Seeking Fortune and Avoiding Misfortune: Starting from the Celestial Master’s Mansion
Chapter 398: A high level of realm can crush people to death

Dehai.

One of the Seven Abysses Hanging from the Sky, this was Qiangliang Abyss.

The upside-down sea suspended high in the sky was now churning violently.

Within it, General Jin Daowu of the Tang Divine Strategy Army sensed something was wrong.

The abyss began to stir restlessly. In one vast region, a whirlpool was forming, hanging inverted above the sky.

Spiritual energy and evil miasma intertwined, generating a massive suction force that began pulling everything nearby inward.

It affected everyone indiscriminately—whether Tang soldiers or the Jiuli people of Dehai.

A large number of cultivators and Jiuli tribesmen were dragged into the whirlpool formed by the spiritual energy and evil aura.

Jin Daowu arrived just in time, and without hesitation, charged head-on, slashing his blade toward the center of the whirlpool.

The whirlpool twisted under the blow, and its forceful suction halted for a moment.

Some of the Tang soldiers caught within it managed to escape in that brief reprieve.

Jin Daowu’s eyes narrowed.

Beneath the torn whirlpool, spiritual energy and evil aura intertwined, forming a path that stretched downward.

A blood-red path.

It seemed to carry the artistic conception of the Blood River Lineage of the Witch Sect, except the blood river had now become a blood road.

The blood road was solid.

As Jin Daowu looked closer, he saw that it was seemingly constructed from a vast network of talismans.

The blood road extended into the depths of the upside-down Qiangliang Abyss—deep beneath the abyssal sea.

Yet, since Qiangliang Abyss was suspended in mid-air, from afar, the road looked like a path ascending to the heavens.

But it was distinctly different from the Taoist Talisman Traditions familiar to Tang cultivators.

It was filled with contradictions and disharmony.

On that blood-red celestial path, there was only one person.

A thin, pale young man.

But within his frail figure seemed to lie a unique power.

“…Chen Yi?”

In Jin Daowu’s sight, the young man’s features gradually overlapped with a portrait from his memory.

He recognized him.

This was Chen Yi, the expelled disciple of the Tang Dynasty’s Celestial Master Residence at Mount Longhu.

After leaving Mount Longhu, Chen Yi briefly joined the Demon Suppression Guard, established by the imperial court.

But later, he left that as well.

Subsequent reports indicated that he had aligned himself with the Mortal Dao Nation.

Thus, within the Great Tang, Chen Yi was now officially listed as a wanted criminal.

However, his whereabouts had been elusive.

He’d once received protection from the Ye Clan of Cangzhou, helping him stay hidden.

Later, a conflict between the Jiuli and the Ye Clan exposed his location, after which he disappeared into Luoyuan.

Now that Luoyuan had reconnected with Dehai, Chen Yi's appearance here greatly surprised Jin Daowu.

As a wanted criminal, and now directly threatening Jin Daowu and his men, Jin didn’t hesitate.

He immediately slashed his blade at him.

At the same time, the Jiuli expert who had just been fighting against the Tang army was also forced to team up with Jin Daowu—

The sudden appearance of this new enemy meant they had to eliminate him first to avoid being taken advantage of.

Chen Yi stood calmly on the celestial blood road, unmoved by the sudden alliance against him.

The previously straight path suddenly twisted and turned.

Boundless blood mist surged forth.

Chen Yi made no move to block,

yet the blood mist alone stopped Jin Daowu and the others in their tracks.

A sense of danger surged in Jin’s heart.

Without time to analyze, he instinctively retreated.

The Jiuli expert was slightly slower—

blood-red mist instantly enveloped him.

Vicious yet strangely elegant talisman patterns surfaced all over his body.

He seemed to become a giant talisman scroll, as Chen Yi inscribed upon him.

The blood-red runes shimmered.

The Jiuli warrior let out a stifled groan and stumbled back.

What a sinister technique. Definitely unlike any Taoist talisman lineage... Jin Daowu was both shocked and wary.

Chen Yi did not pursue.

He looked off into the distance.

There, other Tang cultivators and Jiuli people were still locked in combat.

Top experts like Li Tianqing and Shen Qubing were among them.

“This should be enough. No need to risk more. That’ll do for now.”

Chen Yi was not opposed to killing.

His only concern was whether it satisfied his needs.

To him, Tang cultivators, Jiuli people, even Luoyuan’s demons—

were all the same.

He had walked alone to reach his current level.

All that mattered now was his own strength.

If necessary, he would kill.

Anyone who stood in his way, he would kill.

