Seeking Fortune and Avoiding Misfortune: Starting from the Celestial Master’s Mansion
Chapter 414: The Original Qingyuan Tianshi Mansion

With the long-standing city of Fengdu now lost, the flow of spiritual energy within the Yellow Springs shifted significantly, initially showing signs of chaotic collapse.

However, Lei Jun stood motionless. As his mana intertwined, black and white energies surged forth, forming an illusory Taiji Diagram above his head.

The diagram rotated slowly, yin and yang merging in perfect balance.

Even in the cold, desolate realm of the Yellow Springs, it gently and steadily guided the spiritual energy of all directions.

A flicker of spiritual resonance seemed to stir within Lei Jun’s soul, allowing him to connect with the Yellow Springs.

Having attained natural comprehension, and with an affinity to the Yellow Springs, Lei Jun had, perhaps unknowingly, established a subtle link with this realm.

For cultivators of the Lower Heavens or Middle Heavens, or even slightly weaker ones of the Upper Heavens, they were still insignificant compared to the vast and deep Yellow Springs.

But Lei Jun’s current cultivation realm, combined with his immense mystical abilities, meant that this sliver of spiritual resonance could wield tremendous influence.

Back when he first descended into the Yellow Springs, he was already capable of forming a connection with this world.

Now, with the realm emptied of interference, Lei Jun could exert his influence with greater precision and depth.

Thus, the collapse of the old Fengdu—once controlled by the Inner Shushan Sect—did not lead to further upheaval.

Lei Jun scanned his surroundings.

The Tianshi Seal rose into the air, transforming into a colossal three-tiered illusory altar radiating purple, gold, and green light. Towering like a mountain, it settled on the ruins of the former Fengdu.

Beside the altar, the Forgotten River flowed in solemn silence.

The spiritual energy within the Yellow Springs grew ever more stable.

Lei Jun reversed his grip on the Tianshi Sword and made a full circuit around, traversing the Nine Abysses of the Yellow Springs.

Aside from having wiped out the Inner Shushan cultivators, he didn’t encounter any other living beings in the Yellow Springs.

The false “human world,” once divided into towns and cities like livestock pens by Inner Shushan cultivators, now lay deserted.

Yet the cities and villages hadn’t been long abandoned—many places showed signs of recent habitation.

Clearly, it wasn’t that Inner Shushan had changed its ways.

Rather, they had only recently unleashed large-scale massacres.

Even though they couldn’t replicate the Yellow Springs Sword or the Whitebone Divine Ark, the fact that Ji Yao had recovered quickly from his injuries and that treasures like the Ten-Thousand-Souls Banner and Heavenly Bird and Earth Beast Mirror had been nourished—was all tied to this.

To achieve success sooner, they had even abandoned restraint, draining everything dry in one go.

“Hmph, all scum.” Lei Jun nodded slightly.

After circling the Nine Abysses, Lei Jun found several void portals sealed from within the Yellow Springs.

Some led to the Great Tang’s mortal realm, others to different human realms.

After studying them carefully, Lei Jun had a clear idea.

One led to the mortal realm that once belonged to the Great Song, now ruled by a foreign khanate.

Back when Tang Xiaotang had pursued Li Yuanheng to that realm, Lei Jun had heard that Inner Shushan’s sect master, Ji Yao, had also made an appearance.

Lei Jun and Tang Xiaotang had slain experts of the Golden Khanate there, and later the fall of Lotus Division Master Zongjia further weakened that khanate’s foothold in the former Song territories.

While this gave the Song remnants more room to act, it also made things easier for Ji Yao and Inner Shushan.

Had Empress Zhang Wantong not unexpectedly departed from the Tang realm this time, Inner Shushan likely would’ve continued to stir up trouble in the foreign khanate’s land.

After a brief moment of contemplation, Lei Jun strengthened the void portals one by one from within, sealing off all passage.

Then, he returned to the ruins of the old Fengdu.

The heavenly and earthly treasures hoarded by Inner Shushan for refining tools and healing had nearly been depleted. They urgently needed replenishment.

However, one item left behind drew Lei Jun’s attention.

A thick peach tree branch, lush with leaves.

Planted beside the Forgotten River, it resembled a towering peach tree, branches swaying gently.

