Seeking Fortune and Avoiding Misfortune: Starting from the Celestial Master’s Mansion
Chapter 369: Further improvement of understanding, natural level

The Nine Springs ascended into the firmament.

The Azure Vault descended into the Yellow Springs.

The two cycled endlessly, finally reaching the balance Lei Jun had envisioned.

It wasn’t perfect harmony or a seamless fusion—and Lei Jun didn’t need it to be.

There was always a tilt, a focus, between these two supreme treasures—one above, one below.

Overall, they inclined upward.

This made it easier to resonate with the vast celestial river and starry expanse related to the Heavenly Palace Tablet.

That was also Lei Jun’s current destination.

As the Nine Springs surged into the heavens, Lei Jun returned to the heights, arriving once more at the so-called “Heavenly Palace”—which no longer truly existed, but still retained its ethereal elegance.

In the distance, the vast starry river flowed and shifted endlessly, its myriad changes laid bare before him.

Below, a stream of radiant light swirled between heaven and earth, unseen by mortal eyes.

Numerous Daoist essences from across the world converged into ancient, mysterious talismanic sigils, carried upward to Lei Jun through the shifting streams of illusionary light formed by the interaction of the two treasures.

Lei Jun's soul and mind remained vibrant, continuously nourished by these Daoist insights and ideas, while simultaneously feeding his own comprehension back into nature.

Inward and outward, above and below, giving and receiving—it cycled endlessly.

There was no sudden epiphany, no instant awakening.

Lei Jun's mind was open and unburdened, thoughts drifting freely. It felt as if he had lived through countless worldly transformations, gaining a far richer store of experience and knowledge.

In this state, previous questions or speculations now seemed to resolve naturally as his inner foundation deepened.

Problems once answered with a single solution now had multiple alternatives.

Dilemmas once hard to decide between were now easily resolved, the best path apparent without hesitation.

Old ideas that once seemed complete now revealed new dimensions, offering chances to refine and perfect them.

Familiar objects, once thoroughly studied, could now be seen in fresh ways.

Many thoughts had barely arisen before Lei Jun could already glimpse their outcomes and possibilities—selecting the most satisfying one with ease.

And what satisfied him most often proved to be the optimal solution, without need for external validation.

Lei Jun didn’t feel as though he’d crossed a visible threshold or ascended a defined level.

But looking back, everything was no longer the same.

This was the insight of the natural level, beyond the Clear Tranquility realm…

Lei Jun slowly closed his eyes, quietly visualizing and centering himself.

Compared to his previous Clear Tranquility state, the change wasn’t qualitative—just a clearer, sharper, deeper thought process.

But it was a full-spectrum advancement.

One more step beyond the pinnacle.

Lei Jun turned his eyes once more to the ever-shifting star river.

The stars moved silently, but their patterns and principles now gradually unfolded before him.

Looking closer to home, at rivers, mountains, flatlands, ravines, saplings, or even a simple stone…

Even the most ordinary of things now revealed truths and wonders for his cultivation.

At this stage, most Daoist legacies and mystical arts held no secrets from him.

While he wouldn’t instantly master everything due to his unique One Path, No Second approach, most methods could now be deciphered at a glance.

He could understand their intricacies, assess their strengths and weaknesses.

Lei Jun looked up, then looked down.

The celestial river above seemed to tremble momentarily at his gesture.

The ground below, seemingly calm, stirred in subtle ways.

Was the Yellow Springs also reacting to his elevated insight?

Lei Tianshi’s perception wasn’t wrong.

Within the Yellow Springs, chaos unfolded at Inner Shushan:

“Who disturbed the Yellow Springs? Where? For what reason?”

Sect Master Ji Yao, previously focused on refining his artifact, was startled by the sudden reaction of the Yellow Springs itself.

While stabilizing the now-wavering treasure, he barked an order:

“Investigate immediately!”

The Inner Shushan cultivators, previously thrown into disarray, scrambled into action.

“It’s been quite some time,” Lei Jun smiled.