Through constant struggle and perseverance,

he had carved out his own path—

a blood-red road to the heavens.

Past grievances meant nothing now.

As his strength grew, all former challenges and enemies fell away.

Everything he had once lost, he believed he would regain.

Gazing at Jin Daowu from the Tang Realm, Chen Yi’s eyes flickered briefly,

but he didn’t strike again.

He would one day return to the Tang Realm—

not for the Ye Clan, nor for the Mortal Dao Nation—

but for himself.

Above Qiangliang Abyss, spiritual energy and evil miasma continued to intertwine.

Amid shifting clouds and swirling winds, the blood-red path extended upward, disappearing into the abyss’s depths.

Jin Daowu, a seasoned veteran of the Tang Divine Strategy Army, wasn’t the most learned,

but he was experienced.

As a cultivator of the Upper Three Heavens, he could vaguely sense that

Chen Yi, on that blood-red path, was using the chaos of Dehai as an opportunity—

to break through from the Seventh Heaven to the Eighth.

By Jin’s estimate, Chen Yi should be about seventy years old now.

That made his progress fast, but not extraordinary.

However, what was truly unique was how Chen Yi had combined the Witch Sect’s Blood River Lineage with Taoist talisman traditions, even drawing from other philosophies.

He had blazed a new trail, with no clear precedent.

Naturally, this made his path far more difficult.

Yet he had reached the Upper Three Heavens,

and now stood at the threshold of the Eighth Heaven—

each step forward being a step into the unknown.

What his future would hold was impossible to predict.

But one thing was clear:

His path was incredibly fierce and ominous.

Even though Chen Yi had withdrawn, Jin Daowu didn’t feel relieved.

He quickly warned the other Tang cultivators in Dehai to remain on guard.

That explained how Chen Yi had managed to survive unscathed for more than a decade amidst the horde of beasts in Luoyuan. Not only had he avoided being devoured, he’d even thrived—and now, he’d chosen to enter secluded cultivation within the chaotic Qiongqi Abyss.

While the Bone Jiao Emperor coiled his enormous body to shield the ritual altar, one of his massive claws struck down savagely.
But Shen Qubing, twisting his body once again, narrowly evaded the enormous claw that seemed to search heaven and earth.

After several failed strikes, the Bone Jiao Emperor let out a deep, angry growl.
Even though he had appeared to protect Chen Yi during his breakthrough, he was visibly furious.

Unfortunately, before he could take any further action, his colossal body suddenly convulsed violently!
Yet the tremor hadn’t come from the half of his body submerged into the Earth Sea—it had come from the portion left behind in Luoyuan.

The massive skeletal dragon let out a series of low roars, its body twisting violently in midair.
Soon, the Bone Jiao Emperor could no longer hold on. His body shuddered, then surged forward—fully plunging into the Earth Sea.

His vast figure was oppressive to behold, enough to stir despair.
But when the Great Tang cultivators and the Jiuli tribesmen looked closely, they saw that the rear half of the Bone Dragon’s body was now covered in enormous wounds.

They looked like blade wounds—fresh and deep—bleeding torrents of red from cracks in the white bone.

The Bone Jiao clan was renowned for its formidable combat strength—physically and spiritually. Their bodies and souls were exceptionally durable.
Yet now, the dragon’s tail bore a gaping fissure that nearly severed it entirely.

Everyone in the Earth Sea—man or beast—was stunned.

From within the portal to Luoyuan, a blood-red blade light erupted again, splitting heaven and earth as it chased after the Bone Jiao Emperor.
The great beast could no longer maintain its protective stance over Chen Yi and had to flee from the blade light that now cut off its retreat.

From within that crimson brilliance stepped out a towering young man.
He was bare-chested, covered in blood-red curse marks that radiated a brutal, overwhelming aura.

The Great Tang cultivators were visibly shaken.
They recognized him immediately—Xing Feng, current Sect Master of the Blood River lineage of the Witch Sect, successor to Wei Ancheng.

The Blood River Sect had birthed another Ninth Heaven master after Wei Ancheng.
That Xing Feng possessed such power was no surprise.

But no one had expected him to emerge from Luoyuan itself!

He had struck the Bone Jiao Emperor with a devastating blow inside Luoyuan, then followed the beast into the Earth Sea.
That savage, domineering blade light that seemed capable of severing life and death—it had emerged straight from the underworld, sending every monster in Luoyuan into panic.

As the chaos unfolded, the white bone ritual altar suddenly began to change.
The towering three-tiered altar began collapsing inward—not from battle damage, but because the person inside had finally completed his cultivation.

