Seeking Fortune and Avoiding Misfortune: Starting from the Celestial Master’s Mansion
Chapter 373: The Heavenly Master Returns

The message from Tang Xiaotang caught Lei Jun somewhat by surprise.

"There’s a Grand Void Twin Lotus in the Land-Sea?"

Given the current situation in the Great Tang Mortal Realm, Lei Jun hadn’t left the mountain specifically to search for such a treasure.

If he had gone looking, his attention would’ve been focused on high-tier realms like Penglai or Tianli, or maybe he’d have taken a chance in the void beyond the world.

To be fair, the Land-Sea—as one of the Ten Earths—wasn’t just a dangerous zone.

Aside from various calamities, it also birthed many rare and precious treasures.

Some natural treasures were only possible within the Land-Sea.

Otherwise, the Nine Li Tribe wouldn’t have been able to recover and sustain themselves there for so many years.

Still, Lei Jun didn’t expect the Grand Void Twin Lotus to be associated with the Land-Sea.

If it had been Senior Sister Xu Yuanzhen sending word from the Ming Mortal Realm or Penglai, Lei Jun wouldn’t have been this surprised.

Though Tang Xiaotang’s methods were often unconventional, she was not one to misidentify something so important.

Even though the Grand Void Twin Lotus hadn’t fully matured, its presence within the Land-Sea was undeniable.

Lei Jun speculated that this anomaly might be linked to the current state of the Land-Sea.

Messages from Shen Qubing, Tang Xiaotang, and a steady stream of intel from the Tang Imperial Court continued to arrive at Mount Longhu.

Thanks to that, Lei Jun had a rough understanding of what was happening in the Land-Sea.

Strictly speaking, the Land-Sea’s current situation hadn’t yet posed a direct threat to the Great Tang.

The Void Gateway connecting it to the mortal realm had opened, but no Great Shamans of the Nine Li had descended upon the human world.

In fact, within the Land-Sea, the Nine Li were waging a fierce civil war.

The Nine Li encompassed several clans.

Previously, the ones invading the human realm had been the Broken Li and Bi Li clans.

And the reigning king of the Nine Li in the Land-Sea had been the chieftain of the Greedy Li.

While the Nine Li were loosely organized, he was still referred to as the King of the Nine Li in this era—the Ruler of the Land-Sea.

He was traditionally supported by the Martial Li, Broad Li, and Auxiliary Li clans.

On the other side stood the Literary Li, Giant Li, and Fortune Li alliance.

Years ago, a massive battle broke out over the throne of the Land-Sea.

In that war, the second-strongest Nine Li expert—the chief of the Literary Li—was gravely wounded and went missing, leading their faction to defeat and retreat.

Unfortunately, at that time the Land-Sea underwent a drastic change.

The Luo Abyss merged with the Land-Sea, sparking conflict between the Great Shamans of the Nine Li and the monstrous beasts of Luo Abyss.

The Greedy Li and their allies waged repeated battles against those monsters.

The Literary Li and their allies fled to desolate regions of the Land-Sea.

The Broken Li and Bi Li, seeking to avoid the wrath of the dominant clans, instead turned their ambitions toward the Great Tang Mortal Realm.

Only recently did the Nine Li finally push back the Luo Abyss monsters.

But at that very moment, the Literary, Giant, and Fortune Li launched a comeback.

The long-presumed-dead elder of the Literary Li reappeared.

Li Yan of the Broken Li and Li De of the Bi Li joined the three returning clans in attacking the Greedy and Martial Li factions.

The Greedy Li, weary from the Luo Abyss battles, were caught off guard, suffering heavy losses.

The tide had turned.

The Greedy Li Chieftain, who had once slain great monsters and sealed the Void Channel between Luo Abyss and the Land-Sea, now lay gravely wounded.

His strongest allies—leaders of the Martial, Broad, and Auxiliary Li—had suffered two deaths and one severe injury.

The remnants, including the Greedy Li Chieftain, retreated to their ancestral fortress.

The Five-Clan Coalition now pushed for the final assault.

But progress was slow.

During this time, the Void Gateway connecting the Tang Mortal Realm and Land-Sea opened once more.