Seated atop the heavens via the Heavenly Palace Tablet, cycling Daoist essences through the interplay of the Nine Springs Soul-Raising Jade and the Azure Vault Flowing Pearl, he endlessly refined himself.

Personal senses blurred the concept of time. But in the mortal world, he had already been meditating for several days.

Fortunately, his outward reason was officially “recovering from injury,” and most of the Tianshi Mansion disciples were aware.

Thus, his seclusion had minimal impact on daily affairs.

Above the skies, in the now-empty yet aura-rich “Heavenly Palace,” Lei Jun sensed the shifting talismanic laws of the space.

The Palace itself still retained its greatness,

But the opportunity to elevate one’s insight had now been expended.

The radiant current formed by the Azure Vault Pearl and Nine Springs Jade had grown faint with wear, nearing its end.

Lei Jun’s figure began to descend, reappearing in the Ten Thousand Methods Altar at Mount Longhu’s Tianshi Mansion.

Above him, the Life Canon Talisman appeared first, radiating starlight and descending upon him.

Then, a Doumu Star God Apparition emerged—no longer enveloping him, but sitting directly across from him.

Lei Jun refined the details in his mind.

As a result, the divine figure shrank, but its radiance intensified—until it was nearly the same size as Lei Jun himself.

Then came the appearance of talismans: Spirit Officer Talisman, Heavenly Travel Talisman, Star Array Formation, one after another.

Lei Jun studied and adjusted each in turn.

Then the Two-Element Celestial Talisman and the Celestial Ground-Through Talisman appeared, and were also refined by him.

However, the Thunder Law Talisman and Mysterious Firmament Five Thunder Talisman didn’t appear.

Instead, a purple Yang Thunder Dragon and a black Yin Thunder Dragon emerged, entwining above Lei Jun’s Life Star God.

The combined presence of Yin and Yang thunder heightened the aura of the godly figure.

But neither thunder dragon lingered long.

They left the figure and transformed into a merged thundercloud—purple and black, intertwined.

The thundercloud hovered above the Doumu Star God Apparition, unmoving and silent.

Next came a green Yin Fire Tiger and a crimson-gold Yang Fire Tiger.

Lei Jun watched the two True Fire creatures, thoughts swirling.

The Mysterious Firmament Five Thunder Talisman and Mysterious Firmament Celestial Lightning had been his foundation since the Lower Heavens.

In contrast, Heavenly Sun True Fire and the Heavenly Sun Ascendant Talisman were more recent, self-created insights of his Upper Heaven cultivation—thus less refined.

His earlier merging techniques had begun with the dual thunder dragons.

Plans involving the dual fire tigers remained largely theoretical—until now.

Having ascended to the Natural Level of Insight, Lei Jun’s understanding suddenly blossomed.

The enormous green and red-gold tigers now began showing signs of merging.

As his knowledge and mystical techniques continued to evolve, he revisited his foundational text:

the Seven Scrolls of the True Canon of the Dao of Righteousness—

and found deeper understanding than ever before.

Thus, his cultivation in the Fourth Layer of the Eighth Heaven—Divine Court Inner Cosmos Stage continued to deepen.

His Divine Court Universe now approached the peak of this stage.

Though “Eighth Heaven Fulfillment” often referred to combat capabilities at this level,

for true Daoist cultivation, reaching the peak was just the beginning.

The true challenge was crossing the chasm to the Ninth Heaven.

With continued effort, Lei Jun was now a true Eighth Heaven Peak Cultivator, just one step from becoming a Great Ascension Daoist Sage.

The rise in insight had immense benefits for daily cultivation.

Lei Jun nodded to himself.

He had once predicted he could reach the Ninth Heaven before turning seventy.

Now, at sixty-eight, that hope had already dawned.

“Barring unforeseen disasters, I’ll break through this year.”

It had been nearly fifty years since Lei Jun first came to this world—since he entered Mount Longhu.

From nothing to Ninth Heaven in fifty years.

For a moment, the feeling was surreal.

But that emotion passed quickly.

His focus returned to cultivation.

“If I can truly reach the Ninth Heaven, then the Divine Court Cosmos will become a Great Ascension Dao Domain.”

