Seeking Fortune and Avoiding Misfortune: Starting from the Celestial Master’s Mansion
Chapter 40: Opportunity to improve your understanding

Upon seeing Li Xuan and the others, Qu Yong finally felt a sense of relief.

Lei Jun stepped forward to explain the situation. He omitted the part where Qu Yong was knocked unconscious, only mentioning that Qu Yong was surrounded by two disciples of the Yellow Heaven Sect. Lei Jun intervened, using the Earth Fire's power to eliminate the two enemies.

Qu Yong gave Lei Jun a grateful glance, nodding repeatedly.

“Most of the other Yellow Heaven Sect cultivators have also been eliminated, with only a few managing to escape. We will conduct further pursuits and eradications soon,” Lei Jun reported.

Li Xuan glanced at Lei Jun and Qu Yong, nodding slightly. “You both did well. For now, focus on resting and restoring your energy to avoid the overbearing Yang Qi harming your bodies.”

The two agreed and followed Li Xuan and the other disciples of the Tianshi Mansion out of the Xuanyang Grotto-Heaven.

Outside the Grotto-Heaven, Yang Mountain’s branch estate had sustained some damage. Fortunately, with the numerous Daoist structures and surrounding pavilions and estates, Lei Jun and the others had places to stay and did not have to camp out in the wild.

Lei Jun went to the courtyard assigned to him and began resting to recover his energy.

Qu Yong, however, had it worse. The three gashes on the back of his head made it impossible for him to sleep on his side, let alone on his back. He could only lie on his stomach. Thankfully, the estate provided effective medicine, sparing him from suffering for too long.

---

A few days later, Li Xuan called Qu Yong for a conversation.

“The attack by the Yellow Heaven Sect was unexpected. You did well under the circumstances, and it’s good that you’re unharmed,” Li Xuan began with words of encouragement.

He then asked, “However, battling enemies to the death is different from sparring with fellow disciples. Everyone reveals their true abilities in such situations. Since you’ve been with Junior Brother Lei, what’s your assessment of his current state?”

Qu Yong replied, “Junior Brother Lei has made rapid progress. It’s been just over two years since his initiation into the Mansion, yet he’s already at the high stage of Foundation Establishment.

“He has a deep understanding of talismanic arts, and his craftsmanship is refined. He’s accumulated a considerable number of Spirit Talismans. However, Junior Brother Lei’s physical condition is a bit concerning. His vitality and physical strength are weaker compared to others of the same cultivation level.”

After a pause, he added, “If not for that, the two of us could have faced the two high-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators of the Yellow Heaven Sect without relying on the Earth Fire's power to defeat them.”

So it’s truly Blue Stone Ink... Li Xuan thought, nodding pensively at the information.

---

In the following days, the Tianshi Mansion was preoccupied with rebuilding the Yang Mountain branch estate and hunting down the remaining disciples of the Yellow Heaven Sect.

Ten days later, the Elder presiding over the area conducted a grand ceremony, openly punishing captured Yellow Heaven Sect members and paying tribute to the heavens and the Mansion's ancestral masters.

To Lei Jun, this act served two purposes. First, it reinforced the legitimacy of the Tianshi Mansion while denouncing the Yellow Heaven Sect as heretics. Second, it mitigated the negative perception caused by the attack on Yang Mountain’s branch estate.

Though it was a branch estate, the fact that the Yellow Heaven Sect had nearly breached their defenses left the Tianshi Mansion seething with anger.

The back-and-forth skirmishes between the two factions over treasures like the Golden Barrier Talisman and Breaking Gold Talisman would undoubtedly continue until the Tianshi Mansion completely eradicated the Yellow Heaven Sect.

After a period of recovery, Lei Jun and his fellow young disciples were sent back to the main Mansion on Mount Longhu.

---

“Thank goodness we got through that safely,” Yuan Mobai said gently, his voice soothing like a spring breeze.

Lei Jun didn’t hold back and presented a piece of Upper Qing Golden Bamboo. “Master, this disciple had an unexpected harvest in the Xuanyang Grotto-Heaven. I owe this fortune to you.”