The Five Clans set up massive ritual arrays throughout the Land-Sea to channel spiritual energy, trying to break through the Greedy Li’s defenses.

This drew vast amounts of spiritual energy from the Tang Mortal Realm into the Land-Sea.

With the Empress gravely wounded and national fortune declining, the land itself had begun to destabilize.

Now, even more earth veins were being dragged into the Land-Sea.

From this angle, Tang Guoshi had arrived at just the right time.

With Tang Xiaotang entering the Land-Sea and many Tang cultivators following her lead, they gradually stemmed the outflow of energy.

Their involvement made the war even more intense.

Lei Jun pondered but didn’t rush to the Land-Sea himself.

First, as Tang Xiaotang noted, the Grand Void Twin Lotus hadn’t ripened.

Second, it was well-hidden. Unless luck was truly bad, no one else was likely to seize or damage it soon.

Though the war was fierce, Tang Xiaotang and the others were safe for now.

So Lei Jun paused to monitor the broader situation.

As expected, aside from the Boyan Mountains remaining stable, the Void Gateways triggered by the Lone Eagle Khanate’s previous incursions were now gradually reopening.

One was in the Great and Lesser Pass Mountains on the Tang’s northwest border.

Another lay atop the Solitary Cloud Plains beyond the desert.

Thankfully, the Song Mortal Realm across the gateways remained calm for now.

After the Lone Eagle Khanate's near-destruction, other tribes hadn’t yet made moves through the portals.

But recent reports confirmed that though large invasions hadn’t resumed, small scout units had begun probing movements.

Thanks to Shen Qubing and others striking back earlier, the Tang now had more intel on foreign powers.

Soon, scouts confirmed:

The parties near the Pass Mountains came from the Azure Wolf Khanate.

Those around the Solitary Cloud Plains hailed from the White Deer Khanate.

Small in number but elite, these scouts seemed more interested in recon than raiding.

Perhaps due to the Golden Khanate’s looming threat, both acted more cautiously.

Still, the Tang Imperial Court had to remain vigilant.

Previously, with the Yellow Springs threat from Inner Shushan suppressed, the Fang Clan patriarch Fang Jingsheng had returned to Jingxiang.

Now, by imperial edict, he headed north toward Yuanzhou.

Meanwhile, Prince Zhao Zhang Teng, who had repelled the Black Mountain Lord, moved further west to secure the Tang’s northern frontier and watch for monster incursions.

It was said that the aged and ailing Ye Moquan, patriarch of the Ye Clan of Cangzhou, had come out of seclusion to join the Lin Clan of Youzhou, guarding against renewed threats in Prince Zhao’s absence.

With Prince Zhao pushing westward, they also watched the Northern Sea, in case the Whale King or other monsters reemerged.

Lei Jun quietly processed these updates—

Until bad news came from the Southern Wasteland.

After the Four-Eyed Python Emperor, another mighty demon had risen: the Nine-Winged Golden Centipede, a Ninth Heaven monster.

With many top Witch Sect experts and Divine Strategy Army soldiers inside the Land-Sea, the Southern Wasteland had been left vulnerable.

Now the Nine-Winged Centipede posed a major threat.

Normally, demons struck during chaos. But unlike the Sea King Ju or Black Mountain Lord, this one showed up later—intentionally or not.

This delay only made it more dangerous.

The Six-Horned Golden Shark had already torn open a breach along the eastern Tang coast.

Only when Tang Xiaotang arrived—and Tianli’s own problems erupted—did the situation stabilize.

Now, with both the Nine-Winged Centipede and the Nine Li surfacing at once, the southern regions faced mounting pressure.

Tang Xiaotang was already engaged in the Land-Sea against the Nine Li.

The Southern Wasteland still served as a buffer, so the centipede hadn’t reached the Tang border yet.

But if it pushed further...

No one could predict the outcome.

After some thought, Lei Jun contacted Yuan Mobai and Wang Guiyuan.

The Tang Court’s longtime representative at Mount Longhu was an old acquaintance—Prince Xunan, Zhang Mu, of the Tianshi Mansion.

Lei Tianshi requested an audience.

“The East, West, and North each face threats, but for now they remain stable. The chaos stirred by the Nine-Winged Centipede in the South, however, is an imminent danger,” Lei Jun said calmly.