Quietly, Lei Jun released his Divine Court Cosmos, but only within a limited range.

Unlike battle, there was no devouring or overwhelming display.

His cosmos was unlike any other in the Talismanic Branch.

Even someone else with the Two-Element Celestial Physique and Clear Tranquility Insight would likely fail to replicate it.

His dual-layered cosmos was unprecedented.

Transforming it into a Great Ascension Domain would also be without precedent.

Thanks to his Natural-Level Insight, Lei Jun now had a plan.

“The Five-Essences Three-Cave Profound Crystal is ready. As long as I’m prepared, I can undergo tribulation within half a year.”

He paused.

“But if I want my Dao Domain to be even more refined, it’d be best to be meticulous…”

He had a general plan.

If he could obtain the rare Dual-Lotus of the Grand Void,

he might perfect his breakthrough.

Unfortunately, it had vanished from the Tang Mortal Realm for years.

No recent news of it existed.

Still, it wasn’t a strict requirement.

“Within this year.” Lei Jun remained calm.

He’d go looking during these six months.

If he found it, great.

If not—no reason to delay.

He’d do what he needed, with no self-blame.

Lei Jun emerged from seclusion, the color restored to his face.

To ordinary eyes, he appeared fully healed.

But the elders like Shangguan Ning knew his energy was still low.

His injuries had stabilized, but he still needed rest.

“Thank you, Uncle Ning and Senior Sister Zhang.”

Tang Xiaotang, Xu Yuanzhen, and Lin Shan were all away from the ancestral grounds.

Chu Kun was still in the Southern Wasteland after attending the ceremony.

Yuan Mobai was also in seclusion.

During this time, Shangguan Ning and Zhang Jingzhen had been managing daily affairs.

“There’s no need for thanks, Sect Master. We’ve just been taking care of some routine matters.”

Shangguan Ning smiled, then turned slightly serious:

“Junior Sister Tang has defeated the Sea King Ju in the East Sea.”

“Excellent. That’ll buy peace along the coastline for now.”

Lei Jun nodded.

He had spoken with his Little Senior Sister, Tang Xiaotang, earlier.

Grandmaster Tang once again displayed divine might, successfully defeating the great demon of the Eastern Sea.

However, Sea King Ju's power was extraordinary—especially when in the sea. The moment it sensed the situation turning against it, it fled deep into the ocean's depths.

Tang Xiaotang refused to let it go and continued the pursuit. In the chase, the two figures had already vanished into the distance.

“I think we should try contacting Senior Sister Tang. She’s currently the Great Tang’s State Protector Mage and is supposed to patrol all corners of the realm on the emperor’s behalf. Spending such a long time chasing a single great demon might not be entirely appropriate,” said Lei Jun.

“With her not guarding the Central Plains, there’s a bit of a power vacuum across the Tang territory,” he added.

Shangguan Ning replied, “The Sect Leader’s concern is very valid.”

Lei Jun did send a message to Tang Xiaotang.

But the Grandmaster was currently caught up in the thrill of hunting Sea King Ju. Getting her to stop and return wouldn’t be easy.

Lei Jun had expected as much, so he didn’t push it.

After his recent seclusion, there happened to be a multi-person gathering in the Heavenly Book Universe over the past few days.

However, the Solar Luminary—suspected to be the Empress—was absent this time.

Everyone else, including Lei Jun, made up the other six attendees.

“It’s clearly a chaotic time right now. If we want to stand firm in this world, we need to be prepared for what’s to come,” spoke the Lunar Luminary first. “I’ll just be direct—anyone got Kirin Saliva?”

No one responded immediately.

Everyone had long since grown used to these meetings—raise a request now, follow up privately later if needed.

While mutual suspicion had lessened greatly over time, habits were hard to break.

The Venus Luminary, Lei Jun, spoke next. “I have a question. It’s about Luoyuan, one of the Ten Earths in the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths system. From what I know, it used to be closely tied to the Witch Sect, but nowadays, its reappearance seems to be more associated with demonic beasts rather than grand shamans. Anyone know what happened?”