“There once was a divine tree in the Yellow Springs, said to resemble a peach tree, stretching across three thousand miles…”

Lei Jun murmured thoughtfully, “It seems the great calamity of the late Han also left its mark on the Yellow Springs, leading to the disappearance of its divine tree.”

Yet Ji Yao and his people had lucked out, somehow stumbling upon a fragment of the Yellow Springs Divine Tree in recent years.

Ji Yao had intended to use it as the main material to forge a treasure on par with the Five-Decays Dao Bell or the Whitebone Divine Ark.

But now, of course, all that had turned to dust.

Still, Lei Jun studied the branch—its base material was extraordinary.

He agreed it was excellent for crafting.

For now, though, without a better idea, he decided to use it for something else.

As one of the key materials for the “Three Caves Three Heavens Supreme Dragon-Tiger Immortal Array.”

This brand-new formation, which Lei Jun had designed and developed himself, still had much room for refinement.

And in Lei Jun’s vision, there remained even more to be improved.

So far, the essence of the Three Caves Three Heavens had only been faintly hinted at through the Tianshi Mansion’s Three Treasures.

The next step would be to fully embody the mysteries of Heaven, Earth, and Man—embracing all of nature and the cosmic wilderness.

Of course, that was still a long road ahead.

Even just collecting the formation materials was no easy task.

But a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.

Lei Jun shifted his gaze from the divine tree branch to the Forgotten River, then swept his eyes across the entire Yellow Springs.

Right now, this was a perfect starting point.

As one of the Ten Lands, and especially as a strange world bordering the nether realms of Luoyuan and Avīci, the Yellow Springs produced spiritual energy of unique refinement.

It nourished both the Forgotten River and the divine tree branch—perfect as the “Earth Realm” foundation within the Heaven-Earth-Man triad of the grand array.

With the divine tree branch here, it was far better suited than the Deep Sea.

Lei Jun’s mana stirred silently.

Verdant green Nine Abysses True Flame surged forth, more expansive than ever, as if igniting simultaneously across all Nine Abysses.

Besides his own mana, Lei Jun could now, without external disruption, blend the True Flame with the Yellow Springs’ spiritual energy.

Bolstered by the continuous influx of energy, the green sea of flame burned brighter and hotter.

The waters of the Forgotten River began to swell again.

The divine tree branch, too, was better nourished.

Standing amidst it all, Lei Jun resembled a new master of the Yellow Springs.

The Yellow Springs was vast; even Inner Shushan, after years of effort, hadn’t fully grasped it. Lei Jun knew he still had a long way to go—but today’s gains could already fill key gaps in his formation… so he thought.

The Three Caves Three Heavens Supreme Dragon-Tiger Immortal Array was immensely powerful, overwhelming Inner Shushan’s Great Nether Reversal Nine-Palace Immortal Formation.

But as an unfinished array, its overwhelming might came at a price: it was short-lived.

As seen earlier, the formation collapsed quickly after activation.

Lei Jun had crafted the formation diagram using rare treasures—shrinking it into a black altar to unleash devastating force. Yet it was soon reduced to ashes.

In a way, the array carried on Lei Jun’s usual style of spellcasting.

Exploding with unpredictable, unstoppable power in a short burst, it swiftly annihilated its enemies.

However, the materials used to craft the diagram had been hard to gather—scraped together from dwindling stockpiles.

Now that they were spent, who knew when they could be replenished?

At the ancestral grounds of Mount Longhu in the Great Tang, Lei Jun could still rely on its resources and the Ten Thousand Methods Sect Altar to establish another array.

But when venturing elsewhere, without a formation diagram to anchor the fusion, the grand array was hard to execute.

Thankfully, Lei Jun had now begun forming a connection with the Yellow Springs.

With the presence of the Forgotten River, if used skillfully, it could yield astonishing results—filling in the missing pieces of the formation.

Still, it involved risk, and Lei Jun knew not to rush.

Once everything was roughly in place, Lei Jun gestured lightly.

The Five-Decays Dao Bell, now silenced and enveloped within the Taiji Diagram, followed him out of the Yellow Springs.

In the cold and eerie void, no one remained.

Lei Jun returned to the Tang mortal realm and sealed the portal to the Yellow Springs.

Aside from informing his master, Yuan Mobai, he kept a low profile and quietly headed for Penglai.