Prince Zhang Mu’s face turned grave. “Tianshi’s concern is well-founded.”

Lei Jun rose from his seat. “I’ll make the journey myself.”

Zhang Mu was overjoyed. “If the Tianshi joins Tang Guoshi, the southern frontier will be secure!”

But even as he rejoiced, a hint of hesitation crept in.

He vaguely sensed that although Lei Jun looked fine, his mana wasn’t as harmonious as before.

Lei Jun gave no explanation. He immediately issued a decree to the entire Tianshi Mansion—he was leaving the mountain.

Since Zhang Mu had come to check on Lei Jun’s recovery, he naturally accompanied him south.

Lei Jun said nothing more, and Zhang Mu grew even more uneasy:

Was the Tianshi really setting out again before fully healing?

That thought left Zhang Mu with a heavy heart.

But he said nothing, quietly following Lei Jun down from Mount Longhu.

---

Far to the East, across the vast northern ocean—

The Luo Abyss Gateway reopened.

Xiao Xueting arrived in concert with a detachment of Divine Strategy Army soldiers and a number of elite Tang Imperial Clan cultivators.

The good news was that, while a large number of demonic beasts had surged into the Tang Mortal Realm from Luoyuan, none were top-tier Great Demons.

The bad news, however, was that Luoyuan, much like the Land of the Deep Sea, would be extremely difficult to reseal.

The Tang cultivators immediately engaged the onrushing demons from Luoyuan in fierce battle.

Luoyuan was one of the famed realms of death and netherworld, alongside Avīci and Yellow Springs.

Just as the Shushan Sect cultivators stationed in Yellow Springs had adapted their Daoist arts and mystical abilities under the influence of its nether death aura, taking on a distinctive regional flavor, the demonic beasts emerging from Luoyuan carried that same eerie mark.

There were many species among them, most of which had directly refined the life-and-death nether qi into their own demonic aura and miasma.

As a result, their aura carried the chilling taint of Luoyuan’s death qi.

While the Divine Strategy Army cultivators weren’t as specialized in Pure Yang artifacts as the disciples of Shushan, their prior experience with the Yellow Springs incursion left them prepared—no one was caught entirely off guard.

That said, these demons from Luoyuan were strange and unpredictable.

Among them were Wraith Lynxes, creatures with almost no physical form, resembling phantoms and ghosts, who directly launched soul attacks against the Tang cultivators.

There was also a demon called Ghost Tiger, resembling a Witch Sect ghost cultivator who refined evil souls into soldiers. While it lacked the brute strength of other Great Demons, it could command an army of phantom wraiths to fight on its behalf.

Other enemies were more straightforward in combat, like the Bone Jiao, its skeletal body like reinforced steel, resistant not only to physical weapons but also impervious to many spells.

The creatures were many in number and came in a wide range of species.

Corrupted by both death qi and demonic miasma, the Luoyuan beasts weren’t frenzied—they were cold and utterly bloodthirsty.

Among them was a species of insect demon known as the Corpse Flea.

It looked small and frail, but could burrow into the corpses of both demons and human cultivators, reanimating them as corpse puppets, mimicking most of their original skills.

Even now, one such Corpse Flea was sneaking toward a wounded but still living Tang cultivator, aiming for his injury, trying to burrow inside.

Should it succeed, it could turn him into its puppet.

Just then—a flash of sword light cut through the air.

It was the magnificent and commanding Mountain and River Sword, its broad blade enormous compared to the tiny insect.

Its point, however, struck with unerring precision, piercing the Corpse Flea dead center.

The insect was obliterated on the spot.

The Tang cultivator, stunned, blinked, then trembled in shock and fear. He hastily turned and thanked Xiao Xueting.

She merely gestured for him to retreat and focus on recovery—then disappeared from where she stood.

Moments later, she reappeared past a swarm of phantom wraiths, right before the Ghost Tiger.

She seemed to merely pass by it.

The next moment, she was among another cluster of demons.

Behind her, the Ghost Tiger's eyes dimmed—the wound on its head splitting open.

The nearby phantom wraiths, once howling wildly, froze midair, then dissipated into smoke.

Xiao Xueting continued exorcising demons while observing the Luoyuan portal.