Yuan Mobai glanced at the bamboo but didn’t take it. He simply smiled.

“I did encounter an essence of Earth Fire Yang Flames in the Xuanyang Grotto-Heaven long ago, but it was still weak at the time. It seems to have developed now.

“However, it was of no use to me. I left it there to see which of our disciples would have the right affinity to claim it. I didn’t expect it to end up with you, but I suppose this confirms the karmic bond between us as master and disciple.”

Yuan Mobai offered Lei Jun some guidance on refining the Fire Marrow Yangfish before dropping the subject.

Returning to his courtyard, Lei Jun rested for a few days, reaching peak condition in body, mind, and spirit before beginning the process of refining the Fire Marrow Yangfish within the Upper Qing Golden Bamboo.

During their time in the Xuanyang Grotto-Heaven, the disciples were bathed in the intense Yang Qi, which provided an invisible yet solid foundation for Lei Jun’s body. Without it, he would have needed much more preparation to handle the fiery Yang Qi of the Fire Marrow Yangfish.

Following Yuan Mobai’s instructions, Lei Jun used his Mana to gradually draw the Fire Marrow Yangfish out of the bamboo.

Before it could fully manifest, he channeled its blazing Yang Qi into his body, directing it to his Dao Foundation Altar.

Lei Jun’s high-stage Foundation Establishment cultivation had already established the Eight Gates and Six Curtains on his Dao Foundation Altar. To advance to the perfection stage, he needed to establish the Left and Right Six Halls.

These ethereal halls mirrored real Daoist altars and included the Refinement Hall, Tiger Spirit Hall, Initiation Hall, Silent Reflection Hall, Universal Alms Hall, and Chanting Hall.

At present, Lei Jun had successfully formed the first hall, the Chanting Hall.

In the Talismanic Branch’s cultivation system, the Chanting Hall allowed cultivators to perpetually recite Daoist scriptures, day and night, seamlessly enhancing their progress over time.

“For nurturing spiritual items, the Refinement and Universal Alms Halls are ideal. For now, I’ll make do with the Chanting Hall,” Lei Jun thought.

Under his control, the golden-red Fire Marrow Yangfish turned into a streak of golden light, entering the Chanting Hall on his Dao Foundation Altar.

The illusory hall lit up with golden brilliance, and Lei Jun’s Mana harmonized with it, surging through his body.

The most profound impact reached his mind. When Lei Jun introspected, he noticed his spirit and soul gradually acquiring a faint golden sheen.

As his Mana circulated, the golden light coalesced on his altar, forming the outline of another hall.

Excellent. This will accelerate my progress significantly, Lei Jun thought as he calmed his mind and continued cultivating.

---

Initially, Lei Jun had estimated six years to advance from high-stage Foundation Establishment to perfection. With the help of the Blue Stone Ink, he was confident of reducing that to four years.

After the Xuanyang Grotto-Heaven experience, nourished by the Earth Fire Yang Flames, his timeline could shorten to three or four years.

Now, with the Fire Marrow Yangfish, Lei Jun believed he could cut that time in half. In roughly a year and a half, he aimed to reach perfection in Foundation Establishment.

With the Mist-Wrapped Cloud Crystal in his possession, he would then prepare for the Tribulation of the Third Heaven and aim to break through to the Altar Stage of the Third Realm.

“This supreme good omen was indeed extraordinary,” Lei Jun exhaled deeply.

What intrigued him further was the improvement in his mental clarity.

Raising his cultivation speed was only one benefit. The increased agility of his thoughts hinted at a potential opportunity to enhance his comprehension.

But was the Fire Marrow Yangfish alone sufficient for this? Lei Jun doubted it.

Recalling the omen’s description, Lei Jun wondered if the opportunity could be expanded.

The Fire Marrow Yangfish wasn’t an isolated phenomenon. Considering its Yin-Yang Tai Chi-like appearance and its extreme Yang nature, Lei Jun naturally pondered: if there was a Yangfish, could there also be a Yinfish?

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