Penglai was still unsettled.

Although the invaders from the Ming mortal realm—like Zhuang Changfeng—had been dealt with, there were still members of mortal realm Daoist nations on the vast Penglai Sea.

Some were under the former Central Yellow Emperor “Yan Keji.”

Others came from the foreign khanate realms, once under the Southern Red Emperor Li Hang.

Both “Yan Keji” and Li Hang were now history.

Their remaining followers, however, were anxious and uneasy.

Lei Jun returned to Penglai to wrap up the final cleanup.

Fortunately, Senior Sister Xu Yuanzhen had already handled part of it.

She wasn’t particularly interested in Li Hang’s former subordinates.

Most of them were Pure Yang Palace cultivators from the foreign khanate realm, along with a few rogue cultivators.

This Pure Yang Palace lineage had developed its own unique innovations over time, different from the Tang's Pure Yang Palace.

Still, to Xu Yuanzhen, those matters could wait.

She focused first on handling the Daoist nation cultivators under “Yan Keji.”

Compared to the Daoist nations of the Ming or Song realms, “Yan Keji’s” group was smaller and less remarkable in cultivation.

“They’re from the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms realm?” Lei Jun asked after Xu Yuanzhen briefed him.

That realm had a portal to Shambhala.

So despite the chaos, Buddhism flourished there.

Also, because another region in the Nine Heavens, Spirit Mountain, was occupied by the Witch Sect and had an open portal, the Witch Sect was quite influential too.

In that chaotic world ruled by warriors, Buddhism and Witch Sect vied for dominance, while Confucianism and Daoism were relatively subdued.

“Yan Keji” had gathered Daoist cultivators struggling to survive in that harsh world and formed his own Daoist nation.

It was a weaker faction.

But “Yan Keji” probably never expected it to become a major power.

After all, that Central Yellow Emperor identity was just a front.

“I plan to visit that realm once things settle down,” Xu Yuanzhen remarked casually.

“The Five Dynasties realm has a portal to Shambhala.”

Lei Jun asked, “Do the Witch Lords of Spirit Mountain know there’s actually a dormant Buddhist Venerable in Shambhala?”

Xu Yuanzhen replied, “They’ve been at odds for years—wouldn’t be surprising if they noticed some signs.”

Lei Jun nodded slightly.

If they didn’t know, that was one thing.

But if they did, and still dared to challenge Shambhala head-on for so long, then they were certainly not to be underestimated…

No wonder Xu Yuanzhen had renewed interest in that realm.

There was still much beneath the surface.

While Lei Jun wrapped up matters in Penglai, Li Miaozhen of the Ming Shushan Sect came to seek him out.

She conveyed that Yuan Qingci, the current sect master of Ming Shushan, hoped for a personal meeting with the Tianshi of Mount Longhu.

“If Master Yuan wishes to visit, there’s no problem,” Lei Jun said. “But since the portal between Penglai and the Ming realm is still closed, I’ll open a portal from Penglai to the Tang realm instead. He’ll have to take a longer route.”

Li Miaozhen replied, “That’s no issue at all.”

Lei Jun asked, “How is the Ming Dynasty doing now?”

Li Miaozhen said, “Grand Scholar Xi Zhichang has died, Zeng Kui is gravely injured. The Ming court is in shock—they’re now mobilizing forces, vowing to… mm, eradicate Han Qingtao and the Daoist nation.”

Thinking back on recent events, she felt as if it had all happened ages ago.

Meanwhile, Yuan Qingci had secretly traveled from the Ming realm to Guizang, assisted by Xiao Chunhui and Meng Shaojie.

From Guizang, he journeyed to the Tang realm, then entered Penglai.

Yuan Qingci didn’t mind the detour and traveled alone, low-key.

Through Li Miaozhen’s introduction, he met Ji Dongquan and Ye Dongming of the Tang Shushan Sect.

After a brief conversation, he was escorted by Li Miaozhen and Ji Dongquan to meet Lei Jun.

“Tianshi, this humble Daoist Yuan Qingci greets you,” he said, stepping forward.

Lei Jun returned the gesture. “Master Yuan, you’re too kind.”

After Ji Dongquan and Li Miaozhen took their leave, only Lei Jun and Yuan Qingci remained.