Still, no sign of a Nine Heavens-level Great Demon.

Instead of relaxing, Xiao Xueting furrowed her brow in growing concern.

---

Deep within Luoyuan, the place was riddled with abyssal chasms.

Each abyss was eerily silent, only cloaked in black mist that never dispersed.

Within one such chasm, a massive gathering of Great Demons had assembled—far more than those at the portal to the Tang Mortal Realm.

Unlike the fragmented demon forces in the human world, who often fought amongst themselves, these demons within Luoyuan were momentarily coexisting.

They all bowed in unison toward the abyss’s center, where a towering black silhouette loomed.

Its shape was unclear, but a pair of glowing red eyes glared from the shadows, sweeping across the crowd.

After a moment, another colossal figure soared in from beyond and landed, also kneeling before the dark figure: “My King.”

The red-eyed Demon King growled with a chilling voice, “What news?”

The demon replied, “They’ve returned from the Land of the Deep Sea and are highly alert.”

The Demon King asked, “What about the two who entered Luoyuan earlier?”

The reply: “The one at the Eighth Heaven level has left Luoyuan. The Seventh Heaven one is still unaccounted for...”

The Demon King showed no anger, no emotion: “Keep looking. Do not stop until you find them.”

“Yes, my King.” The demon bowed again and flew off into the abyss.

Another fierce demon chirped in a hushed tone: “My King, about the void gateway to the human world...”

“No rush.”

The Demon King said, “We won’t use that path.”

The demon horde answered as one: “Yes, my King.”

---

Over the Eastern Sea, Ye Yan, patriarch of the Ye Clan of Qingzhou, stood calmly above the waves, watching the waters below.

Beneath the ocean surface was a void gateway linking the mortal realm to Penglai, one of the Nine Heavens.

Ye Yan was curious about Penglai, but had no intention of entering.

Nor did he seal the portal—Xu Yuanzhen might use it to return to the Tang Mortal Realm.

The people of Penglai, likewise, were too preoccupied to focus on this gateway.

Their attention was fixed on the Great Ming Mortal Realm.

Xu Yuanzhen had exposed the existence of both the Western White Emperor and the Daoist Nation in Great Ming, prompting a reaction from the Ming court, which now turned its gaze toward Penglai.

Behind Ye Yan, several Ye Clan elders busied themselves with preparations.

While nothing had happened yet, they were laying the groundwork.

At that moment, Ye Yao approached and handed him a letter.

Ye Yan read it in silence, then handed it back.

After scanning it herself, Ye Yao inhaled sharply. “Xuanxiaozi of Mount Longhu... has descended from the mountain?”

She looked up. “His injuries are fully healed?”

Ye Yan gave no reply.

After reading more carefully, Ye Yao hesitated. “Could it be a bluff?”

“Too early to say.” said Ye Yan. “Pass the word—tighten intelligence gathering in the south. I want every detail reported to me at once.”

“Understood.” said Ye Yao.

Others nearby seemed hesitant to speak.

Sensing their thoughts, Ye Yan said coolly, “The situation remains unclear. No rash moves. Remember—tugging one thread may unravel the whole tapestry.”

Everyone responded in unison: “Yes.”

He turned his gaze westward, toward the Central Plains.

“How are preparations?”

Ye Yao replied, “Almost complete. We’re just finalizing the details.”

She, too, looked west. “The new ancestral lands in Cangzhou and Youzhou are not yet stable. Even with that figure presiding over Cangzhou, they won’t be able to outmaneuver the Crown Prince. The real concern remains Chang’an.”

She added, “The Daoist Master of Longhu Temple took the National Preceptor’s Seal into the Land of the Deep Sea—a good sign. She can’t rival the Crown Prince, but if she returns to the mortal realm, she’ll complicate things.”

Ye Yan replied, “Plan ahead. Prepare thoroughly. If you’re not confident, don’t act at all.”

Ye Yao said, “Yes.”

Ye Yan’s gaze turned westward, toward the mainland, toward Chang’an, the old capital of the Tang Dynasty.

That place—was the crux of everything.

If Chang’an didn’t offer an opening, then all other plans were moot.

He shifted his gaze north.

There, were others with similar schemes in mind.