As it shrank, the three-tiered altar reduced down to a single platform.
Its previous pale-white hue turned pitch black.

A single-tiered Nether Altar, circular in shape.
Unlike the three-tiered Daoist Altars typically formed at the Eighth Heaven, this was the distinct format of Chen Yi’s lineage.

In the center of the altar, Chen Yi appeared.
At that moment, his entire being was shrouded in blood-red light.

“Thank you, Senior.”
He nodded in gratitude to the Bone Jiao Emperor.

In his hand, he held a long sword with an unusual design—black and white interwoven along its blade.
Though its edge looked dull, a casual swipe unleashed a torrent of blood aura into the sky.

The blood mist didn’t disperse, instead forming the Heavenly Blood Path once more.

But suddenly, a flicker of a figure appeared mid-air.
That shadow was vague and illusory—only Xing Feng and the Bone Jiao Emperor could track it.

That figure moved even faster than Chen Yi, stepping onto the blood path ahead of him and shattering it as he passed.
An abrupt presence materialized right before Chen Yi.

A massive fist slammed into his chest.

For a rare moment, Chen Yi was stunned.

Standing in front of him was a tall, armored young general—Shen Qubing.

His punch struck Chen Yi’s chest dead-on.

The Nether Altar, quicker to respond than even Chen Yi, instantly shrank into a mist of black fog to protect him.
Yet Shen Qubing’s dazzling punch—radiating white light like lightning—pierced the black veil and still hit its target.

It was like a steel spear puncturing a shield—driving straight through Chen Yi’s chest.

Chen Yi froze for a second before spitting out a mouthful of blood.

Though both were Eighth Heaven cultivators, levels within that realm still varied.
Shen Qubing hadn’t yet reached the Ninth Heaven, but his foundation was clearly far above Chen Yi’s, who had only just broken through.

Chen Yi was no longer the same man from years ago—hardened by endless trials.
Yet facing a fellow prodigy like Shen Qubing, the sheer pressure of that higher cultivation realm was undeniable.

Worse still, their gap was more than just a minor tier.

Chen Yi had roamed the world, clashed with men and beasts alike, but never before had he met someone of a similar realm whose speed he simply couldn’t react to.
The young Great Tang general in front of him moved faster than many Ninth Heaven beings he’d fought before—perhaps even faster than some.

The protective treasure Chen Yi had always relied on—it hadn’t even activated in time.

His eyes turned blood-red, and with a swipe of his black-and-white sword, he slashed at Shen Qubing’s head.

But the blade missed.

Shen Qubing had already withdrawn his arm and vanished from view.

Then—boom—Chen Yi’s back exploded in pain.
Shen Qubing had turned mid-air and struck again from behind, this time with an elbow to the spine.

Thankfully, Chen Yi’s protective treasure reacted in time—but it shattered instantly from the blow.

The ferocity of a martial cultivator was on full display—explosive force focused on a single point.
In just a few strikes, life and death were decided.

Shen Qubing’s speed wasn’t his only weapon—his strength and destruction were just as terrifying.

As Chen Yi reeled, he didn’t try to retreat.
Instead, the wound on his chest writhed as blood erupted outward, forming a blood-red dragon head that swept across the area.

Shen Qubing smashed it apart with one punch.

Though the blood dragon shattered, it didn’t dissipate—instantly reforming.
But what was a blink to others was enough for Shen Qubing to move in again.

Another punch—angled like a whip strike.
Not a leather whip, but a steel cudgel.

His fist crashed into Chen Yi’s temple.

Boom!
Chen Yi’s head exploded.

Shen Qubing stood firm, taking a deep breath—his face flushed bright red for a moment, then returned to normal.

Overhead, the Bone Jiao’s massive claw swiped down—but the crimson blade light arrived first, slicing open fresh wounds on its claw.

The Bone Jiao Emperor gave a low growl and retreated back into Luoyuan.

“He really does have traits of both blood and witch—just like a Blood River cultivator. I figured he’d have some resurrection trick. I was watching carefully, and he still pulled it off,” Shen Qubing muttered.

He watched Chen Yi’s body dissolve into blood mist, then drift away like blue smoke—vanishing completely.

---

In another abyss of the Earth Sea’s Hanging Seven Abysses, the Qiangliang Abyss, things were comparatively quieter.

Though some Luoyuan monsters, Great Tang cultivators, and Jiuli tribesmen were still present nearby, the fighting here wasn’t nearly as fierce as what had just taken place.

Lei Jun walked leisurely through the area.