Dressed in the traditional plain robes and straw sandals of a Shushan cultivator, Yuan Qingci appeared to be in his mid-to-late thirties, his gaze calm and steady.

But Lei Jun, observing his immortal soul, could tell that this current sect master of the Ming Shushan Sect—who had lingered at the perfected Eighth Heaven level for many years—had accumulated profound foundations.

Still, for various reasons, he had never taken that final step toward the Ninth Heaven.

“I’ve heard from Daoist Li about your general intent,” Lei Jun said once they were seated.

“Do you plan to leave all three great treasures in Penglai?”

Yuan Qingci responded, “Forgive the intrusion, Tianshi—I ask for your understanding.”

The Mountain-Leaving Fire Shield and the Void-Faring Shuttle were both damaged and could be set aside for now. The Hanging Heaven Whip remained intact and was still the Ming Shushan Sect’s finest treasure.

As for the Taiyi Severing Sword, no one mentioned it at all.

Yuan Qingci said, “To be honest, I believe that leaving the Three Treasures—Heaven-Suspending Whip and the others—in Penglai for now, rather than bringing them back to the Ming Mortal Realm, will better serve our sect’s long-term efforts to recover the remaining two treasures.”

Aside from the Taiyi Severing Sword, the Shushan Sect of the Ming Dynasty once possessed six grand treasures. However, one had been lost for over a thousand years.

To outsiders, aside from the sect’s own disciples, most people believed the Shushan Sect only had five signature treasures.

It wasn’t until Han Qingtao reappeared with the Taiyi Severing Sword that a sixth supreme artifact came into view again.

But due to the Mortal Daoist Nation incident, she quickly became a wanted fugitive, which also triggered a schism within the Shushan Sect of the Ming Dynasty.

After many twists and turns, the treasures—Heaven-Suspending Whip, Three-Mountain Blazing Shield, and Void-Crossing Shuttle—are now in Penglai.

However, the remaining two are still in the hands of the Ming Imperial Court, including the sect’s most ancient inheritance from the late Han era, the Qiankun Sun-Moon Gourd.

Ironically, the Shushan Sect itself currently holds none of its signature treasures.

Yet even under such circumstances, Yuan Qingci, Li Miaozhen, and others resisted the urge to retrieve them.

Looking at the calm Tianshi of the Great Tang standing before him, Yuan Qingci also felt—as Li Miaozhen had said—that the man was dignified and detached, showing no desire to seize the Three Treasures.

This made Yuan Qingci and the others from the Ming Shushan Sect all the more emotional.

Their own sect’s treasures had not been reclaimed by their own strength.

If it had relied solely on their efforts, the path would’ve been far more difficult.

Now with the chance to recover the Three Treasures, they deeply appreciated Tianshi Lei Jun of Mount Longhu’s vast abilities and magnanimous heart.

Lei Jun, however, didn’t think much of it.

He hadn’t kept the treasures of the Great Tang Shushan Sect before, and he wouldn’t hoard those of the Ming Shushan Sect now.

For the moment, he was only holding the Five-Decays Dao Bell to conceal the fact that the Yellow Springs had changed hands. When the time came, he would act accordingly.

At that point, he wouldn’t keep the Shushan Sect’s foundational treasure either.

Though he was intrigued by all Daoist inheritances, cultivation still fundamentally rested with the individual.

Unless, of course, the Shushan Sect came to be dominated by people like Ji Yao, Han Qingtao, or Fu Dongsan.

Lei Jun had no desire to seize others’ artifacts—but neither would he empower potential enemies.

As for Yuan Qingci and the others delaying the recovery of the treasures, part of it was influenced by their consideration of the Great Tang's Mount Longhu and Shushan Sect.

Another key reason: they weren’t willing to abandon the Shushan Sect’s millennia-old foundation in the Ming Mortal Realm.

That foundation wasn’t something one could just pack up and move.

For a sect as established as Shushan, its deep-rooted local influence and connections were invisible but invaluable assets.

Of course, the current stance of the Ming Shushan Sect stemmed from renewed hope.

Backed by the Great Tang Mortal Realm and the Immortal Land of Penglai, they now had far more room to maneuver.

But recovering treasures like the Qiankun Sun-Moon Gourd was still an arduous road.

At the very least, Yuan Qingci himself had to continue enduring, remaining at the Eighth Heaven Realm for now.

