Seeking Fortune and Avoiding Misfortune: Starting from the Celestial Master’s Mansion
Chapter 431: Be a role model and correct your painting style

Chu Kun remained in his residence, deep in thought.

He was now considering whether he should discuss this matter with his master and fellow disciples.

He gently tapped his brow with one finger.

Based on past experience, he could bring inanimate objects with him to that place—or bring them back from there.

But anything alive, animal or plant, couldn’t cross between worlds.

Would that limitation change, now that transformations seemed to be occurring on the other side?

Chu Kun focused his thoughts for a long while. Eventually, he stopped tapping his brow, choosing to observe a bit longer before taking further action.

Regardless, his own cultivation couldn’t be neglected.

He set the incense, cleared his mind, and began to cultivate.

As his spiritual power circulated through his body, it naturally coalesced into a three-tiered Radiant Altar, shimmering with light.

The Three-Tiered Altar sparkled like a sea of stars, formed from gathered starlight. Its structure followed the orthodox Longhu lineage: circular at the top, square at the base, and octagonal in the middle.

Sitting cross-legged atop the altar, Chu Kun meditated in silence.

He had already reached the Second Stage of the Eighth Heaven – Inner Celestial Court Realm. His Celestial Court Universe was becoming increasingly stable, nearly ready to evolve outward—interfacing with the external world and stepping into the Third Stage: Outer Celestial Court Realm.

Much like how Lei Jun had formed his Xuanhuang Universe, or Master Yuan Mobai had formed the Galaxy Sky Gate.

At present, the view within Chu Kun’s own Celestial Court was somewhat similar to Lei Jun’s from years ago.

It looked like a vast, dark cosmos scattered with countless stars twinkling in silence.

But Chu Kun’s stars were closer together, densely packed into a brilliant Sea of Stars.

Each star shone vividly, especially the massive Talisman at the heart of the sea—blazing like a central sun.

It pulsed with golden-red flames, radiating light and heat in all directions.

This talisman was the “Zhongtian Sun Talisman”, which he had learned from his senior brother Lei Jun.

It had become his second Natal Divine Talisman, and he had grasped its profound essence.

In fact, he had evolved it further—infusing it with his personal insights and the unique influence of his Celestial River Immortal Body.

His Celestial River physique, like Han Xiaofei’s Void Immortal Body, Xu Yuanzhen’s Cosmos Immortal Body, and Mu Chunyang’s Creation Immortal Body, differed from Lei Jun’s Yin-Yang Immortal Body, or Tang Xiaotang’s former Pure Yang Immortal Body, or Jiang Yu’s Pure Yin Immortal Body.

Those other physiques often granted an additional natal divine ability with each higher realm in the Upper Three Heavens.

But his type of physique often manifested unique phenomena during cultivation instead.

The Life Book Talisman and the Zhongtian Sun Talisman he cultivated had both evolved in unique ways under this influence.

Now, in the blazing sun at the center of his celestial universe, instead of Lei Jun’s Sunfire Tiger manifestation, a different form was emerging.

Chu Kun understood the difference clearly.

This manifestation was vaguely humanoid—but distinctly unlike the Doumu Star Goddess.

This flaming sun now functioned as the central hub of his celestial universe.

The stars seemed to orbit it—but simultaneously moved on their own rules and trajectories.

Eyes closed, Chu Kun focused his spirit, breathing in rhythm, silently expanding his celestial domain.

Across Mount Longhu, many disciples were just like Chu Kun—silently cultivating, seizing the opportunity presented by the current golden age of cultivation in the Tang Realm.

Lei Jun continued his own cultivation and artifact refinement while teaching his disciples as always.

In addition to Zhuo Baojie, he now had a second disciple: Han Xiaofei.

The young girl had successfully built her foundation the year before, soon after her formal initiation.

Now dressed in a pale yellow Daoist robe, she spent her days not only studying Mount Longhu’s core scripture—the "True Path Canon of Orthodox Law"—but also learning talisman crafting under Lei Jun’s personal instruction.

Just as Lei Jun had once followed Master Yuan Mobai.

Alongside these basics, Han Xiaofei had one more task to focus on—learning to regulate the power of her Void Immortal Body.

Her physique was mysterious and profound, but Han Xiaofei herself had barely been aware of it before.

