Seeking Fortune and Avoiding Misfortune: Starting from the Celestial Master’s Mansion
Chapter 415: The Xuanmen Sect's Headmaster Becomes His Own Figure

“Not just Penglai alone,” Ji Dongquan said quietly.

On the Ming side of the Shushan Sect, figures like Yuan Qingci and Li Miaozhen had made decisions that were not hidden from Tang Shushan cultivators such as Ji Dongquan and Ye Dongming.

Now that Ji Dongquan had returned to the Tang Mortal Realm and brought it up, Zhang Taigang, Ji Chuan, and the others could only sigh in deep emotion.

Years ago, rumors said that Lei Jun and Mount Longhu were already the leading force within the Tang Daoist world.

Now, that view seemed far too narrow.

“Back when Master Tang held the position of Tianshi, she led Mount Longhu through internal chaos, lifted it from decline, and helped it rise anew. In just twenty-eight years, what she achieved was extraordinary. In the long history of the Tianshi Mansion lineage, few past patriarchs can match her,” Zhang Taigang reflected.

Xiao Xueting, who had accompanied them to Mount Longhu, added serenely, “But the current Tianshi, Lei Jun, who succeeded her, has accomplished even more in a shorter time. It hasn’t even been twenty years since he took charge.”

Everyone fell into a contemplative silence.

It had been about eighteen years since Lei Jun had assumed the Tianshi position.

To mortals, that was nearly an entire generation.

To high-realm cultivators, it passed in a flash.

Yet in that span of time, Lei Jun’s tenure was marked by events that Zhang Taigang, Ji Dongquan, and Ji Chuan could recall as if they had happened yesterday—events so impactful they still sent shivers down their spines.

When Lei Jun was still at the Eighth Heaven, he single-handedly brought down Vajra Monastery. Then, alongside both Master Tang and her predecessor, he helped crush the Vajra Division of Mount Sumeru.

Later, upon reaching the Ninth Heaven and attaining the Great Ascension stage, he personally quelled the Luoyang Rebellion—one of the most devastating crises the Tang Realm had faced in years.

He altered Tianli, reclaimed Guizang, and conquered Datong, bringing peace to Landsea.

Now, as Lei Jun marked the sixtieth year of his Dao journey, he descended the mountain for the first time carrying all Three Treasures of the Tianshi—sweeping through Penglai and striking down the heretics of the mortal Dao Nations.

At this moment, even the Shushan Sect beyond Tang, under the Ming Dynasty, was acknowledging his Talismanic Decree.

Although the Ming branch of Shushan now found itself in a delicate position, especially after Han Qingtao and others had caused a split, it still held the foundation of a true Daoist Holy Land—far beyond the reach of fledgling powers like the Xuanji Monastery.

The group didn’t even need to calculate—just thinking about it stirred awe in their hearts.

If Tianshi Tang Xiaotang had served as the bridge between past and present, then Tianshi Lei Jun was the one who forged the future—leading the Tianshi Mansion toward a return to its ancient glory.

And it had only been eighteen years.

He wasn’t even a hundred years old yet.

One couldn’t help but wonder—what more could he achieve in the years ahead? How far could the Tianshi Mansion rise?

“These achievements are impressive,” Xiao Xueting said with a smile, “but compared to previous Tianshi, what’s even more remarkable is Lei Zhenren’s ability to bring deep changes in seemingly unremarkable areas.”

Zhang Taigang and Ji Dongquan nodded. “The general is right.”

The Shushan Sect of Tang felt this the most directly.

Although Lei Jun was now famed across the cosmos, his management of the Tianshi Mansion had never been domineering.

Instead, apart from overseeing internal affairs, he had focused more on initiatives beyond the sect.

Under his leadership, the Tianshi Mansion had collaborated with the Shushan Sect, Hui Tiantang, Xuanji Monastery, and even the Tang imperial government on refining, alchemy, and other projects.

These reforms weren’t geared toward high-level combatants, but rather aimed at mid- and lower-level cultivators—and even common folk.

Given Lei Jun’s cultivation and age, many of these were still in their infancy. But their potential for long-term impact was immense.

And this wasn’t limited to the Tang Realm alone.

