Lei Jun and Tang Xiaotang, along with Chu Kun and other Tianshi disciples, returned from the Western Region to the Central Plains.

According to protocol, they passed through the Old Capital Chang’an, where they sought audience with the current Emperor.

Empress Zhang Wantong received the Grand Preceptor and the Tianshi in Chang’an.

“May Your Majesty enjoy good health,” Lei Jun greeted.

The Empress smiled calmly. “In the coming days, I’ll remain in Chang’an to recuperate. I’ll need both of you to assist in overseeing the realm.”

Chu Yu, standing beside her, smiled at Tang Xiaotang. “Would the Grand Preceptor kindly tour the empire on behalf of Her Majesty to bring peace to the land?”

With the Empress staying in Chang’an and Tianshi Lei returning to Mount Longhu to recuperate, and Xu Yuanzhen still in the Eastern Sea, the empire found itself in a rare moment of vulnerability—one that required a stabilizing force.

Tang Xiaotang was undoubtedly the best candidate.

But she pouted. “I wanted to go to the Eastern Sea.”

Out in the depths of the ocean, Xu Yuanzhen was still enjoying her time in Penglai.

Now that the Sumeru affair was over, Tang Xiaotang had wanted to return there.

Still, she didn’t reject Chu Yu’s proposal.

Touring the empire on the Empress’s behalf wasn’t just symbolic.

It meant gaining more favor from the Tang Court, drawing Dragon Vein Qi into her cultivation—it would directly benefit her cultivation path.

Though she didn’t particularly care for that.

She was confident she’d break through quickly either way.

What caught her attention more was Chu Yu’s mention of the Southern Wasteland.

Latest reports said the Earth Veins were unstable again.

Near the previously sealed Void Gateway to the Vast Sea, spatial distortions had begun to appear.

If the gateway reopened, Li Yan and other Nine Li experts might return to the mortal world.

Tang Xiaotang was very interested in finding Li Yan.

Yet the Western White Emperor, her old enemy in Penglai, also called to her.

In the end, what tipped the scales was her recent talk with Lei Jun about the current state of the Tang Empire.

If old sealed gateways were really reopening—it meant the empire’s national fortunes were declining. The overall outlook was grim.

Tang Xiaotang was flaky sometimes, but as Protector of the Nation, she figured she had to at least put on a decent front.

Besides, if disaster truly struck, she'd be the one to turn the tide. That thought felt… glorious.

Of course, no disasters would be better.

If it meant missing the White Emperor now—she could always deal with her later.

She just hoped that woman could hold out. It wouldn’t do if she perished before Tang Xiaotang got her shot...

After Lei Jun and Tang Xiaotang left, Chu Yu returned to report to Empress Zhang Wantong.

The Empress was drinking herbal medicine.

Setting the jade bowl aside, she shook her head. “Lord Sun’s medicine tastes awful.”

Worry flashed across Chu Yu’s face.

“But as a Martial Dao Immortal,” the Empress said casually, “one step away from facing down entire nations alone…”

She had reached Perfection in the Martial Saint Realm, and when paired with her Ninth-Heaven Giant Eagle, she was a force to be reckoned with.

Chu Yu reported seriously, “The Southern Wasteland Witch Sect is trying to reinforce the seal on the Vast Sea Gateway.”

The Empress nodded slightly but didn’t seem overly concerned.

It wasn’t that she didn’t trust the Witch Sect.

It was just that void gateways, once they began to crack open, were like rifts between realms—sheer destructive force erupted at the instant of reopening. It was nearly impossible to stop.

Once stabilized, yes, a seal could be reestablished. But at the moment of eruption? Almost impossible.

Chu Yu continued, “A new batch of ritual materials is being prepared and refined—but it will take some time.”

The Empress responded, “Mm. Yunzhou took heavy losses this time. It couldn’t be helped.”

Chu Yu chuckled wryly. “Much of it was meant to fight the Sumeru Vajra Division. It ended up unused, but now that it's ready, we can repurpose it for the Mudra Lineage.”

