Seeking Fortune and Avoiding Misfortune: Starting from the Celestial Master’s Mansion
Chapter 38: Taoist Priest Lei Jun

“Boom!”

In the next moment, Lei Jun and the other three simultaneously raised their hands, each summoning a Flame Talisman.

Four enormous fireballs erupted within the blazing underground palace, causing a series of deafening explosions.

Although the Tianshi Mansion and the Yellow Heaven Sect were mortal enemies, they shared a common origin, leading to remarkably similar combat tactics. Mid-range battles usually began with Thunder Talismans and Flame Talismans, resulting in a fierce exchange of power.

However, due to their current cultivation levels, everyone could only activate one Spirit Talisman at a time, lacking the ability to unleash a torrent of talismans like a "flower scatter." But consecutive activation was possible—one talisman after another.

With evenly matched cultivation levels, the power of individual talismans didn’t determine the outcome; instead, it became a matter of who had the larger stockpile.

Lei Jun continuously unleashed Flame Talismans, with fireballs exploding one after another in the underground palace. The environment amplified their destructive force, creating an overwhelming blaze.

The opponents’ Flame Talismans were formidable too, but their supply quickly ran out, forcing them to switch to Thunder Talismans.

When one of the Yellow Heaven disciples realized Lei Jun still had more Flame Talismans at his disposal, he slapped a Wind Talisman on himself. Gripping a command flag, he charged directly at Lei Jun, determined to settle the battle in close combat.

Noticing this, Lei Jun also activated a Wind Talisman, skillfully retreating in a series of quick evasive movements.

Meanwhile, Qu Yong, who was engaged in combat with another Yellow Heaven disciple, observed this and narrowed his eyes thoughtfully.

It was rumored that those under Elder Yuan’s lineage cultivated the Spirit Strike Talisman as their life-bound spell. Such techniques made them fearless in close combat. Lei Jun’s decision to avoid melee might indicate some physical weakness in his vitality.

While defending himself from his opponent, Qu Yong quickly followed the unfolding situation.

Sure enough, Lei Jun wielded a short staff and exchanged a few blows with the Yellow Heaven disciple. Though his moves were agile and swift, his strikes seemed to lack strength.

Qu Yong wanted to watch further, but the fire within the underground palace surged violently, forcing all four individuals to separate and dodge the scorching flames.

Amidst the flickering firelight, Lei Jun turned calmly, disappearing behind a corner of fiery red rock.

He suppressed the spiritual energy of his current Wind Talisman, replacing it with a fresh one.

Though both were Wind Talismans, they were far from identical. The earlier one lacked the infusion of Night Wind Stone’s spiritual energy.

The new talisman, enhanced by Night Wind Stone, granted the ability to blend into the night like a gentle breeze.

Lei Jun affixed the freshly prepared life-bound Wind Talisman onto himself. Despite the blazing brightness around him, his figure seemed to dissolve into the surrounding air.

Next, Lei Jun activated his life-bound Spirit Strike Talisman, followed by an attack-boosting Heavenly Firmament Talisman.

He hefted his short staff, scanning for his previous opponent under the cover of the roaring flames.

The Yellow Heaven disciple wielding a command flag cautiously scanned the area, alert to both enemies and allies.

Hmm?

Something felt wrong.

From the corner of his eye, he noticed a shadow on the rock wall illuminated by the fire.

The first shadow was his own.

The second one?

The second shadow raised a hand holding something!

The disciple’s scalp tingled, and his hairs stood on end. His reaction was swift, but before he could turn, the shadow’s arm swung down.

“Smack!”

A short staff, thick on one end and slender on the other, crashed onto the disciple’s head.

A golden protective barrier appeared, activated by his Golden Barrier Talisman, blocking the strike.

Though measures to counter the Golden Barrier Talisman were well-studied, the talisman remained a highly effective defensive spell, especially when cultivated as a life-bound technique.

The disciple felt grateful for his caution and the talisman’s enhanced defenses.

Then, a light flashed on the staff.

The protective barrier from the Golden Barrier Talisman, as if made of paper, tore apart under the blow.

“Thud!”

The disciple didn’t even have time to turn before Lei Jun’s staff struck the back of his head, sending him collapsing forward without a sound.

Lei Jun nodded calmly.

“One.”

He picked up the fallen disciple’s command flag, examined it briefly, then turned away.

In the distance, the silhouette of another Yellow Heaven disciple emerged—the one who had been fighting Qu Yong earlier.

This person held a Daoist sword, squinting through the firelight at the figure ahead.

When Lei Jun turned with the command flag in hand, the disciple’s heart sank.

Without moving his feet, Lei Jun seemed to float effortlessly, covering dozens of meters as though carried by the wind, arriving directly in front of the opponent.

This time, Lei Jun openly swung his staff at the disciple’s head.

The second disciple’s Golden Barrier Talisman had already been depleted during earlier battles, leaving no time for replacement. He could only raise his sword to block the incoming strike.

The short staff didn’t appear to be an exceptional weapon.

Then, golden light flashed once more on the staff.

“Crack!”

The sword shattered like brittle wood.

Stunned, the disciple froze. Lei Jun’s staff descended squarely on his forehead.

“Thud!”

The disciple’s eyes rolled back as he toppled over, unconscious.

“Two.”

Lei Jun nodded again.

Surveying the surroundings, he weighed the command flag in his hand.

Now armed with both a short staff and the flag, he continued searching for targets.

The tremors and firelight in the underground palace slightly subsided.

Qu Yong, struggling against the oppressive heat, activated a Water Talisman to shield himself from the flames.

“Lei Jun… Junior Brother, and those two Yellow Heaven Sect scoundrels—where are they?”

Qu Yong looked around, a growing sense of unease creeping over him.

Suddenly, a sharp crack sounded behind him.

The golden barrier from his Golden Barrier Talisman shattered under the strike of a short staff.

Qu Yong instinctively turned to counterattack, but a flash of insight halted him. Instead, he tried to retreat first.

Whatever his plan, he hadn’t moved before a command flag struck the back of his head.

Qu Yong’s eyes widened briefly before he collapsed, unconscious.

“Three.”

Lei Jun nodded for the third time.

He hefted Qu Yong’s unconscious body, steering clear of the flames.

While Lei Jun had decisively struck the Yellow Heaven disciples, he held back slightly against Qu Yong.

After disposing of the two disciples’ bodies in the fire, Lei Jun carried Qu Yong toward the central Xuanyang Cavern of the grotto-heaven.

Oddly, the fire here was less intense than on the outskirts.

Setting Qu Yong down, Lei Jun surveyed his surroundings. There were no signs of anyone else entering the grotto.

He glanced at the short staff crafted from Upper Qing Golden Bamboo in his hand.

“Indeed, a fine artifact. Even as a bamboo shoot, it’s an exceptional one.”

Raising his gaze to the blazing inferno of the underground palace, he wondered where the Fourth-Grade Opportunity foretold by the Supreme Good Omen could be.

Just as he pondered, a faint golden light flickered amidst the fiery red flames.

The light moved as if alive.

Intrigued, Lei Jun approached, only for the golden light to dart away like a fish in water, vanishing into the fire.

He tried a few more times, but the light continued to avoid him.

Wait…

Lei Jun suddenly paused, stepping back while lifting the short staff.

The golden light emerged once again from the fiery sea, swimming upward like a fish breaching the water.