While Lei Jun and Mount Longhu’s name shook the southern frontiers of Tang, their influence in the Southern Wasteland had brought not chaos, but stability and civilization.

“Tianshi Lei is a true Daoist sage—a blessing to all lands,” said Shushan Sect Leader Zhang Taigang. “We Daoists admire and look up to him.”

Everyone present solemnly nodded.

Later that day, Xiao Xueting privately spoke with Lei Jun and Yuan Mobai, bringing news from the Empress.

“Her Majesty, during her recent travels beyond the mortal world and into the void, got into an unexpected clash with a certain Daoist. The battle took some time,” Xiao explained.

“That must’ve been when the Yellow Springs cultists noticed and made their move,” Lei Jun said.

“Has that Daoist… reached the Immortal Realm?” he asked.

Xiao shook her head. “According to Her Majesty—no.”

Lei Jun exchanged a glance with Yuan Mobai.

They knew full well the Empress’s strength.

To the public, due to her long silence, her reputation had waned.

But they were fully aware—since recovering from her injuries, the Empress was still the most powerful person in the Tang Realm.

She had reached the Ninth Heaven shortly after ascending the throne.

It had now been about fifty years.

Her cultivation was unique. Even after shedding her Dragon Vein Qi, she remained formidable.

Lei Jun had long suspected she was capable of breaking past the Ninth Heaven, but had been delayed due to external concerns.

Her recent journey likely aimed to resolve those very issues.

If she was that powerful, then what level was that Daoist?

“Unknown identity, relatively young,” Xiao continued. “According to Her Majesty, he’s a Great Ascension Daoist of the Dan Ding Sect, already at the Five Qi Convergence Realm.”

Yuan Mobai looked to Lei Jun.

Lei Jun gently shook his head.

Based on what they’d learned in Penglai, the missing Eastern Azure Emperor Shen Xi was likely a Great Ascension cultivator of the Artifact Refining Sect, like Han Qingtao.

As for the ancestral immortal possibly backing Mount Longhu’s Tianshi Mansion—that one, per Xu Yuanzhen’s research, belonged to the Talismanic Branch.

“Kunlun?” Lei Jun guessed.

Xiao nodded. “Her Majesty suspects so too, but it’s not confirmed. Though the fight lasted long, it never reached a decisive point. The other side withdrew voluntarily. Her Majesty asked us to relay this to the real persons of Mount Longhu.”

Lei Jun replied, “Her Majesty is most thoughtful.”

Yuan Mobai added, “If he’s from the Dan Ding Sect… then…”

His gaze shifted northwest—toward the direction of Pure Yang Palace.

Xiao said, “Her Majesty noted that while there are traces of Pure Yang inheritance, the paths differ significantly. Much remains unclear, so no conclusions should be drawn.”

Lei Jun and Yuan Mobai nodded, deep in thought.

Xiao added, “Oh, Her Majesty mentioned one more thing. If Master Tang were to encounter this person, her heart might be unsettled. Caution is advised.”

Lei Jun blinked. “?”

“That’s all Her Majesty said. We don’t know the details either.”

Lei Jun could only smile in silence.

Later, Xiao Xueting took her leave.

Neither she nor the imperial court tried to interfere in what came next at Penglai.

Like during the matters of Datong, Guizang, and Landsea, Lei Jun and Mount Longhu didn’t display any particular enthusiasm.

But for the Daoist world, Penglai’s significance was unique.

Especially since it might be connected to ancient ruins of the Heavenly Court and the Talismanic Branch—the very origins of the mortal Dao Nations.

Though the Tang Court paid attention, they chose to fully entrust the matter to Mount Longhu.

Later, the Shushan Sect elders bid their farewells, thanking Lei Jun and Yuan Mobai, and escorted the Taiyi Innate Tower back to Bashu.

As the sun reached its zenith, radiant light spread across the land.

The six-story tower finally returned to the summit.

At the moment it settled, even Qingxiao Hall at the mountain’s base shook.

Heaven and Earth gathered, sweeping the land.

The flow of spiritual energy throughout Bashu changed noticeably.

Now that both of Shushan’s treasures were reunited, the Sixfold Innate Convergence Array regained its former glory.