But no one could sense where he was.

His gaze swept across the surroundings.

At present, he wasn’t using the Yuqing Heaven-Spanning Mirror to observe the Earth Sea.

Ever since the southern barbarian lands of the Great Tang realm reconnected to the Earth Sea, the mirror allowed Lei Jun to view most of the sea from the human world.

But now, he was using the treasure to observe Guizang.

Zhang Hui was still there, so there shouldn’t be any danger.

Even so, before Lei Jun had traveled through Guizang to reach the Earth Sea, he’d sensed some instability in its domain—there might be other changes occurring.

To get a firsthand understanding, he had temporarily redirected the mirror’s focus toward that realm.

Within the Earth Sea, the dense black mists and noxious energy were now being suppressed, making it easier for human cultivators to extend their senses.

Especially for someone like Lei Jun, whose cultivation had steadily progressed.

With his mastery of Heaven-Penetrating Earth-Comprehending Talismans, his perception of the outside world had grown even sharper.

In his pupils, talismanic light flickered constantly.

Then—suddenly—a brief pause in the light.

Lei Jun turned his head.

Qiangliang Abyss stretched vast and deep, its waters vast like a boundless sea.

But beneath its surface—something was changing.

Amidst the water, blazing fire had begun to rise.

Lei Jun calmly gazed at the abyss.

Through his talismanic perception, he saw a small boat deep underwater.

The entire vessel gleamed with a pristine, jade-like glow—made entirely of precious stone.

Even beneath the water, it radiated with a gentle, luminous aura.

“A Leaf of the World Boat, huh…” Lei Jun murmured thoughtfully.

As for the atmosphere it carried—he could sense something familiar from this burning jade vessel.

It reminded him of the aura of the Heavenly Palace memorial tablets, or the jade seal he had recently received from Empress Zhang Wantong.

All of them had connections to the legendary Heavenly Palace—a realm thought long gone.

Compared to the past, Lei Jun could now clearly feel that the jade seal he currently held was resonating with the burning jade boat before him.

The blaze beneath the water intensified, gradually engulfing the entire vessel.

“A substitute-death-and-rebirth ritual,” Lei Jun muttered, nodding slightly. His glance swept over it—it was all becoming clear.

This ritual was incredibly potent, nearly impossible to interfere with from the outside.

But the cost was steep.

The jade boat—an artifact from the ancient Heavenly Palace—was now being reduced to ashes, completely destroyed within Qiangliang Abyss.

In essence, it served as a proxy, taking the fatal blow on behalf of its master.

Yet Lei Jun could tell—the ritual’s true owner had not resurrected here in Qiangliang Abyss.

“So… it’s Qiuwai Mountain, then?” Lei Jun recalled earlier reports, forming a guess in his mind. “And the person who prepared this was… Chen Yi?”

That guy was cautious—he had laid out a backup plan before charging toward higher realms of cultivation.

But most likely, he’d hoped it would never be triggered.

“If that second-tier expandable opportunity at Qiuwai Mountain really involves Chen Yi…”

Lei Jun’s thoughts turned to what Senior Sister Zhang Jingzhen had once told him—

Chen Yi’s soul was unusual, and the most mysterious part wasn’t the Heavenly Palace tablets. It was a bizarre golden palace within his spirit.

That palace probably had a much deeper connection to the ancient Heavenly Palace.

Second-tier expandable opportunities were tempting—but what hidden dangers would they bring?

As for Qiangliang Abyss, Lei Jun waited patiently.

Once he confirmed there were no further changes, he approached the burning jade boat.

The substitute-death ritual had already consumed it completely. Once lit, the flames could not be stopped.

But they could not harm Lei Jun.

He stepped into the blaze.

The jade seal he’d recently acquired began to burn along with it.

Yet it wasn’t being destroyed—instead, it was undergoing a transformation triggered by the ritual boat’s destruction.

“So this is the second-tier fortune mentioned in the top-tier lot…” Lei Jun thought.

In that instant, enlightenment struck him.

A name surfaced in his mind:

“Seal of Heaven.”

A sudden burst of divine inspiration—Lei Jun’s consciousness envisioned a beautiful, boundless sky.

Vast and majestic, like a celestial kingdom… yet still ethereal, not entirely real.

He had never been there, but in that moment, he was certain—

“Bilu…”

Both the jade boat and the jade seal were connected to that place.

So then…

“These remnants of the Heavenly Palace—if they haven’t ended up in Bilu, then at the very least, that’s where their deepest ties lie.”

Lei Jun’s thoughts churned as the meaning settled in his heart.