The fallout from Han Qingtao’s actions had never affected only her alone.

---

“Your sect may decide these matters freely,” Lei Jun said without interference. “The three treasures may remain in Penglai for nurturing. However, should your sect wish to use them, the spatial barriers might cause delays. Please consider this thoroughly, and I ask your understanding.”

Yuan Qingci replied, “You flatter us, Tianshi. Our sect too prefers to avoid disturbing Penglai with the chaos brewing in the Ming realm. With the Ming Dynasty entering turbulent times, our focus must be stability and discretion. Leaving the Three Treasures in Penglai to nurture, unused, would be a pity. If the Great Tang has need of them, feel free to use them as needed.”

His words implied it wasn’t just the Great Tang Shushan Sect—others in the Tang Daoist community were included too.

Lei Jun remained composed. “You’re too kind, Sect Leader Yuan.”

After a moment of thought, Yuan Qingci asked, “I heard from Elder Ji and Elder Ye that the Great Tang Shushan is currently offering incense to a Tianshi Decree?”

Lei Jun looked at him. “Indeed. At the time, it was issued to facilitate communication and coordination across Daoist branches, especially against threats like the Mortal Daoist Nation and the Yellow Springs Shushan sect. It helps us aid one another.”

Yuan Qingci said, “With the spatial divide between our two mortal realms, and Penglai in between, communication is difficult. If Tianshi wouldn’t mind, might I bring a Daoist Decree back to Xiaoding in the Ming Realm?”

Lei Jun met his eyes calmly.

Yuan Qingci remained tranquil and respectful.

“In that case, pardon my forwardness,” Lei Jun replied—neither warm nor rejecting.

“Not at all. Our entire sect is sincerely grateful,” Yuan Qingci answered.

Before departing, Yuan Qingci apologized—he couldn’t remain long in the Ming realm. After meeting Lei Jun, he would leave immediately and return.

With upheaval striking the Ming Dynasty, chaos was inevitable for a time.

Once the old officials in court stabilized their position, they might offer soothing words to the Shushan Sect publicly—but in private, they’d watch even more closely.

Especially Yuan Qingci, as the current sect leader.

So Yuan Qingci took his leave swiftly.

Before leaving, he instructed Li Miaozhen, “Your presence draws attention in the Ming Realm as well. You can’t be absent for too long. Junior Brother Jiang will come to relieve you here in Penglai. Once he arrives, return quickly.”

Even though high-realm cultivators often secluded themselves for long periods, those watching Shushan wouldn’t care for such explanations.

“Yes, Master-Uncle.”

Li Miaozhen acknowledged softly, then lowered her voice, “Master-Uncle, have you received Tianshi Lei’s decree?”

Yuan Qingci replied, “For now, I believe he’s not like Han Qingtao.”

Li Miaozhen said, “I’ve heard that over in the Tang realm, both Pure Yang Palace and Shushan have begun enshrining Dragon-Tiger Decrees. Is the Talismanic Dao truly about to welcome another Grandmaster?”

Yuan Qingci gazed out toward the distant Penglai sea and said,

“At the rate this Tianshi is progressing, if he ascends, then he already is one.”

He paused briefly, then added, “And if no immortal from the celestial realm reappears, then he already is one even now.”

Li Miaozhen was momentarily dazed by his words.

---

Yuan Qingci departed Penglai and returned to the Ming Realm.

After dismissing the court envoys, he quietly left the mountain again—this time heading north.

At the appointed place, no one visibly arrived.

But an unseen presence had already come.

Yuan Qingci wasn’t surprised when he saw the figure. “Brother Mu.”

The figure had no fleshly body—just a Nascent Soul projection.

It was none other than Mu Chunyang, the former Master of True Martial Monastery, long thought dead under the sword of the Venerable Sage of Wisdom.

Strictly speaking, True Martial Monastery had already chosen a new leader, so Mu Chunyang was now the former head.

“You’ve met the Great Tang Tianshi?” Mu Chunyang asked gently.

“I’ve already requested a Daoist Decree from Tianshi Lei,” Yuan Qingci answered.

After describing Penglai and Lei Jun, Mu Chunyang sighed in admiration. “Mount Longhu of the Great Tang no longer leads just the Tang Daoist community.”