Although the Northern Abyss Divine Spear was still with Ye Dongming in Penglai, the meaning had shifted entirely.

For the first time in years, the Shushan Sect’s Six Supreme Treasures were back at the mountain.

Zhang Taigang and the Shushan elders looked up at the tower, emotions surging.

“To recover the Six Treasures under your leadership—this is a worthy honor, Sect Master,” an elder said.

Zhang Taigang replied, “I cannot take credit. It was Elder Chen and Tianshi Lei Jun of Mount Longhu who made it possible.”

Ji Chuan added, “Too bad Elder Chen is not on the mountain right now.”

All fell silent.

One muttered, “If Elder Chen were here, we might’ve eradicated the Yellow Springs cultists for good.”

Ji Chuan agreed, “If not for Elder Chen, Tianshi Lei, and Her Majesty being absent, those cultists wouldn’t have dared attack.”

All nodded. “Exactly.”

Zhang Taigang continued, “We’re grateful to Master Yuan of Mount Longhu, General Xiao Xueting, and even Elder Sun Li of the Reincarnation Abyss and the Future Maitreya of the White Lotus Sect for arriving in time to stop the Yellow Springs cultists.”

Lei Jun kept quiet about the role of the Starry River Net.

The credit went to Yuan Mobai, who had "detected" the invasion in time.

The Shushan cultivators were sincerely thankful.

But they also had lingering questions.

Now that the Southern Wasteland and Tang were establishing peaceful contact, cooperation was increasing.

Elder Sun Li from the Reincarnation Abyss might have been officially invited.

But why had the Future Maitreya of the White Lotus Sect come to aid Shushan?

The Tang Realm had changed a lot recently—even those within it found it hard to grasp.

Perhaps it was no wonder that Inner Shushan had misjudged and been caught off guard.

“Of the four major evil cultivators of Yellow Springs—Daoist Kang An died by Master Tang’s sword, Li Linxue was slain by Donglou, and Tian Lingfeng was just killed by Master Yuan,” said Senior Elder Xu Duan. “But Ji Yao, the strongest, managed to escape back to Yellow Springs. His strength is formidable. We must remain vigilant. Thankfully, he’s heavily wounded and unlikely to cause trouble soon.”

Zhang Taigang nodded. “Help from fellow Daoists is a blessing, but if Shushan wishes to rise again, the whole sect must dedicate itself to cultivation.”

All responded together: “As Sect Master commands.”

Zhang led them in a bow to the Taiyi Innate Tower.

The younger disciples dispersed.

Zhang then led Xu Duan, Ji Dongquan, Ji Chuan, and the other High Priests to continue the mountain rite.

As they offered tribute, violet lightning crackled—and a Dragon-Tiger Talismanic Edict appeared above the peak.

Zhang stared at it for a long moment, then finally spoke softly:

“Elder Xu, Elders Ji, I have something to say.”

They stood quietly behind him, already sensing what was coming.

“When I heard from Elder Ji that our Ming branch left three treasures in Penglai, I had a thought,” Zhang said calmly. “Though we all strive to improve, it’s no easy feat to produce new Great Ascension cultivators in a short time.”

Xu Duan sighed. “Ultimately, it falls to you, Ji Chuan, and Xie Yiying. We elders are growing old. We’re ashamed.”

Zhang bowed slightly, then continued:

“This time, the Yellow Springs were beaten back thanks to timely help from Master Yuan, General Xiao, and others. Since we benefited from allies, I believe we need not insist on keeping all six treasures here for now.”

“While continuing to cultivate, more engagement with our allies in the Tang Realm may be better for the current situation.”

Even with prior suspicion, hearing him say it out loud left Xu Duan and Ji Dongquan visibly shaken. “Sect Master…”

Zhang clarified, “I don’t mean to act rashly. The two treasures above and below are core to the Sixfold Innate Convergence Array and cannot be moved. The Southern Bright Fire Cauldron is vital for disciple cultivation and will stay as well. As for the Purple Star Sword, though Elder Chen has no interest in keeping it, I believe it should remain for him to access at will.”

“But the Azure Abyss Sword, along with the Northern Abyss Divine Spear, should remain in Penglai—just like the three treasures left behind by the Ming sect.”