His Highness Prince Zhao and the eldest brother—they couldn’t possibly be unaware of their own disadvantages. So how would they compensate?

His gaze moved again, back toward the Eastern Sea, back toward the gateway to Penglai.

This place… might hold some variables.

And then—

Ye Yan looked south.

There too, could be unexpected changes.

He could still make preparations here by the Eastern Sea, but the south… was out of reach.

That place, too, was of critical importance…

---

Southern Wasteland.

Lei Jun, Zhang Mu, and the others headed south, leaving the territory of the Tang Dynasty and stepping into the borders of the Southern Wasteland.

However, just as they arrived, the latest news left everyone staring at each other in surprise:

Someone had stopped the rampage of the Nine-Winged Golden Centipede.

And that someone was… slightly unexpected to some.

Once the pride of the Divine Dance Lineage of the Southern Wasteland’s sacred land Gepo Mountain, now a guest elder of the Blood River Sect.

Li Tianqing.

Not only was the Nine-Winged Golden Centipede halted, it was even forced to flee south.

A great demon whose strength equaled a human cultivator at the Ninth Heaven, and yet, this time it ended up making a lot of noise but achieving very little.

“This Elder Li from the Blood River Sect has officially stepped into the Ninth Heaven of the Divine Dance Lineage,”

It was Chu Kun—just arrived in the Southern Wasteland to meet up with Lei Jun—who filled in the details:

“From what we can tell, he just broke through. Looks like he hasn’t even started cultivating his third life-bound mystical ability, but his strength is already terrifying. Under the ritual formation, the Nine-Winged Golden Centipede almost couldn’t escape at all.”

Lei Jun looked calm. “Not surprising. Back when he was at the Eighth Heaven, he could still face off against Yuan Shanji, an elder of Gepo Mountain whose realm was slightly higher.

Later, he teamed up with Xing Feng from the Blood River Sect, and even Wei Anchang of the Ninth Heaven couldn’t gain the upper hand.

The two of them are not only naturally talented in cultivation, but also excel in combat arts far beyond their peers. Not ordinary folks by any measure.”

Lei Jun had only heard of Xing Feng by name.

But he had seen Li Tianqing fight in person.

It had been nearly thirty years since their first encounter in the Southern Wasteland.

Back then, Li Tianqing wasn’t even fifty years old but had already reached the Eighth Heaven in the Divine Dance Lineage—second only to Tang Xiaotang, and the most promising young master of that generation in the Tang Mortal Realm.

What he never expected was how drastically his life would change afterward.

But true gold stands up to fire. After all those twists and turns, thirty years later, he had finally broken through to the Ninth Heaven, becoming the second publicly recognized Ninth Heaven-level master of the Southern Wasteland’s Divine Dance Lineage after Wei Anchang—still far from a hundred years old.

He had fulfilled the hopes the Southern Wasteland and Gepo Mountain once placed on him—surpassing the previous Gepo Mountain Lord, Sang Lu, and becoming the top figure of the Divine Dance Lineage.

Still, for him, the phrase “everything’s changed” couldn’t be more fitting.

“He left Gepo Mountain because of the matter with the Nine Li Bloodline, but it’s clear he still feels some affection for the place,”

Chu Kun said. “This time, it was Gepo Mountain under attack by the Nine-Winged Golden Centipede, and it was Elder Li of the Blood River Sect who appeared and drove it off.

It’s obvious the current mountain lord of Gepo Mountain, Brother Wen Xi, was in contact with him earlier. But it seems even he didn’t expect Elder Li to have already broken through to the Ninth Heaven.”

Lei Jun thought for a moment. “If your guess is right, and his breakthrough was the Heavenly Chasm Tribulation between the Eighth and Ninth Heavens, then it probably happened this year—right after Brother Wen took over Gepo Mountain. That would be when Elder Li went to undergo tribulation.”

Chu Kun seemed to grasp something. “Free of attachments, huh… That would explain his ties to Gepo Mountain and Brother Wen, and match his recent actions.”

After driving off the Nine-Winged Golden Centipede, Li Tianqing didn’t stop there. He gave chase, forcing the great demon to flee in exhaustion.

To the Tang Imperial Court and the Southern Wasteland Witch Sect, it was good news.