The Luoyuan portal in the Northern Sea of the Tang Realm had become increasingly unstable. It looked like it was about to reopen—but hadn’t quite broken its seal yet.

The Jupiter Luminary, Future Maitreya, said, “Sea King Ju has caused chaos again in the Eastern Sea. Though repelled for now, it still seems deeply connected to the Vast Void Temple. The Temple’s lineage is a strange one—though human, it’s involved in demonic practices and channels mostly spiritual energy. Why does it have such close ties to demonic beasts?”

He paused for a moment, then continued, “I’ve heard that the ancient Daoist from Huang Xuanpu once used talismanic decrees to enlighten the Thousand-Leaf Butterfly King and Northern Sea Whale King. But those were Daoist Talismanic Branch methods. The Vast Void Temple shouldn't be using anything similar.”

Everyone listened quietly. Though no one responded, they all silently agreed with Future Maitreya’s reasoning.

The relationship between the Vast Void Temple and these great demons was too close.

While they might not be commanding the demons outright, their ties went far beyond what was typical for humans and demonkind.

Even if they looked similar, spirit beasts that refined spiritual energy and monsters that refined demonic energy were two entirely different things.

For great demons that cultivated dark energies, cultivators of spiritual energy were prime nourishment—tonics and delicacies.

And yet, like some Witch Sect lineages, the Vast Void Temple involved itself with both—though it primarily refined spiritual energy.

At that point, the Mercury Luminary spoke up. “Like the Moon Luminary, I’m not here for information. I’m looking for treasure. Anyone have Past-Life Dew?”

The Mars Luminary, Shen Qubing, chimed in. “I am looking for info—anything on the White Lotus Sect, the Vast Void Temple, Golden Castle, or the Blood River Sect. I’ll take whatever you’ve got.”

With chaos on the rise across the Tang Realm, things had yet to spiral, but the signs were there.

So far, the disturbances had been due to great demons—but human-made disasters would follow soon enough. That’s why Shen Qubing was asking.

The Blood River Sect had been keeping a low profile since Xing Feng took over after Wei Anchang’s death. But their history was too ugly to ignore, so Shen still brought them up.

As for Golden Castle—no mystery there.

Its Ghost King, Zong Han, had links to the Yellow Springs and Shushan.

“I’m after a spirit treasure,” said the Saturn Luminary, Fang Yue. “Anyone got any Wu-Earth Essence?”

Lei Jun didn’t get the answer he was hoping for.

No one seemed to know much about Luoyuan.

Still, he didn’t press the matter.

Instead, he reached out to the Moon Luminary.

He had Kirin Saliva—something Tang Xiaotang and Xu Yuanzhen had acquired while clearing out Huang Xuanpu’s old retreat in the Northern Frontier.

Back then, everyone's attention had been focused on a few Penglai-related talismanic decrees, so this treasure had been set aside.

It was a rare and excellent spiritual item—but no one at Mount Longhu urgently needed it.

So Lei Jun decided to open negotiations.

He hoped to exchange it for something like the Taixu Twin Lotus, Earth-Surge Star Pearl, or the Void-Reversal Origin Stone.

But the Moon Luminary was still in a private conversation with someone else.

So Lei Jun messaged the Mercury Luminary instead.

He had Past-Life Dew—spoils from the battle at Vajra Monastery.

Not of much use to Lei Jun personally. He had originally saved it for his senior brother, Wang Guiyuan, but Wang had no use for it.

He’d thought Future Maitreya might need it—but surprisingly, Mercury asked first, and Maitreya didn’t seem interested.

“Past-Life Dew, I urgently need it,” Mercury Luminary replied directly. “What do you want in return?”

Lei Jun: “Got any innate treasures?”

Mercury replied regretfully, “None at the moment.”

Lei Jun remained calm. “If you truly need the Past-Life Dew, surely you have something prepared?”

Mercury: “Indeed. I have two good spirit items—Cloud-Lock Net and Thundercloud Essence.”

Lei Jun quickly calculated, then said, “I’ll trade the Past-Life Dew for your Cloud-Lock Net.”