“Today, as I offer tribute to our ancestors—if anything goes wrong, I will dedicate my life to making amends, just like Elder Chen once did to recover lost treasures.”

Xu Duan fell into silence.

Ji Dongquan spoke up: “The current Tianshi… is someone we can trust.”

He Dongxing added, “I feel the same.”

Xu Duan gave a slight nod and looked toward Ji Chuan, Xie Yiying, and the other senior Shushan cultivators of the Great Tang.

Ji Chuan and the others replied, “We are willing to obey Sect Leader Senior Brother’s orders.”

Zhang Taigang gave everyone a traditional Daoist salute, and the Shushan disciples returned the gesture.

After that, he removed all items from his body, went barefoot, and entered the Ancestral Shrine alone to make a solemn offering.

When he emerged, he had redressed himself and joined Ji Dongquan and the others. All of them wore solemn expressions as they gave thanks for the Talismanic Edict.

At Mount Longhu, in the Tianshi Mansion, far away from Shushan—

Lei Jun was currently standing within the Ten Thousand Methods Sect Altar.

He had returned specifically to refine the ancient talismanic decrees obtained from Penglai through the altar.

Glowing light flowed throughout the altar hall, intertwining with the Daoist aura of myriad paths.

At that moment, a talisman of purple lightning took shape beside Lei Jun—forming a Talismanic Edict of the Dragon-Tiger Sect that shimmered with brilliance and connected directly to the Celestial Summit of Shushan.

Sensing the ritual offerings and prayers from Zhang Taigang and the others, Lei Jun remained expressionless, lit a stick of Tranquility Incense, and offered his own rites in return.

When the ritual concluded, the Dragon-Tiger Edict vanished in a flash of lightning.

Lei Jun, however, continued his work, delving into the ancient talismans from Penglai.

As he refined them, images of Celestial Generals, Four-Star Deities, and even past Ancestor-Masters of Mount Longhu appeared within the altar, glowing with heightened clarity and definition.

Maintaining a calm mind, Lei Jun uttered in a low voice, “Rise.”

Before him, the talismanic decrees began to converge, forming not only an array but also what resembled a palatial complex.

Specks of starlight flickered and moved, gathering into a mysterious formation centered around the illusory talisman palace.

At its heart, a pillar of light surged into the sky—visible only to Lei Jun within the altar hall.

To others, even those on Mount Longhu, only turbulent clouds could be seen gathering above.

The swirling currents high in the sky seemed to exist in a space beyond even the Upper Purity Thunder Altar Grotto-Heaven.

Yet the tumult subsided quickly.

Within the altar, Lei Jun could still sense many shifts.

First, he faintly sensed changes arising in Penglai.

Then, the Dark Side of the Heavenly Book and one of its pages began to stir.

Finally, the Heaven-Sealing Seal, once altered through the Jade Ark from Chen Yi and originally gifted by the Empress, began to quiver and glow.

From the seal flowed a stream of mystical essence.

The ancient talismanic edicts, connected to the ancient Heavenly Palace, also trembled in resonance.

At that same moment, others who carried a page of the Heavenly Book—Zhang Hui, Future Maitreya, Sun Li, Shen Qubing, and Fang Yue—felt the same shift, sensing fluctuations within their books.

In the vast cosmic void beyond the mortal realm—

Empress Zhang Wantong, walking in the outer skies, paused briefly.

She glanced at the half-scroll of the Heavenly Book and Heavenly Book · One in her possession.

Penglai was now stabilized. This latest fluctuation likely stemmed from the actions of Lei Jun and others at Mount Longhu.

So the empress maintained her calm, put away the book, and continued forward.

These changes were not yet enough to affect Bilu on her end.

However, with constant shifts across the Four Mortal Realms, Nine Heavens, and Ten Earths, she would need to accelerate her efforts to collect the Heaven-Encircling Tribulation Gold.

In the depths of Luoyuan, a desolate and cold blood sea known as the Ghostblood Sea suddenly rippled.

From its surface rose a single-layer altar, inscribed with blood-red talismanic runes.