The Empress nodded. “Sumeru isn’t just the Vajra Division. Save them. We may still need them.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

The Empress stood. “You and the others from Mount Longhu have worked hard.”

She stepped into her private chamber.

Yuan Mobai said, “Be more alert, but for now, what truly needs our attention is still within the Tang Empire.”

He turned his gaze toward Chang’an.

At that moment, Lei Jun’s expression shifted slightly. He pulled out two talismans from his person.

“Little Senior Sister and Senior Brother Lin both sent messages.”

After listening to the messages embedded in the talismans, the master and disciples exchanged glances.

“The Crown Prince… he’s reached the Second Layer of the Eighth Heaven?” Chu Kun sounded uncertain. “Didn’t he just ascend to the Eighth Heaven less than two years ago?”

Lei Jun replied, “Correct. According to the report from early last year, he broke through to the Eighth Heaven then. It's still a few months short of two full years.”

Chu Kun was amazed. “That fast?”

Even though it was only a single small stage of improvement, the speed was still astonishing.

Neither Lei Jun, Tang Xiaotang, nor Xu Yuanzhen had advanced that quickly.

Wang Guiyuan said, “Could it be due to some rare treasure or Opportunity?”

Lei Jun answered, “We can’t confirm that just yet.”

“Hold on…” Chu Kun suddenly had a thought. “Could it be... the Confucian’s long buildup finally paying off?”

Yuan Mobai said, “That’s also a possibility.”

Lei Jun continued, “If it was an outside opportunity or artifact, so be it. But if not… then it seems this long buildup didn’t occur during the past twenty or thirty years as most assume.”

In the eyes of the world, the Crown Prince Zhang Hui was not known for talent in his youth.

Even with his royal lineage, practicing the emperor’s arts and receiving the blessings of the nation’s fortune, reaching the Fourth Heaven at nineteen was respectable but far from extraordinary.

It wasn’t until he journeyed across the land that his cultivation speed began to pick up.

The public explanation was that the Crown Prince, concerned about the nation's affairs and wishing to ease the Emperor’s burden, had become more diligent.

Thus, over thirty years, he climbed from the Fourth to the Eighth Heaven.

Though he benefited from practicing the emperor’s arts, such speed was still rare.

Many believed this was due to his Confucian background—his patience and accumulation finally yielding results.

After all, the Crown Prince was talented. His earlier stagnation could be seen as groundwork for later achievements.

Later, Zhang Hui displayed extraordinary talent with the “Divine Stroke of Inspiration,” comparable to the Daoist Celestial Physique, which seemed to confirm everyone’s theory.

Some even rumored that his mediocrity in youth was intentional—a form of hiding his brilliance.

But now it seems… not so?

Those thirty years of rapid growth may still have been part of the accumulation. Only now is the true payoff emerging?

“That means, his gifts go beyond just the Divine Stroke of Inspiration.”

Lei Jun was intrigued. “His comprehension must also be top-tier. What do the Confucians call their highest level of talent again—‘Mind Like a Tapestry’?”

Yuan Mobai corrected, “Strictly speaking, the highest level is ‘World Within the Belly,’ which corresponds to our Daoist ‘Natural Insight’—but that’s near-mythical. Only scattered records exist, and it hasn’t been seen in millennia.

Below that is ‘Mind Like a Tapestry,’ which matches our ‘Clear Tranquility’ level of comprehension.”

Previously, the most well-known Confucian prodigy with ‘Mind Like a Tapestry’ was Fang Yue of the Fang Family in Jingxiang, now the Chancellor of the Tang Imperial Academy.

Chu Kun said, “So the current Crown Prince possesses the Divine Stroke of Inspiration and comprehension equivalent to ‘Mind Like a Tapestry,’ meaning…”

Lei Jun nodded, “Mm. The same level as Little Senior Sister’s natural gifts. Most likely innate. Even if not from birth, it must’ve reached peak level very early—unlike you and me, who slowly built it up.”