In some ways, it was what people called “easy to release, hard to conceal.”

This could be advantageous against peers close in cultivation level—but glaringly obvious to more advanced cultivators.

Lei Jun was certain that, even though she didn’t say or do anything, the Lotus Sect leader Zongjia must have noticed something special about her.

Even if Zongjia couldn’t pinpoint the root, the unique presence of her immortal body would’ve been apparent.

If Lei Jun had chosen a more convenient route—sealed the Earthsea Realm quickly and let Zongjia leave unscathed—Tang Xiaotang wouldn’t have intercepted him later.

And Han Xiaofei, who was present at the time, might have found her “Daoist fate” turning into “Buddhist fate.”

Just as the glowing orb of knowledge once told Lei Jun—Dao and Dharma are separated by only a breath.

Now, one of Lei Jun’s main goals was to teach Han Xiaofei how to regulate and control the mysteries of her physique.

Han Xiaofei wasn’t just innately gifted—she was also incredibly smart and quick to understand.

She grasped the core methods quickly.

Her cultivation, too, advanced by leaps and bounds.

Upon reaching the Second Heaven, Foundation Level, she selected her natal talismans.

And—just like her master—she chose the Spirit Strike Talisman and the Wind Riding Talisman.

Lei Jun sighed inwardly.

The Spirit Strike Talisman was expected—it was a family tradition.

But the Wind Riding Talisman...

Back in the day, Lei Jun had relied on special items like Night Wind Stones to master this talisman’s stealth-enhancing form—allowing him to blend with the wind, soften noise, and cloak his presence.

Now his second disciple had essentially developed the same effect naturally, guided by her Void Immortal Body.

But…

The Void Immortal Body had so many applications—it didn’t have to be used for this kind of sneakiness.

Lei Jun was deeply concerned.

His lineage’s style was developing... oddly.

His first disciple, Baojie, already showed signs of growing sideways.

Now his second disciple, newly initiated, was already veering off track.

He had once hoped this elegant girl would improve the “aesthetic” of his lineage...

But now—this was really, really not it.

With that thought, Lei Jun turned to look at Zhuo Baojie.

The Celestial Master’s gaze was sharp, causing Elder Zhuo to feel slightly baffled.

“Baojie…”

Lei Jun glanced at Han Xiaofei, who was darting around the courtyard after applying a Wind Riding Talisman.

“… Hua Jie…”

Zhuo turned to look at her too, thinking this little junior really was a good addition to their sect.

Of course, he also knew if his master wanted, he could’ve spoken privately and blocked her from hearing.

“Yes, Master.” The little bear’s expression turned solemn as he answered respectfully.

Lei Jun spoke earnestly:

“I know you’ve been watching over Hua Fei most of the time. You’ve done well. But precisely because she spends so much time with you—you need to set a good example as her senior.”

“Master, I’ve always followed your teachings. I wouldn’t dare slack off…”

“Our Mount Longhu is the true heart of the Dao. We value integrity above all. I know you tend to be laid-back, and I haven’t been strict with you before.

But even if you haven’t taken in a disciple yet—now that you have a junior sister, you must be more mindful.”

“...Yes, Master. I understand.”

Just then, Han Xiaofei returned and bowed politely.

“Master.”

To her, Lei Jun’s face might seem cold, but his elegance and grace made him truly worthy of being the righteous leader of their world.

To be accepted by him, to follow him in learning the Dao, truly felt like a blessing.

And despite his stern demeanor, he had always been patient and kind.

Senior Brother Baojie was also very good to her.

Also… he was cute.

“You’ve picked up the Wind Riding Talisman very quickly,” Lei Jun nodded.

“Keep cultivating it. Next, we’ll move on to other talismans.”

“Thank you, Master—and thank you, Senior Brother.”

After the lesson ended, she didn’t immediately leave. Instead, she sidled up to Lei Jun.

“Master…”

“Yes?”

She whispered:

“I heard you call Elder Wang your ‘senior brother’ and Elder Tang your ‘little senior sister’?”

Lei Jun replied calmly:

“I entered the sect later, and our generation has many brothers. Some even senior to Elder Wang.

But your grandmaster only took in three disciples. Among them, the only one who shares my lineage is Elder Wang—so I call him senior brother.