“Thank you.” Mercury replied, “You pick the time and place. I’ll follow.”

Soon after striking that deal, the Moon Luminary messaged Lei Jun.

“Apologies, I was in another discussion earlier.”

“No worries,” Lei Jun replied. “I’ve got Kirin Saliva.”

Moon Luminary: “As for Luoyuan—I only know a little.”

Lei Jun: “Do you have any innate treasures?”

Moon Luminary: “Yes. Just one. Mi Luo Ten-Line Jade.”

A perfect innate treasure aligned with the Daoist path, Lei Jun thought.

Maybe it was the only treasure she had—but given her guess at Lei Jun’s identity, she’d deliberately chosen something suited to his Daoist cultivation.

From what Lei Jun suspected, the Moon Luminary practiced Confucian techniques.

The Kirin Saliva would serve her well—whether for cultivation or ritual ceremonies.

He hadn’t gotten the three items he most wanted, but he didn’t push it. “Alright. Mi Luo Ten-Line Jade for Kirin Saliva.”

Currently, his Eight Sceneries Treasure Mantle was still being nurtured and restored.

But his cultivation and mystical abilities had improved so much that, when he wanted to hide his presence, almost no one in the Tang Realm could detect him.

So Lei Jun quietly returned with the Mi Luo Ten-Line Jade and Cloud-Lock Net.

He left the mountain in silence and came back just as quietly.

After that, the Heavenly Tianshi continued deepening his cultivation and refining various treasures.

Summer crept in.

The chaos caused by monsters around the Tang Realm hadn’t abated.

But so far, the damage wasn’t too severe.

In the east, Sea King Ju remained locked in a deadly game of cat-and-mouse with one of the state’s top Grandmasters. Thanks to its regenerative powers and the ocean’s vastness, it had avoided capture—barely.

In the north, Lord Black Mountain surged forward—but Crown Prince Zhang Teng forced him back.

First, he held off the Northern Frontier’s foreign invaders. Then, he suppressed the great demons.

The old prince’s reputation had been climbing all year.

In the west, the Western Region’s demon clans hadn’t fully recovered since their defeat. A few Upper Three Heavens-level monsters had shown up, but no new Nine Heavens monsters had emerged.

In the snowy plateau, rumors said a Sky Eagle was spotted near western Sichuan. But so far, it hadn’t appeared for real.

Both the Xiao Clan outside Longxi and the Shushan Sect remained on high alert.

To the south, more Seventh and Eighth-Heaven monsters had begun to appear.

But the notorious Nine-Winged Golden Centipede—the most feared monster in the Southern Wasteland—hadn’t shown up at all.

So while there was unrest in the south, it remained under control.

“Not necessarily a good thing,” Lei Jun said to his master, Yuan Mobai, who had just emerged from seclusion. “Great demons aren’t mindless. On the contrary—they can be very sensitive to changes in the environment. I suspect many have noticed that void gateways are stirring in multiple directions.”

Chaos often began with great demons.

But if those gateways were awakening, some demons might be holding back—waiting for the right time to strike.

An endless stream of trouble would exhaust defenders, but at least the pressure would be steady.

If it all exploded at once, it would be far worse.

Master Yuan smiled gently as always. “Though Junior Sister Xiaotang’s pursuit of Sea King Ju has left the Central Plains exposed, it’s also discouraged another Nine Heavens monster—the Six-Horned Golden Shark.”

Lei Jun nodded slightly.

He was also keeping an eye on the Luoyuan Portal in the Northern Sea, the Tianli Portal in the Eastern Sea, and the wide-open Penglai Portal, also in the east.

“You’ve just come out of seclusion. Sorry to burden you immediately.”

Lei Jun added, “Have you finished refining the Fate-Shifting Qi?”

Master Yuan smiled. “It was very rewarding. But truly, I owe much to the bone the Sect Leader brought back from Nanzhao.”

Lei Jun said, “It seems similar to the Crimson Spirit Wild Bone, but I don’t think it came from the Yellow Springs. I suspect it’s actually from the Song Mortal Realm.”