Without early accumulation, there would be no such explosive breakthrough—realizing the Dao in the morning and ascending to the heavens by evening.

Tang Xiaotang, in her message, expressed both surprise and great interest.

In contrast, talents like Lei Jun and Xu Yuanzhen gained their gifts through postnatal improvement.

So far, only one other person was known to possess gifts on par with or close to Tang Xiaotang’s from birth—

The future Maitreya of the White Lotus Sect.

He broke the restriction of “One Path, No Second,” and became a rare case of mastering all four Buddhist traditions simultaneously. His exceptional Bone Structure was unquestionable.

Unlike the other three Buddhist branches—Vow, Martial Zen, and Precepts—which had proper classics in the White Lotus Sect, the Hand Seal Tradition had no such inheritance. The future Maitreya had to explore and develop it on his own. His astonishing comprehension speaks for itself.

Moreover, since he laid firm foundations in all four from childhood and cultivated them in parallel, it’s evident his innate talent and Bone Structure were extraordinary from a very young age—most likely innate.

His cultivation speed might seem slower than Tang Xiaotang’s or others, but that's only because he cultivated four traditions simultaneously, which naturally takes more time.

And it is precisely because of that, his deep foundations become even more impressive.

Still, his talents are clearly suited for Buddhism. Without that path, he likely wouldn’t have achieved what he has today.

Unlike Tang Xiaotang, Xu Yuanzhen, or Lei Jun, whose achievements wouldn’t be limited even without Daoist or Talismanic inheritance.

Now then, what about the current Crown Prince?

“Does Her Majesty know about this?” Chu Kun looked first to the north toward Luoyang, then west toward Chang’an.

Wang Guiyuan said, “We’ll need to keep watching. Is this the Crown Prince’s long-hidden brilliance finally emerging—or just a one-time fluke caused by some spiritual treasure?”

How long he takes to go from Second to Third Layer of the Eighth Heaven will be telling.

If he truly is a once-in-a-generation prodigy on the verge of breakthrough, this isn’t a fluke—it’s just the beginning.

He’s about to step into the spotlight.

“The question is… is there still time?” Chu Kun asked softly.

Lei Jun replied, “Compared to the Crown Prince, the Old Prince in the north is even more pressed for time.”

The Empress had never married, nor bore any children.

For Crown Prince Zhang Hui, this was his last psychological safety net.

If the Empress ever married and had a child, everything could change.

And for Prince Zhao Zhang Teng, time was even tighter—every moment counts.

The Battle of Yunzhou had further elevated the Empress’s prestige to new heights—unprecedented since her ascension.

Her power and authority now seemed unshakable.

Compared to her, the Crown Prince, who remained in the capital, or even Prince Zhao, who had participated in the Northern War and slain a Martial Saint of the Lone Eagle Khanate, were still overshadowed.

The only uncertainty lay in the severity of the Empress Zhang Wantong’s current injuries.

In a way, this might be the final opportunity.

It might already be too late.

But delay any further, and it definitely will be.

Will people truly give up on their ambitions?

“The throne, unlike other positions, is tied to the fate of the land, its dragon veins, and the hearts of the people,” Yuan Mobai said calmly. “So even though Prince Zhao fought in the Northern War, after the victory at Yunzhou, Her Majesty has the overwhelming support of the people. Even gravely wounded, neither the Crown Prince nor Prince Zhao could openly vie for the throne—they’ll have to find another way.”

Lei Jun concluded, “We’ll just focus on our own duties and stay in close contact with Little Senior Sister.”

He remained on the mountain, not only to nurture his Azure Pearl of the Netherworld and Spirit-Jade of the Nine Springs, but also to repair his damaged magical artifacts.

In the battle against the Vajra Division, both his Tianshi Robe and Eight Sceneries Treasure Mantle were damaged.

The cause of damage was the wrathful flames of the Vajra Division Commander—Jialuotu.

Especially the Tianshi Robe—it took a direct hit from his Divine Wrath Saber.