The altar withdrew, revealing a young man: Chen Yi—who had recently broken through to the Eighth Heaven in the Earth Sea, only to face danger and survive by faking his death and being reborn.

Chen Yi’s face was filled with astonishment.

Deep in his soul, a pure-gold palace was transforming.

Inside, ghostly and indistinct silhouettes had appeared—vague and untouchable.

This had never happened before.

Startled and cautious, Chen Yi projected his spiritual will into the palace.

Though they seemed close enough to touch, he and the figures existed in separate realms.

“…Changes from Mount Longhu?” Chen Yi muttered.

He pondered whether it related to the two Heavenly Palace Tablets that could potentially be united, or perhaps the Ten Thousand Methods Altar at Mount Longhu.

He sank into thought.

Back at Mount Longhu, in the altar, Lei Jun calmed the Heaven-Sealing Seal and gazed at the floating talisman palace.

After a moment, he formed a seal with his hand.

The palace dissolved, the talismans returned to their original form, and the seal became quiet.

Lei Jun later discussed the matter with Yuan Mobai, whose thoughts aligned with his own:

“Her Majesty the Empress might have some connection to the ancient Heavenly Palace—perhaps an inheritance, or prior contact.”

Lei Jun: “I’ll go check on what’s changed in Penglai.”

Bidding farewell to Yuan Mobai, he returned to Penglai with the talismans.

Sure enough, change had come.

The sea churned; at the center, radiant clouds gathered, and brilliance filled the air.

Many spiritual lights converged at Penglai’s heart.

Li Miaozhen, Ye Dongming, and others, still within, could not approach—the light blocked even Eighth-Heaven cultivators.

Only Lei Jun, with his Ninth-Heaven cultivation, could enter.

Within, on a vast immortal island appeared palatial ruins, surrounded by radiant clouds.

There stood Xu Yuanzhen, dressed in purple robes and a black cloak, hands clasped behind her back, studying the palace.

“So this is what Huang Xuanpu and the others were after,” she said. “A fairly intact Heavenly Palace relic.”

Lei Jun joined her and observed, then said, “It’s drawing in Penglai’s spiritual energy—repairing itself.”

He glanced at her. “Can you use it, Senior Sister?”

Xu Yuanzhen: “I’ll look around, but nothing really usable.”

Lei Jun: “Then let’s secure it—for the sake of peace in Penglai.”

He raised the talismans from Penglai and fused them with his mana, forming a Black-and-White Taiji Diagram.

The diagram descended onto the glowing ruins.

The brilliance receded.

Clouds expanded outward like a domain, isolating the island from the outer sea.

Outside, the sea calmed.

Within the cloud barrier, the Heavenly Palace ruins became still, hidden under a giant three-tier altar formed from the Taiji Diagram.

At the summit, the ancient talismans reappeared, now forming an array closer to the modern Talismanic Canon, shedding much of its archaic flavor.

Xu Yuanzhen crossed the Immortal Bridge and entered the altar’s first tier.

Lei Jun stood at the top, amid the talisman array.

He pondered the scene, and new insights flooded his mind.

He summoned the Zhou Heavenly Mirror of Jade Purity, which descended in blazing light.

With his mana, he formed two Celestial Ground-Through Talismans.

One he embedded into the array below; the other, he fused into the mirror itself.

Sitting cross-legged, he meditated—refining both the altar array and the mirror.

As time passed, the two grew more attuned.

When Lei Jun opened his eyes, the talisman flashed in his pupils.

From the mirror, a beam of light extended—not toward Penglai, but into another mortal realm.

Specifically, a mortal realm not connected by any Void Gateway.

The mirror had once observed distant worlds only when a portal existed.

But now, Lei Jun saw clearly into the Ming Mortal Realm—from afar, through the void.

Even without a gateway, the mirror’s view was broader and sharper than when he used it while physically present in Ming.

It felt as though he stood at a greater height, gazing downward.

This vantage point was more concealed and discreet.

After a long while, Lei Jun retracted his gaze, nodding slightly.

This was not something Huang Xuanpu, Han Qingtao, or others had foreseen—nor were they capable of it.

Through this Heavenly Palace relic, Lei Jun had realized a vision—one he once thought achievable only after stepping into the Immortal Realm.