Thanks to recent interactions with the Lone Eagle Khanate, Lei Jun and the others had learned much more about the Song Realm.

The biggest red flag?

The Song Dynasty was on the verge of falling—overrun by the Golden Khanate.

This foreign empire was poised to solidify its rule, and the consequences would be far-reaching.

More than that, Lei Jun had also noticed that the Shushan Sect from the Yellow Springs had been active in the Song Realm long before ever appearing in the Tang Realm.

The Song Mortal Realm had been at war for years.

The Shushan Sect likely seized the chaos to reap major benefits.

Aside from the usual exposure to living souls and deathly energy in their cultivation, they were also acquiring large quantities of rare heavenly and earthly treasures from the Song Mortal Realm for artifact refining.

Crimson Spirit Wild Bone might be one of them.

"Each mortal realm experiences spiritual energy surges at different times, in varying degrees, and with differing emphases. As a result, each realm gives rise to unique spiritual items that don’t exist elsewhere," said Yuan Mobai.

Lei Jun spoke softly, “Master, we’ve recently received more updates about the Han Mortal Realm.”

Through the Dark Side of the Heavenly Book Universe, and thanks to Kang Ming who was in the Han Realm, Lei Jun had gradually gathered some insights about the situation there.

Yuan Mobai turned to look at his disciple.

Seeing Lei Jun’s expression, he could tell the news was out of the ordinary.

“There’s still a Tianshi Mansion in the Han Mortal Realm,” Lei Jun said.

Upon hearing that, Yuan Mobai’s expression grew more serious.

Lei Jun continued, “Although the ruling dynasty still calls itself the Han Dynasty, it’s already quite different from the Han Dynasty we know…”

To be precise, in terms of the timeline, the Han Mortal Realm might currently be closest to the Tang Mortal Realm, unlike the Song and Ming Mortal Realms, which are each over a thousand years ahead.

In that realm, many years had passed since it split from the mainstream timeline around the end of the Eastern Han.

Yet in that space-time, the Han Dynasty had managed to persist.

There had once been a powerful ruler who reversed the decline and revived the Han lineage, extending its rule for another millennium.

Then came another era of chaos.

And once again, members of the imperial clan restored the empire.

The Han Dynasty endured for another two thousand years.

Eventually, it reached yet another “End of Han.”

But this time, there wasn’t a rise of rival warlords across the land—

Instead, there was an uprising among the Han imperial clans themselves.

After a massive civil war, the empire was once again unified under the same Han name.

But perhaps, it was no longer the same Han.

According to Kang Ming, the current so-called Han Dynasty is once again facing a turbulent end...

And in the present Han Mortal Realm, the leading force of the Daoist tradition is none other than the Tianshi Mansion.

That mansion still exists there—and it holds considerable influence.

Yuan Mobai listened quietly. His first question after hearing all this was: “What about their ancestral altar?”

Lei Jun replied, “They call it the Dragon-Tiger Ancestral Altar.”

Yuan Mobai’s second question: “Then... the Three Treasures of the Tianshi?”

Lei Jun said, “No. It’s said their Tianshi Mansion’s sacred artifact is something called the Three Caves and Twelve Supreme Talismanic Canons.”

Yuan Mobai fell into deep thought.

The master and disciple sat in silence.

After a while, Yuan Mobai finally spoke. “...An ancient inheritance from the Talismanic Daoist Branch?”

Lei Jun answered softly, “That’s not yet clear. Even Kang Ming felt the situation was too unusual, so he hasn’t made contact.”

Yuan Mobai slowly nodded.

Lei Jun went on, “Buddhism doesn’t seem to be thriving over there. The main faction opposing the Han Tianshi Mansion is quite unique—the Vast Void Temple.”

Although they're officially branded as rebels over there as well, according to Kang Ming, the Han Vast Void Temple is in far better shape—and far more powerful—than its counterpart in the Tang Realm.

“The Tang Realm right now is already full of chaos. Best we focus on this side first,” Yuan Mobai’s expression softened and a smile returned to his face.