The tear was small, but it had struck the robe’s core essence.

Moreover, the wrathful flames clung like a plague, stubborn and persistent—causing long-term effects as if burning through cycles of reincarnation.

Fortunately, in recent years, the Tianshi Mansion had gradually recovered. Lei Jun had quietly made preparations and stockpiled rare materials.

The mansion had set aside a portion of precious materials specifically for such emergencies.

If any of the Three Tianshi Treasures were damaged, they could be repaired quickly.

The repair plan had been reviewed multiple times by the master and disciples.

So now, it was just a matter of following the process.

Restoration wouldn’t be immediate, of course—it would take time and effort—but the timeline was drastically shortened.

However, Lei Jun’s Eight Sceneries Treasure Mantle wasn’t so lucky.

It wasn’t for lack of planning—it was simply that he couldn’t conjure resources out of thin air.

Priority had to be given to the Three Treasures, and Lei Jun couldn’t justify diverting public resources for personal use.

Thankfully, with Senior Brother Wang Guiyuan’s help, purging the wrathful flames went smoother than expected.

Still, repairing the Treasure Mantle would take even longer than the Tianshi Robe.

After checking in on disciples like Zhang Jingzhen who were wounded, Lei Jun focused on secluded cultivation and artifact restoration.

As time passed, the Northern War finally came to a close, and things settled down.

News from the outside world slowly made its way back to Mount Longhu.

Shen Qubing, leading an elite Tang Divine Strategy Army unit—carefully selected and composed of top warriors and body refinement cultivators—entered the void portal beneath Mount Boyan and launched a counteroffensive deep into the grasslands.

Their movements were swift. Though their core was martial, their agility and unpredictability exceeded even that of the nomadic raiders.

In seven battles, they scored seven victories, killing many of the Lone Eagle Khanate’s remaining forces and tamed beasts, and burning large swathes of pasture.

Eventually, they reached the Red Sun Grassland, where the Khanate's court was located.

In the eighth and final victory, Shen Qubing killed Chaoluomen, the Khan’s eldest son—a peak Eighth Heaven martial expert—and captured the Khan’s youngest son.

This chaos drew the attention of other tribes.

The nearby Azure Wolf Khanate and White Deer Khanate sent men to the Red Sun Grassland.

But by the time they arrived, all they saw was a field of burning grass.

Shen Qubing, Golden Blade Wu, and the Tang soldiers had already withdrawn, bringing with them many beasts and a few tribal representatives, back through the void portal at Mount Boyan.

The Tang side began sealing the portal—but they weren’t in a rush.

The Lone Eagle Khanate was already a mess, with its high-level cultivators mostly dead from earlier invasions into Tang territory.

Now, this counterattack sent a clear message:

The Lone Eagle Khanate’s main force is gone.

Though the Battle of Yunzhou hadn’t concluded when Shen Qubing departed, his rapid incursion delivered the same psychological effect.

The real audience wasn’t the Lone Eagle Khanate—it was the Azure Wolf and White Deer Khanates.

Previously, they hesitated to move while the Khanate’s main force still existed.

But now that it appeared wiped out and incapable of returning, the balance shifted.

Already, those two Khanates were encroaching on Lone Eagle territory.

What used to be the Four Great Khanates might soon become just three.

Shen Qubing didn’t concern himself with that.

He returned triumphant, even though he had sustained injuries in his duel with Chaoluomen.

Now, he happily worked with his comrades to study the beasts they’d brought back.

Beasts like the Azure Dragon Windhowler and Yellow Dragon Windhowler were well known, but the others were more exotic and varied.

Lei Jun heard that Shen Qubing’s unit not only brought back beasts, but also those who knew how to tame and ride them—warrior-cultivators.

These were no common herdsmen or slave-hunters.

Those who could train beasts like Windhowlers had already stepped onto the martial path.

Some less-favored individuals and small tribes voluntarily joined Shen Qubing and sought allegiance with the Tang Empire.