That it happened now was a pleasant surprise.

In high spirits, he turned the mirror’s beam to a new position.

Now it showed the Mortal Realm of the Barbarian Khanates.

This realm, too, was sealed, with no connection to Penglai.

Li Hang had been cautious.

Yet the landscape unfolded before Lei Jun in full clarity.

He watched Witch Sect cultivators, moving hurriedly.

“Local Witch Sect members, or people from Kongsang?” Lei Jun pondered.

This realm—formerly the Song Mortal Realm—had once seen flourishing Witch Sect practice, both north and south.

The northern clans, including some foreign tribes, once produced many powerful shamans.

That changed with the rise of the Four Great Khanates, who favored brute-force martial cultivation.

In the south, the Witch Sect had thrived in Nanzhao and Dali, but vanished with Dali's fall.

Even the Ninth-Heaven Grand Shaman Gao Heya had converted fully to Buddhism, joining the Vajra Division of Mount Sumeru.

Zhu Junjie had once told Lei Jun that a few Witch Sect remnants still lingered in the south, but they weren’t influential.

It was unclear if Kongsang’s descent into this realm had anything to do with them.

Like how the Southern Wasteland’s Witch Sect had a strained relationship with the Jiuli of the Earth Sea, the Kongsang Grand Shamans weren’t necessarily aligned with the Jiuli Grand Shamans either.

Still, Kongsang’s arrival undeniably helped Li Yuanheng and the Greedy Li Tribe.

Recent reports confirmed that amid chaotic fighting, Tang Xiaotang had slain a Ninth-Heaven Kongsang Grand Shaman and two Eighth-Heaven ones—the rest were badly wounded or dead.

But Li Yuanheng used the chaos to escape and disappear.

Now Tang Xiaotang had only faint traces to follow—far fewer than before.

Lei Jun had found that suspicious from the start.

Sure enough, Tang Xiaotang had fumed, “Absolutely ridiculous! These Witch Sect b******s didn’t just target the Jiuli—they were gunning for me! And I’ve never even crossed paths with Kongsang!”

Their losses were likely due to underestimating Tang Xiaotang.

As for Tang herself? She was ready to settle accounts moving forward.

The cause of this tangled grudge remained unclear.

But as Xu Yuanzhen had said—it certainly had Lei Jun's curiosity piqued.

At the moment, Lei Jun didn’t have a clear answer, but he didn’t dwell on it. Apart from comforting Tang Xiaotang, he simply instructed his disciple Zhuo Huajie to come to Penglai and bring with him the two sacred artifacts—the Tianshi Sword and Tianshi Robe—to travel to the foreign khanate mortal realm and receive his Martial Aunt Tang.

Lei Jun himself used the Zhou Heavenly Mirror of Jade Purity to observe the foreign khanate for a while and made a few records before turning the mirror’s focus elsewhere.

The realm governed by "Yan Keji"—the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms—was still engulfed in war.

Meanwhile, in the realm of the Eastern Azure Emperor, Shen Xi, a different picture unfolded.

This world was unlike the Tang or Ming realms, and not as chaotic as the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms either. Rather, it resembled the early years of the Song Dynasty realm, with a clear north-south standoff.

The realm was split in two.

Based on his observations, the dominant ideologies in this realm seemed to be Buddhism and Confucianism.

Confucian aristocratic families remained deeply entrenched.

Lei Jun even spotted an old acquaintance.

By the great river stood the Southern Lin Clan.

In this realm, at least the Lin Clan of Jiangzhou still existed.

Additionally, the Jiangnan region boasted an abundance of Buddhist temples.

Here, Buddhism thrived.

Even in the northern areas, Buddhist temples could be found, though their lineage did not belong to the Central Plains Buddhist Sect, but rather to the Hand Seal Tradition.

Judging by their monk robes, the style resembled that of the Sumeru Vajra Division or the Lotus Division.

However, monks of the Vajra Division wore robes lined with blue, and those of the Lotus Division wore red.

The monks in this realm’s northern temples, however, wore white-lined robes.

To Lei Jun’s knowledge, this color corresponded to the Buddha Division, or Tathāgata Division, within the Sumeru Vajra Realm’s Five Divisions.