As for your Elder Tang, she joined before me, but is slightly younger in age. We’ve always been close, and she’s not one to fuss about titles.

Still, ‘little senior sister’ is just what I call her privately. In public, it would be inappropriate.”

Zhuo Baojie chimed in:

“Junior Sister, whether public or private, we should address her as ‘Elder Tang’.”

Han Xiaofei nodded quickly.

“Don’t worry, Senior Brother. I’ve never called her ‘Little Elder’ or anything like that!”

Zhuo nodded—then noticed his master giving him a very meaningful look.

...This little bear, with his rich history, had called her “sister” before.

The moment Zhuo met his master’s gaze, he instantly understood and nearly choked—coughing repeatedly and turning his head.

Han Xiaofei looked at him in concern.

Lei Jun’s face stayed calm.

“Hua Fei, is there a special reason you’re asking about those two?”

“Master,” she whispered,

“Can I do the same? Call Senior Brother Zhuo ‘Big Brother,’ and Senior Sister Cheng ‘Little Sister’? Just in private!”

She and Cheng Rongrong had become close in the Daoist Youth Hall.

She used to call her “Senior Sister Cheng” or “Sister Rongrong.” But then she found out Cheng was actually younger than her.

After noticing Lei Jun’s way of addressing Tang Xiaotang, Han Xiaofei had been thrilled to have a model to follow.

Especially since she was so close with Zhuo Baojie—she figured, why not?

…So you’re saying you’re literally copying me.

Lei Jun sighed inwardly.

But this wasn’t the sort of thing he’d micromanage.

“You can ask Baojie and Rongrong yourself,” he replied.

Han Xiaofei cheered:

“Thanks, Master!”

Then she ran over and hugged the similarly-sized Zhuo Baojie.

“Big Brother!”

Zhuo didn’t mind the nickname, but gently pushed her off to avoid a full embrace.

“Keep it to private, alright? Otherwise, the other seniors won’t tease you—they’ll tease me.”

Watching his two disciples banter, Lei Jun smiled.

Dialogue fully preserved;

• Colloquial yet precise language that matches each character's tone;

• All terms cross-referenced with the glossary, e.g., Pure Yang artifacts, Upper Three Heavens, Luoyuan, Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, etc.;

• Paragraph structure fully retained, for smooth readability and continuity.

---

Before Lei Jun sat the combined Pure Yang artifact set that Nie Fang had brought for his review.

At present, these kinds of artifacts still relied on quantity over quality to be effective.

But if things kept developing at this pace, it might soon influence battles between Upper Three Heavens cultivators, especially those at higher realms.

It had to be said—when it came to warfare, development really did progress quickly.

Of course, there had been plenty of detours and wasted effort, but overall, the momentum was strong.

In this area, the Shushan Sect, as a Daoist sacred land for artifact refinement, played a major role.

Their most immediate threat in past years had been the Shushan heretics from the Yellow Springs.

That’s why they had invested the most effort into developing Pure Yang artifacts and magical tools, and naturally made the fastest progress.

Lei Jun had no objection to this, nor did he currently plan to announce that the Yellow Springs had changed hands and that the Li Shushan heretics had already been wiped out.

For the Tang Realm, Luoyuan’s demon hordes and the threat of the Wujian Catastrophe were still real and pressing dangers.

Further advancement in Pure Yang artifact research would never be a waste.

Lei Jun hadn’t forgotten that his Senior Brother Wang Guiyuan still bore the mark of Wujian.

Now that he had control over the Yellow Springs, he continuously compared and studied its nature against that of Wujian.

If he could find a viable method, he might be able to help Wang Guiyuan resolve this hidden threat once and for all.

Nie Fang had no objections to developing Pure Yang magical tools either.

Though his primary enemies weren’t the Yellow Springs heretics or the monsters of Luoyuan, he was currently living in the Tang Realm and receiving help from the Celestial Master’s Estate and the Shushan Sect.

Naturally, he had no reason to avoid doing his part in resisting netherworld forces.

Besides, even if one’s enemies weren’t necessarily of the nether realm, Pure Yang power was still immensely formidable. Given the chance to study and apply it, Nie Fang was more than happy to take it.

He himself was extremely gifted.

His first puppet construct, "Reverse Current", crafted during his time in the Seventh Heaven, had contained little Pure Yang energy. But now, he was preparing for his eventual breakthrough to the Eighth Heaven.