Even though he was already a Daoist Sage at the Perfection Stage of the Fifth Layer of the Ninth Heaven—Five Energies Converging to the Origin—he was still moved.

Yuan Qingci asked, “Now that the Ming Dynasty is faltering everywhere, have you considered re-emerging?”

“Not for now,” Mu Chunyang replied. “The Ming realm, though crumbling, still clings to life. And there’s no telling when the Sumeru realm will erupt again.”

“You’re right,” Yuan Qingci agreed.

After a moment’s thought, he asked, “Would you be interested in seeing the Tang Mortal Realm firsthand?”

Mu Chunyang replied, “I would.”

---

Soon after Yuan Qingci left, Ji Dongquan also prepared to depart Penglai.

The void gateway between the Tang Mortal Realm and Penglai had officially opened and was now public knowledge.

After stabilizing the Taiyi Innate Tower, Ji decided to return to the Great Tang, taking the artifact with him.

Back in the Ming Realm, one of his primary goals had been to retrieve lost treasures. That goal had finally been achieved.

Ye Dongming, meanwhile, remained in Penglai to assist Li Miaozhen in repairing the Three-Mountain Blazing Shield and Void-Crossing Shuttle.

As for Lei Jun, once he completed his work in Penglai, he too prepared to return to the Tang Mortal Realm.

Over the past period, he and Xu Yuanzhen had made some gains.

He planned to bring the Daoist Decrees back to the sect’s ancestral mountain, combining them with the Tianshi Seal and the Ten Thousand Methods Sect Altar for further refinement and experimentation.

People like Huang Xuanpu, Han Qingtao, and Li Hang had obsessed over the Tianshi Seal and the Sect Altar for half their lives.

Now that Lei Jun had access to them, he wasn’t about to miss this opportunity.

---

After returning to the mortal realm, Ji Dongquan didn’t go straight to Xiaoding. Instead, he followed Lei Jun to Mount Longhu.

The recent battle against the Yellow Springs cultists had concluded, and Yuan Mobai had returned to Mount Longhu.

Accompanying him were Xiao Xueting and members of the Tang Imperial Clan, along with Zhang Taigang, head of the Tang Shushan Sect, and Ji Chuan.

They came partly to thank Yuan Mobai for his help…

And also to express gratitude to Lei Jun for recovering the Taiyi Innate Tower.

Although Ji Dongquan had also obtained clues leading to the tower, without Lei Jun’s aid, it would likely have fallen into the hands of the Western White Emperor, Han Qingtao.

Now that the tower had been recovered, Zhang Taigang, Ji Chuan, and the others were overjoyed.

“Thank you, Tianshi, for helping us reclaim our treasure and slaying that monstrous heretic,” Zhang and Ji bowed together in thanks.

They had heard from Ji Dongquan about what happened in Penglai.

This Tianshi of the Great Tang could wield two Great Ascension Dao Domains simultaneously!

A dual Dragon-Tiger Strike.

A dual Great Ascension Dao Domain.

No wonder his strength was so terrifying. Along the way, he had slain numerous powerful enemies.

This time, he took on both Han Qingtao and Li Hang—alone.

Though those two weren’t quite at the same level as Huang Xuanpu or Ji Yao, who had perfected the Fifth Layer of the Ninth Heaven, they were still formidable.

In theory, they had the home-ground advantage in Penglai.

Yet both were completely destroyed in Lei Jun’s dual Dao Domains—nothing left of their bodies.

Even the Ming Shushan Sect’s signature treasures—the Three-Mountain Blazing Shield and the Void-Crossing Shuttle—were damaged in the battle.

More importantly, according to Ji Dongquan, the entire fight ended in moments. Lei Jun even had time to subdue Zhuang Changfeng and seize the Heaven-Suspending Whip.

“If Huang Xuanpu was only half an Emperor, this time it was two full-fledged ‘Emperors’ of the Mortal Daoist Nation, both slain by Tianshi Lei,” Ji Chuan murmured.

Zhang Taigang added, “Penglai, one of the Nine Heavens, was always under our Daoist control. That it was seized by heretics of the Mortal Daoist Nation was a disgrace. Now that Mount Longhu’s Tianshi Mansion has purged the evil and restored order, Penglai is once again ours—under rightful Daoist stewardship.”