This suggested that this realm was being cultivated by the Buddha Division of Sumeru.

In the Northern Court, they had essentially become the state religion, honored by the ruling government, forcing even the northern aristocrats to tread cautiously.

In contrast, the Southern Court upheld the Central Plains Buddhist tradition.

Lei Jun lacked concrete proof, but his instincts told him that the Southern lineage might be linked to Shambhala.

Just like in the Five Dynasties realm, Shambhala maintained a void gateway connecting to this split world.

This was a realm where Buddhism, royalty, and aristocracy coexisted, yet it was divided in two.

Northern and Southern Dynasties in opposition.

Western Region Buddhism vs. Central Plains Buddhism.

Major noble families stood on either side.

In contrast, Daoist traditions appeared to be faring poorly.

At least near Jiangzhou, Lei Jun didn’t see any sign of Longhu Mountain's foundation in Xunzhou.

Had the Tianshi Mansion’s lineage in this realm been severed?

Shen Xi was a refining sect cultivator, possibly from the Shushan Sect of this realm.

But judging from the overwhelming Buddhist and Confucian presence on both sides, even if a Shushan branch did exist, it was likely caught between giants, faring worse than the Shushan Sect in Great Ming.

The mirror’s current scope was much wider than before, but it still had its limits. Lei Jun couldn’t immediately locate Shen Xi.

He turned the mirror away temporarily.

The scene that followed was of the realm he was most familiar with—the Tang Mortal Realm.

“Currently, I can only observe five mortal realms…” Lei Jun noted silently.

Tang, Song, Ming, the Five Dynasties, and this split Northern-Southern Dynasty realm—these were the origins of the so-called Five Mortal Emperors once discussed in Penglai.

Unlike the Buddhist forces of Mount Sumeru, which actively expanded outward, individuals like Huang Xuanpu and Shen Xi seemed more like Lei Jun or Shen Qubing, who happened upon destiny through the Heavenly Book, entering Penglai by fate and leading to the rise of the Mortal Daoist Nation.

As for how involved "Yan Keji" was in all of this, Lei Jun couldn’t yet say.

Through the Altar’s Talismanic Formation, Lei Jun could currently observe only these five mortal realms from within Penglai.

One regret was that he couldn’t observe the Han Dynasty realm yet.

He also wasn’t entirely sure how the range of observation was determined.

If based on past activity of figures like Huang Xuanpu in their respective realms, there still seemed to be discrepancies.

For example, Lei Jun’s view of Shen Xi’s realm only reached the middle reaches of the Great River, not the upper Bashu region.

Not dwelling further, Lei Jun began another experiment.

By aligning the Zhou Heavenly Mirror of Jade Purity in Penglai with the Starry River Heavenly Net he left behind in the Tang realm, he now had an even wider field of view.

With this, a large swath of the Tang Dynasty's lands fell under his surveillance.

He realized that by crafting more Starry River Heavenly Nets, he could extend this to other realms—bringing more territory into the mirror’s scope.

“It’s just that the materials are hard to come by,” Lei Jun thought.

This time, he had swept through the Yellow Springs Shushan and taken the accumulated resources of Han Qingtao and Li Hang, which was a sizable haul—but not enough to meet all his crafting needs.

“I’ll have to slowly gather materials over time,” he murmured. “And I can still improve the Starry River Heavenly Net.”

After Senior Sister Xu Yuanzhen exited the altar, she stood atop the talisman array, glanced around, and remarked:

“It’s a great tool, but it really burns through your mana. You’ve got some endurance to keep this running.”

“Barely holding on,” Lei Jun replied.

After all, these methods exceeded mortal means.

Directly observing other realms through layers of void boundaries consumed vast amounts of both spiritual energy and mana.

Spiritual energy could be drawn from Penglai, which helped.

But Lei Jun’s personal mana was still being drained immensely.

Even with his Two-Element Celestial Physique, it wasn’t something he could sustain for long.

Fortunately, he had been refining his understanding of the Yin-Yang Twin Fire Tigers.

Xu Yuanzhen’s gaze swept down to Lei Jun’s chest.

Outwardly unremarkable, it concealed profound secrets.