To the Heavenly Master Lei, though, it came a little too late.

“If Elder Li’s doing that… then what about the other Blood River Sect members?” Lei Jun asked calmly, as if they’d come all this way for nothing.

Chu Kun said, “The whereabouts of Xing Feng and the others from the Blood River Sect are currently unknown.”

Since Xing Feng had taken over the sect, the Blood River disciples had become more low-key—no longer prowling like bloodthirsty sharks.

Lei Jun: “Any word from the Earth Sea?”

Chu Kun: “The Greedy Li, Martial Li, Broad Li, and Auxiliary Li tribes are holding on for now, but two of their tribe leaders are dead and two injured. No strength for a counterattack.

Li Yan and Li De led the Broken Li and Bi Li tribes to join forces with the Cultured Li, Giant Li, and Fortune Li. Senior Sister Tang tried to go after Li Yan but hasn’t succeeded yet.”

Chu Kun’s expression turned more serious. “There are many experts in that five-tribe alliance. Especially Li Zhongding, the chief of the Cultured Li tribe—he’s incredibly powerful.

He lost the title of Earth Sea Lord years ago after being defeated by Li Yuanheng of the Greedy Li tribe. Everyone thought he’d died.

But now he’s returned even stronger. He struck when Li Yuanheng was locked in battle with a great demon from Luo Abyss and seriously injured him.

If Senior Sister Tang hadn’t broken into the Earth Sea, the title of Earth Sea Lord might have changed hands already.”

“Well, since I’m here, I’ll lend a hand.”

Lei Jun turned to Prince Xunan, Zhang Mu, and the others. “Everyone, follow me.”

They all agreed without hesitation.

Lei Jun then set up several ritual formations around the Earth Sea gateway, assigning maintenance to Chu Kun, Zhang Mu, and others.

Though he couldn’t channel dragon qi from the earth veins like Tang Xiaotang could, Lei Jun’s insight was profound, and he was deeply familiar with the earth’s flow. The interconnected formations stabilized the local terrain and helped restrain the Earth Sea’s pull on the Mortal Realm’s spiritual energy.

He also planned to go into the Earth Sea for a look. While there was still time—the Twin-Lotus of Grand Void had yet to bloom—and Tang Xiaotang was having a blast with the Tianshi Sword, he decided not to delay further.

“I’ll go into the Earth Sea to find Little Senior Sister. You stay up here. Stay alert.”

He instructed Chu Kun. “If things go south, just prioritize your safety and retreat. I’ve got other arrangements—no need to defend the rear path at all costs.”

Chu Kun grinned. “I love hearing you say that, but it’s a turbulent time. You and Little Senior Sister had better be careful too.”

Lei Jun took his leave from Chu Kun and Zhang Mu.

Just as he was about to enter the Earth Sea, the light sphere in his consciousness suddenly began to flicker:

“Waves rise in the Earth Sea. A Black Lotus blooms in the Mortal Realm.”

Then, two omens emerged:

• Upper-Moderate Omen: “Before entering the Earth Sea, head to Canglang Rock by the Southern Sea. You may gain a Third-Grade Opportunity. Minor turbulence, no current danger, though future karmic entanglements may arise—proceed with caution to resolve them. Good.”

• Moderate-Moderate Omen: “Enter the Earth Sea directly. No extra gains. Some additional turbulence, no real danger. Neutral.”

Lei Jun was a bit surprised.

A Black Lotus blooming in the Mortal Realm?

Could it be… people from the Vast Void Temple?

He raised an eyebrow slightly.

Back when Li Yan and the Broken Li tribe made a mess in Cangzhou, it was a great demon—coordinated through the Vast Void Temple—that helped them escape by sea and return to the Southern Wasteland, back to the Earth Sea.

It was because of the Vast Void Temple’s Abbot Yuanmie that they split from the elite families like the Ye Clan of Cangzhou.

Now that the Earth Sea’s gateway had reopened, was the temple trying to get involved again?

Judging by the second omen, they might stir some trouble—but it wouldn’t affect him… Lei Jun mused.

Still, he chose the Upper-Moderate Omen.

Calmly, Lei Jun bypassed the Earth Sea gateway and headed first to Canglang Rock by the Southern Sea.