The second puppet construct he intended to forge at that stage would be a true magical weapon, and already he was incorporating many Pure Yang design elements into its concept.

In the current Tang Daoist world, Mount Longhu led the way.

But all branches—refinement techniques, alchemy, and more—were flourishing.

And these weren't limited to traditional External Alchemy schools.

In this new wave, Nie Fang and the Xuanji Temple were among the biggest beneficiaries.

Their temple had grown rapidly. It wasn’t yet known as a "fourth Daoist sacred land," but it had already become a household name throughout the Tang Realm.

It now had a vast number of disciples, with new branches beginning to form across different regions.

Nie Fang's own cultivation had also risen sharply.

Under Lei Jun's influence, the mechanical arts passed down in Xuanji Temple had taken on a much more practical and applied style.

As a result, the ongoing boom in artifact and mechanism development was directly fueling Nie Fang's own growth.

This time, he had come to the ancestral grounds of Mount Longhu both to report progress and to seek instruction from Lei Jun.

Over the years, he had received much guidance from Lei Jun—especially in the area of lightning arts.

Within the Tang Realm today, Lei Jun’s lightning techniques were arguably second to none.

Even peers like Xu Yuanzhen and Tang Xiaotang couldn’t match the depth and breadth of his mastery in this domain.

And for Nie Fang, the key reason to seek Lei Jun’s instruction was that his design approach for "Reverse Current" paralleled Lei Jun’s method of developing divine powers:

Maximizing destructive force and combat effectiveness within limited time, surpassing the user’s current cultivation level.

It was easy to guess that Nie Fang's conceptual enemy here was the Confucian cultivators of the Ming Dynasty—especially those aligned with Nie Zhongjie.

When facing such scholars, unless one utterly overwhelmed them in realm and power, the worst thing was to get bogged down in prolonged battle—giving them time to accumulate energy through their sacred rites and teachings.

The best solution?

Hit them hard. Hit them fast. Shatter them before they can react.

Thus, for "Reverse Current," the more devastating it was, the better.

Nie Fang’s current line of research focused on using lightning arts to enhance his constructs.

“The Neo-Confucianism of the Ming has also been evolving,” Lei Jun said.

Nie Fang nodded.

“You’re right, Celestial Master. I’ve heard a bit about that recently.”

The Ming Prime Minister Zhou Mingzhe’s reforms were still deepening.

Nie Fang’s future adversaries would become more varied and complex.

Besides "Reverse Current," his second puppet was being designed to handle more diverse threats.

Not just enemies from the Ming Dynasty, either.

The geopolitical situation was changing fast. Some enemies were shared by both the Tang and the Ming.

---

While the Tang Realm remained on alert against Luoyuan and Wujian...

In the cold, desolate depths of Luoyuan, a new tide was rising.

Multiple black oceans churned at once.

Thick black mist mixed with netherworld death aura spread in all directions.

From one such ocean, the top demon sovereign of Luoyuan—Lord Yuluo—surged forth, sweeping across the surrounding underworld.

Other Ninth Heaven demon sovereigns residing in Luoyuan all reacted with heightened vigilance.

Currently, the top five demons of Luoyuan—each equivalent to a human Ninth Heaven cultivator—were:

• Lord Yuluo

• Silvermoon Nether Phoenix

• Nether Tortoise of the Abyss

• Nether Moss

• Bone Flood Dragon King

There used to be a sixth: the Corpse Louse King.

But when it was still only at the Eighth Heaven, it had little fame in Luoyuan.

After ascending to the Ninth Heaven in secret, it left for the Earthsea Realm, seized the corpse of tribal leader Li Zhongding of the Wenli Clan, and never returned.

In the end, it was slain in Earthsea by Celestial Master Lei Jun of the Tang Realm.

So Luoyuan's five strongest demons remained the tiger, the phoenix, the tortoise, the flood dragon, and a massive, non-animal entity known as Nether Moss.

Though technically moss, its body mass was immense—easily the largest in Luoyuan.

It resembled a living black glacier, spreading across entire abyssal zones and spilling outward to nearby seas.

Due to its nature, Nether Moss seldom moved or left Luoyuan.

But it did maintain contact with the outside world.