Within, emerald yin fire and crimson yang fire intertwined, the two tigers roaring silently in his chest.

As they roared, their flames collided and extinguished each other in constant fusion and opposition.

Suddenly, a burst of light—neither red nor green, but resplendent like the Solar Luminary—shot out from Lei Jun’s body.

The moment it left him, his face turned pale.

The mirror’s observation had taxed him severely; even his Celestial Physique felt the strain.

He stopped the mirror's operation, and after a few breaths, his color returned.

Without his body as a barrier, Xu Yuanzhen could clearly see—

That wondrous light and fire, ceaselessly colliding and merging, annihilating and birthing each other. Amid the brilliance, countless invisible specks of dust evolved and influenced their surroundings in endless cycles.

It was like an unending chain of birth and death, origin lost to time.

But Xu Yuanzhen instinctively felt it might have all started from a single mote of dust.

“Heavenly Sun True Fire as the core, Nine Abyss True Fire as the vessel,” she nodded slightly.

“Similar to the Yin-Yang Divine Radiance, I call it the Yin-Yang Infinite Star Blaze,” Lei Jun replied.

The term "Infinite" (Wu Ji) held profound meaning in the Daoist world and was not to be used lightly.

Lei Jun had considered names like Yin-Yang Boundless Star Blaze, but ultimately settled on Infinite.

Xu Yuanzhen had no objections.

“While I still prefer your Celestial Ground-Through Talisman, this Yin-Yang Twin Tiger method is quite clever.”

She watched the mystical flame return to Lei Jun’s body. “It’s not just for mana recovery, right?”

“Of course not,” Lei Jun said.

Though he had many offensive techniques, he currently used the Infinite Star Blaze primarily to replenish mana.

In the future, he intended to refine it further for combat use—he had many ideas, some of which were related to the Heavenly Mirror and Starry River Net.

The same applied to his other creation: the Yin-Yang Divine Radiance, derived from the Twin Thunder Dragons.

Previously, he had used the Twin Fire Tigers mainly in close combat.

Against Han Qingtao, who specialized in Void Traversal and Earth Aura, he favored the Twin Thunder Dragons to empower his own body.

If he were to engage Li Hang of the Alchemical Sect head-on, he’d choose the Twin Fire Tigers for support.

“By the way, senior sister—I haven’t congratulated you yet,” Lei Jun smiled as he looked her over. “You’ve reached the Perfection Stage of the Ninth Heaven in our Talismanic Branch, haven’t you? Attained the Five Energies Converging to the Profound?”

“Yes,” Xu Yuanzhen replied calmly. “It happened while I was in the Golden Khanate Realm.”

Lei Jun perked up. “So you’ve acquired the Bridge to the Profound?”

In the Daoist Refining Sect, reaching Five Energies Converging to Immortality granted a Scattered Immortal body.

In the Alchemical Sect, it granted the Primordial Energy Body.

The former strengthened a weakness in Refining Sect cultivators—their fragile souls.

Ji Yao, having formed a Scattered Immortal body, was not as sturdy as an Alchemical Sect cultivator or a Buddhist monk, but his soul defense was quite formidable. When paired with his treasures, he became even harder to wound.

If not for the perfectly timed Reincarnation Descent by Sun Li, Ji Yao wouldn’t have suffered so heavily.

As for a Ninth Heaven Alchemical Sect cultivator who had attained Five Energies Converging to the Origin, their Grand Ascension Primordial Pill fused fully with their body, offering both flexibility and peerless defense.

It was the only Daoist body that could rival the Precepts-keeping Monks of Buddhism at the same level.

What it lacked in protection of others, it made up for with its own Danxia Primordial Radiance, a uniquely powerful attack force.

Had Li Hang possessed this body like Huang Xuanpu did, Lei Jun would’ve used a very different approach in Penglai.

Leaving such a powerhouse unchecked inside his domain would’ve been suicidal.

Among Grand Ascension Daoists, the Alchemical Sect’s Primordial Body was arguably the best all-rounder—attack, defense, and endurance all maxed out—only lacking in mobility.

In comparison, the Talismanic Branch’s Five Energies Converging to the Profound granted access to the Bridge to the Profound…