After confirming that Khan Hariger and the Lone Eagle main force had been annihilated within Tang territory, they relaxed their guard.

Once the portal was sealed, part of the Tang army stayed behind in the Northern Frontier, guarding Mount Boyan and monitoring the newly attached tribes.

Some tribal representatives accompanied Shen Qubing back to the capital to pay respects to the Tang Emperor.

Their presence also marked the beginning of Mounted Martial Arts tradition flowing into the Tang Dynasty.

Due to the Empress entering seclusion in Chang’an, the Crown Prince, as acting regent, oversaw all affairs.

Prince Zhao Zhang Teng, currently commander of the northern front, was received by the Crown Prince himself.

Ye Moquan said, “It was still a bit of a gamble—but perhaps that’s not a bad thing.”

Ye Wei nodded silently.

It was a gamble because, although competition existed, Crown Prince Zhang Hui and Prince Zhao, Zhang Teng, had never once met face to face.

Not because of some superstition like “Kings must not meet,” but rather due to the presence of another man—the current Emperor.

That was why Zhang Teng and Zhang Hui had a tacit understanding: they would never appear in the same place at the same time.

Even so, Zhang Teng still chose to go to Luoyang.

He could’ve easily claimed illness or retirement and returned to Youzhou.

But doing so would’ve made the prestige he had gained during the Northern Frontier war vanish overnight.

He’d be seen as nothing more than an aging Prince loyally guarding the border.

His decision to push forward meant one thing—he wasn’t ready to let go just yet.

Ye Wei said softly, “Still, in this war, no merit can surpass that of His Majesty. No one is allowed to overshadow the sovereign.”

Ye Moquan nodded at first, then gently shook his head. “This battle is just the catalyst and the beginning. The real struggle comes afterward.

If His Majesty wins easily, then fine, nothing more needs to be said.

But if not, then the foreign barbarians and the monks of Mount Sumeru will have handed us a golden opportunity—one that may never come again.”

Ye Wei replied, “The Earth Veins are in turmoil, the lands unstable. It’s too soon to make a definitive call, but I believe we’ll have an answer soon enough. It’s just… Xu Yuanzhen and Tang Xiaotang of the Tianshi Mansion are still active.”

Xu Yuanzhen was currently still in Penglai of the Eastern Sea.

But even if she were discounted, Tang Xiaotang was safe and sound, already acting as the Emperor’s proxy on an inspection tour of the empire.

As Ye Wei finished speaking, he noticed his father, Ye Moquan, gazing absentmindedly out the window.

He sighed quietly and stood beside him in silence.

After a while, Ye Moquan seemed to come back to himself and turned to look at Ye Wei.

Ye Wei’s face remained calm, but he said nothing.

Seeing this, Ye Moquan let out a soft sigh after a moment. “Did it happen again?”

“Yes, Father,” Ye Wei replied.

“How many times today?” Ye Moquan asked.

“…The third time,” Ye Wei said after a pause.

Ye Moquan gave a small nod and sighed deeply. “It’s been almost thirty years… and it’s only getting worse.”

His expression soon steadied again. “His Highness Prince Zhao can’t wait anymore. And neither can I.”

He reached out his hand, and Ye Wei passed him the opened letter. Ye Moquan quietly read through it.

“Four of them…”

Halfway through, the old man suddenly looked up. “Four Ninth Heaven Realm cultivators—and one of them was even the Vajra Division Commander at peak perfection?”

“Yes, Father,” Ye Wei confirmed, watching the rare look of shock cross his father’s face.

He’d seen that look not long ago.

But Ye Wei didn’t think his father was overreacting.

Even he still found the intelligence hard to believe.

Vajra Division Commander Jialuotu.

Four-Eyed Python Emperor, a great demon converted by the Buddhist Mudra Lineage.

Zhao You'an, sect master of the Daoist Alchemical Sect from the foreign Great Song mortal realm.

And Venerable Cizong, elder of the Vajra Division of Mount Sumeru.

Four Ninth Heaven masters—all dead.