Bone Flood Dragon King and the former Corpse Louse King were both its key allies.

However, when it came to Lord Yuluo, both Bone Flood Dragon and Nether Moss remained deeply wary.

At present, Lord Yuluo was visiting Nether Moss’s territory.

Both Nether Moss and Bone Flood Dragon were alert and poised.

It looked like an all-out war was about to erupt.

Surrounding demon tribes trembled with fear.

In distant abyssal seas, the demon auras of Silvermoon Nether Phoenix and Nether Tortoise also stirred.

They typically acted alone, but even they were watching the sudden tension in Luoyuan closely.

That said, the battle unfolding on Nether Moss’s land was really just a distraction.

Beneath the chaos, Lord Yuluo, Nether Moss, and Bone Flood Dragon were all maintaining calm composure.

Because, standing atop Nether Moss's domain, was a young Daoist.

A disciple of Ancestor Zhou Tian, and inheritor of Kunlun’s Yuyutian lineage—Mu Weizi.

“You’re a descendant of the Heavenly Palace?” Lord Yuluo asked coldly, eyeing him.

“My master and I, by chance, acquired part of the Heavenly Palace’s legacy,” Mu Weizi replied.

He didn’t fully disclose the truth, but he knew how to spark their interest.

“I came today hoping to enlist your help… in uncovering more ruins of the Heavenly Palace.”

Nether Moss responded—its voice like a thousand voices speaking in unison:

“The Corpse Louse once gained much through your help, Mu Daoist.”

“What do you seek from Luoyuan?” asked Lord Yuluo.

“Assistance,” Mu Weizi said.

“Not just from the three of you, but… from Luoyuan itself, if necessary.”

“The three of us alone won’t be enough,” Lord Yuluo replied.

“First, let me show you our sincerity,” Mu Weizi said.

“Then, if needed, my master and I can help you… convince the other two.”

Of course, whether Nether Moss, Bone Flood Dragon, or even Lord Yuluo, none of them actually wanted Ancestor Zhou Tian himself stepping foot into Luoyuan.

And Zhou Tian had no interest in doing so either—not while trying to avoid complications.

“Then let us talk,” Lord Yuluo said, voice cold and unreadable.

Bone Flood Dragon lingered to the side, silent, seemingly uninvolved.

But its hollow dragon skull flickered with eerie light as it watched both Lord Yuluo and Mu Weizi.

At the same time, it was silently conversing with someone else—Chen Yi, whom it had brought along and cloaked in demonic power.

“He likely does have a connection to the Heavenly Palace,” Chen Yi said calmly.

Ever since Mu Weizi had arrived, he had felt the pure golden temple inside his soul begin to tremble.

Over time, he had come to understand this golden temple better:

“But just how deep that connection runs is hard to say. His words can’t be fully trusted.”

“Naturally,” Bone Flood Dragon replied.

To be fair, none of them trusted each other—not even their own conversations.

But both Bone Flood Dragon and Nether Moss sensed something else within Chen Yi.

Something… that made them uneasy.

Something that awakened ancient, painful memories.

For now, until they understood more, they would not act rashly against Chen Yi. They might even help him.

And in return, they would gain something of value from him.

Their dealings with Mu Weizi were similar.

Everyone had their own agenda—but Bone Flood Dragon and Nether Moss wanted to secure their interests first.

Lord Yuluo likely thought the same.

As for Mu Weizi, he too wasn’t naïve.

He had faintly sensed Chen Yi’s presence, and was fairly certain the man was connected to the Heavenly Palace.

But he didn’t know whether Chen Yi was aligned with their side—or with the traitors of old.

Given the protection from Bone Flood Dragon and Nether Moss, he was probably one of “them” rather than the “others.”

Still, even among allies, there were differences.

And since Ancestor Zhou Tian had no interest in starting trouble for now, Mu Weizi wouldn’t act against Chen Yi.

But he would keep an eye on him.

Time was on his side.

Just as it had taken years to orchestrate the current situation in Luoyuan.

Now, after much effort, Bone Flood Dragon and Nether Moss were finally forming real ties with Lord Yuluo.

Three of Luoyuan’s Five Great Demons—united.

The remaining two, Silvermoon Phoenix and Nether Tortoise, still acted independently.

But the balance of power in Luoyuan… was about to shift.