Lei Jun nodded. “I think the same. We’ll keep a close watch on the Han Realm, but we shouldn’t make any rash moves.”

His gaze turned westward. “The fortune of the land is in decline, the Dragon Vein is unstable, and the Earth Veins are increasingly erratic. But in some special cases… that might actually be an opportunity.”

Yuan Mobai asked, “What about the Shushan Sect?”

Lei Jun replied, “I heard that Elder Ye Dongming of the Shushan Sect has come out of seclusion and is trying to locate the Qingxiao Hall.”

Of the Six Treasured Artifacts of the Shushan Sect, two of the top-tier items—the Taiyi Innate Tower and Qingxiao Hall—have been lost for years.

Their absence has weighed heavily on the Shushan Sect.

The Qingxiao Hall drifted into the Earth Veins and became extremely difficult to track—it constantly moves.

However, in times of upheaval, there’s often opportunity. With the Tang Realm’s foundations in turmoil, Earth Vein patterns are shifting in unexpected ways.

That’s given Shushan a rare chance to retrieve Qingxiao Hall.

Of course, it’s still an immensely difficult task.

Due to threats like powerful demons on the Snowy Plateau and the Shushan Lineage within the Yellow Springs, the sect couldn’t afford to mobilize many people.

So Elder Ye Dongming went alone, setting off after gathering some clues.

Sect Master Zhang Taigang, Supreme Elder Xu Duan, and the treasures Twin Swords of Purple and Green and the Southern Bright Fire Cauldron all remained on Shushan Celestial Summit, not venturing out.

Since the Yellow Springs Portal hasn’t opened and the Snowy Plateau’s Sky Soaring Eagle hasn’t appeared, the overall situation still allowed Shushan to make an attempt to call back the Qingxiao Hall.

If Qingxiao Hall returns, it will stabilize Shushan’s foundation and help in the larger scheme of things.

“Any developments regarding the Taiyi Innate Tower?” Yuan Mobai asked.

Lei Jun shook his head. “Nothing substantial.”

Yuan Mobai nodded gently.

Back then, in the search for Huang Xuanpu, Lei Jun had managed to gather some clues and successfully located the Taiyi Innate Tower.

But that artifact attracted the attention of the Western White Emperor from the Ming Mortal Realm.

The resulting clash caused the Taiyi Innate Tower to tear open the void and vanish.

Most of the clues Lei Jun had gathered were now useless—he’d have to start over.

However, after years of contemplation, Lei Jun vaguely felt that the Taiyi Innate Tower might have already left the Tang Realm.

Too many Void Gateways had opened during that era.

The Taiyi Innate Tower’s abilities allowed it to hide in the void—perhaps it had quietly slipped into another realm.

Yuan Mobai’s question was essentially whether Lei Jun sensed that it had returned.

“For now, we can only hope that the Shushan Sect successfully retrieves Qingxiao Hall,” Yuan Mobai said.

Southern Nanzhao, Chicha Ridge.

The Yellow Springs Portal here had always been relatively stable—its fluctuations were far less severe than other Void Gateways.

But now, that portal had quietly opened without a sound.

This location had originally been sealed by the Inner Shushan Lineage from within the Yellow Springs.

As such, it was less affected by disruptions from the Tang Realm.

On the other hand, it was also easier for the Inner Shushan cultivators to reopen it now.

Thick gray mist poured out from the portal.

Silhouettes shifted within the fog.

Both the Tang Imperial Court and the Shushan Sect had stationed people here for surveillance.

Seeing the void opening now, the watchers didn’t hesitate—they withdrew immediately.

The Inner Shushan harbored many powerful cultivators from the Yellow Springs, and the few sentries here could never stop them alone.

At present, the court also lacked the resources to keep troops stationed here long term.

Thus, the sole duty of the watchers was to send alerts at the first sign of trouble.

That way, the court could organize and dispatch elite forces in response.

The Inner Shushan knew this full well.

But the opportunity was rare, and they acted immediately.