As for the complete annihilation of Vajra Monastery, the massacre at the Three Spring Palace, and internal chaos within Mount Sumeru—those could be set aside for now.

Just the death of those four masters was enough to send chills down the spine.

Especially since Xu Yuanzhen hadn’t even taken part in the war in the West.

In the Western Region Battle, among the top-tier clashes, the Tianshi Mansion had only two participants: Tang Xiaotang and Lei Jun.

And yet they shattered the Vajra Division of Mount Sumeru—and even wiped out the Three Spring Palace of the Great Song.

What’s more terrifying was, while Lei Jun was injured, Tang Xiaotang still had the strength to act as the Emperor’s envoy across the land.

When Ye Wei first received this news, he had been completely stunned.

As the details spread across the realm, more and more information emerged.

It was said that Mount Sumeru's Vajra Division had underestimated the threat and moved too slowly.

Rumor had it that Lei Jun and Tang Xiaotang didn’t face multiple top opponents at once like the Empress of Yunzhou had, but rather took them down in a staggered battle, like a gauntlet.

That gave Ye Wei a bit of relief.

Even so, the outcome was terrifying.

Because for the Tianshi Mansion, it wasn’t enough to simply defeat the enemies—they had to kill them.

“Xu Yuanzhen’s battle with Huang Xuanpu was already beyond expectations. But this war in the West…” Ye Wei’s face turned grim.

Ye Moquan tapped a finger on the letter. “That formation—they say it may have been the key.”

Ye Wei said, “The formation was laid by Lei Jun, though we don’t know if he created it himself. And we can’t be sure it could be set up again on the same scale in the short term.”

Ye Moquan said, “Then we must move quickly. Both the Emperor and the Tianshi Mansion need to act fast.”

“Yes, Father.”

After seeing his eldest son off, Ye Moquan gazed down at the letter again.

There’s a saying: regret comes too late.

But Ye Moquan rarely regretted things.

Yet there was one matter that haunted him—his greatest lifelong regret.

Back when Empress Zhang Wantong had just ascended the throne, a demon uprising broke out in the Eastern Sea. She personally crossed the seas.

At the same time, three major events happened:

The Rebellion of Prince Wu.

The near destruction of Bodhi Monastery, a Buddhist holy land.

And internal strife within the Tianshi Mansion—the Battle of Liwai.

Each of these events had far-reaching consequences.

Of them, the fall of Bodhi Monastery had been orchestrated by Ye Moquan himself.

But in hindsight—it had been the wrong move.

All that “arrow already notched, must release” nonsense… even if the arrow had already left the bow, it should have been redirected—to strike the Tianshi Mansion.

That might have been the best, perhaps even the last, opportunity.

Everything since then had been a series of compensations for that one mistake.

Can the debt still be repaid now?

Ye Moquan looked out at the early winter scene outside, feeling a chill in his bones.

---

Suzhou, Tianlong Monastery.

The returning group led by Elder Miaokong, who had marched north to war, had come back to their mountain.

Abbot Miaoxin and Elder Miaohui greeted them.

“Though we joined the battle with many disciples, the direction and result of this war were… truly beyond all expectations,” Elder Miaokong said with deep emotion.

Abbot Miaoxin nodded. “We were all shocked.”

Elder Miaohui stood silent.

They’d believed the Vajra Division of Mount Sumeru could hold their ground against the Daoists—not fall like the Mortal Dao Nation.

Who could’ve imagined…

“There’s a lot of conflicting news. We only know part of what happened,” said Abbot Miaoxin.

Elder Miaokong recounted the events leading up to the Battle of Yunzhou and what followed. At the end, he added, “I wasn’t there for the final clash at Vajra Monastery, but here’s what I’ve confirmed…”

“Five Dharma Apparitions, a double Dragon-Tiger Combined Strike?”

Elder Miaohui, who had been silent until now, finally spoke. “Didn’t he get injured from killing Zhao You'an, the Ninth Heaven Daoist of the Alchemical Sect?”

Elder Miaokong nodded slightly. “Zhao You’an was injured beforehand, yes—but he was still a high Daoist of the Ninth Heaven Realm. And yet, Tianshi Lei—still in the Eighth Heaven Realm—slayed him without taking a single wound.

His injuries came later, after he entered Mount Sumeru to battle the Vajra Division Commander.

Five Dharma Apparitions, no doubt about it.

In addition to the known Heaven, Earth, and Human Apparitions of the Tianshi Mansion, and Lei Tianshi’s famous Yin Thunder Dragon, a new golden, blazing Yang Fire Tiger was revealed.”

He looked at the stunned Abbot Miaoxin, seeming to know what he was thinking, and added:

“Lei Tianshi is definitely still in Eighth Heaven Perfection, not Ninth Heaven. Those present saw him manifest his Divine Court, not a Great Ascension Dao Domain.”

An Eighth Heaven cultivator already this powerful—what would he become after breaking through to Ninth Heaven?

Elder Miaohui fell silent again.

Abbot Miaoxin slowly exhaled. “Is Lei Tianshi resting at the mountain now?”

Elder Miaokong: “Yes.”

Abbot Miaoxin: “And Tang Guoshi is conducting imperial inspections?”

Elder Miaokong straightened slightly. “Correct. I was in Luoyang and witnessed Tang Guoshi receive even more national Dragon Qi during the ritual before returning to the monastery.

The imperial court has already announced the rewards. Tang Guoshi is to receive Pure Yang Heartblood.”

Abbot Miaoxin said, “Drawn from Pure Yang Heart Crystal? That’s truly a rare spiritual treasure.”

Even now, with spiritual energy resurging, many extinct spirit items remained lost in history.

Pure Yang Heart Crystal was one of them.

Its reappearance—especially for someone like Tang Xiaotang, who possesses the Pure Yang Physique—was an enormous boon.

“With more Dragon Qi and now Pure Yang Heartblood, Tang Guoshi’s next breakthrough is within sight,” Abbot Miaoxin said in awe.

Elder Miaokong said softly, “Lei Tianshi and the others of the Tianshi Mansion were rewarded generously too… They are now pillars of the Tang Empire.”

Abbot Miaoxin murmured, “Victories in the north and west—yet now may be the Tang Dynasty’s most fragile moment. If we can get through this… a new era awaits.

In the meantime, the court needs this kind of pillar.”

As Tang Xiaotang was the Imperial Preceptor, her rewards were conferred at Luoyang’s Longhu Temple.

Meanwhile, over at the Tianshi Mansion, an imperial envoy was specially dispatched to Mount Longhu to deliver the accolades.

Just as Abbot Miaoxin and Elder Miaokong had mentioned, the imperial court’s recognition of Tianshi Mansion was nothing short of generous.

Naturally, attendants had been assigned to settle the imperial envoy’s accommodations.

Lei Jun, meanwhile, had turned his attention to a few particular items.

He had received a wide array of heavenly treasures and rare materials—Nine-Turn Star Radiance, Earth Lung Crystal, Golden Stamen Scarlet Flower…

The display was dazzling.

But among all these treasures, the most eye-catching was a spiritual item called “Heaven-Earth Backflow.”

This item emitted an aura capable of reversing the flow of spiritual energy—yet it remained harmonious and balanced.

You didn’t need to be a genius to figure it out—anyone could tell this was made specifically for someone with a Two-Element Celestial Physique.

Though the existence of a Destined Star Avatar was still under debate, most now believed that the current Tianshi, Lei Jun, indeed possessed a celestial-grade bone structure—most likely the legendary Two-Element Celestial Physique.

From the moment he revealed both the Yin Thunder Dragon and the Yang Fire Tiger, Lei Jun had mentally prepared himself for the attention.

But the fact that the Tang Imperial Family had anticipated his physique enough to prepare “Heaven-Earth Backflow” in advance—that was telling.

As Lei Jun stared at the spiritual item, lost in thought, a quiet resolve stirred in his eyes.