“This so-called Tang Dynasty in this realm truly shows signs of declining national fortune,” said Li Linxue, the highest-ranking Grand Elder of the Shushan Sect, eyes closed as she released Mortal Dust Qi, sensing the area. A Ninth-Heaven Great Ascension cultivator of the Artifact Refining Sect, she quickly came to a conclusion.

The Corpse Puppet of "Ghost King" Zong Han stood beside them and replied calmly, “There’s still been no movement from the Nine Li in the Earth Sea. If we could wait for them to act as well, that would be ideal.”

Inner Shushan Sect Master Ji Yao stood with hands behind his back, the Ten-Thousand-Souls Banner by his side. “Some things can’t be waited on.”

He gave the banner a shake.

Black mist coiled upward, revealing the image of a middle-aged Daoist.

Zong Han didn’t recognize him. Clearly, this was not someone from the current generation of the Shushan Sect.

But considering the banner’s effects, Zong Han quickly deduced the truth.

“The treasure known as Qingxiao Hall is indeed showing signs of resurfacing.”

After arriving in the mortal realm, Ji Yao and Li Linxue became even more certain than they had been in the Yellow Springs.

Qingxiao Hall was a supreme artifact, forged and passed down by the great Daoist master Li Ke of the Tang Dynasty’s Shushan Sect.

While Ji Yao’s Ten-Thousand-Souls Banner hadn’t been able to bind Li Ke’s evil spirit, it had captured another—Shi Chunbin, Li Ke’s personal disciple and a former senior elder of the Shushan Sect from many years ago.

After Li Ke’s death, Qingxiao Hall had been nurtured and refined by Shi Chunbin.

Through Shi Chunbin’s evil soul, Ji Yao and Li Linxue were able to sense Qingxiao Hall once more.

“The Vajra Division of Mount Sumeru has already been destroyed. After its war with the Lone Eagle Khanate, the Tang Imperial Clan is severely weakened. What about the Tianshi Mansion?” Li Linxue asked Zong Han.

Zong Han replied, “In the battle with the Vajra Division, Tianshi Lei Jun was injured and is recuperating at Mount Longhu. The Tang National Preceptor Tang Xiaotang is currently overseas suppressing demons, and the other Ninth-Heaven cultivator, Xu Yuanzhen, has entered the legendary Penglai.”

Li Linxue looked at Ji Yao, “The Shushan Sect in this realm is weak, but it might be a fallback location for the Tang Imperial forces. As for the Tianshi Mansion—they too are likely vulnerable right now.”

Back during the battle in Bashu and Nanzhao, Inner Shushan had lost many elites, including the Ninth-Heaven High Priest Kang An Daoist, who was slain by the previous Tianshi, Tang Xiaotang.

She had also heavily damaged the Whitebone Divine Ark, causing Inner Shushan years of effort to repair and restore it.

Ji Yao remained composed. “We’re not going to Shushan or Mount Longhu.”

“This time, we have three targets.”

“First, the artifact known as Qingxiao Hall.”

“Second, the Ding Clan.”

“Third, high-realm level great demons.”

“Everything else—we’ll reassess later based on the situation.”

Although Kang An Daoist had died by Tang Xiaotang’s sword, Ji Yao stayed clear-headed.

After the previous war, although the Vajra Division was gone, Ji Yao had no plans to launch another head-on assault against the Tang Imperial Court.

If action was to be taken, it would be after the Nine Li of the Earth Sea, Heavenly Principle of the Eastern Sea, and Luo Abyss of the Northern Sea began moving as well. Then, they could all hunt the Tang Realm together.

For now, the goal was to secure Qingxiao Hall and other targets first.

He nodded to a High Priest nearby.

The other elder produced a Miniature Pouch and handed it to the Corpse Puppet of “Ghost King” Zong Han.

Zong Han thanked him and left.

Looking at the contents of the pouch, a flicker of heat stirred in his heart.

On the other side, Ji Yao turned to Li Linxue and said, “Junior Brother Tian will stay behind to guard the Yellow Springs. I’ll go retrieve Qingxiao Hall. I’ll have to trouble you with this front, Elder Martial Aunt.”

Li Linxue and the group of Inner Shushan cultivators behind her answered in unison, “Understood!”