Seeking Fortune and Avoiding Misfortune: Starting from the Celestial Master’s Mansion
Chapter 433: Eastern Green Emperor

Based on correspondence between the Great Han Jiangzhou Lin Clan and their counterparts, Lei Jun could basically confirm that this version of the "Two Jin Human World" was chronologically much closer to the Great Cataclysm at the end of the Han Dynasty, even closer than the present Han Human World or the Great Tang Human World. In other words, the history of this Two Jin Human World was relatively short.

Furthermore, the flow of time here was significantly different from that in the Great Tang or present Han Human Worlds—by over a thousand years.

After Lei Jun arrived in the Two Jin Human World, he continued gathering information about the local customs and historical records.

Following the Great Cataclysm at the end of the Han, this realm had also suffered through calamity after calamity.

The Grand Jin Dynasty that followed the Great Han rose and fell repeatedly, eventually splitting into the current standoff between the Southern Jin and Northern Jin dynasties.

Though it wasn’t as turbulent as the Southern and Northern Dynasties in Lei Jun’s memory from his previous life, it had still been a long era of chaos and unrest.

With the land fractured, both Southern Jin and Northern Jin suffered inherent weaknesses—national fortune and dragon veins both dim.

Even though the emperors of the Southern and Northern Jin still bore the mandate of their lands, they were far behind the likes of the present Han, Great Tang, and Great Ming Human Worlds.

They might not even compare to the Grand Song Dynasty during its bitter war with the Golden Khanate.

That said, the empowerment of emperor's techniques could not be underestimated.

The emperors of both Southern and Northern Jin had reached the Ninth Heaven, standing at the pinnacle of power.

…At least, that was how it was supposed to be.

But in reality, the most powerful figures in this realm came not from royalty, but from Buddhism.

More specifically, from two different Buddhist lineages.

The Sumeru Buddhist Sect.

The Sahā Little Western Paradise.

The former was the state religion of Northern Jin. Its Sect Master, Vimalakirti, was known across the north as the "Living Buddha of Ten Thousand Families."

The Buddhist Sect, also known as the Tathāgata Sect, was said to be the leader of the Five Sects of the Sumeru Vajra Realm, boasting countless powerful cultivators and having established deep roots in the Two Jin Human World over the years.

Although this realm had yet to experience a spiritual qi resurgence, Sumeru itself was rich in spiritual energy.

The Sumeru Sect held an essential place in Northern Jin, with a massive population of believers.

It was said that large-scale pilgrimages occurred at regular intervals.

Though the Sumeru Sect’s main temple—the Diamond Temple—was located in the Western Region, it was already one of the largest Buddhist sacred grounds in the Human World.

One of them, because there was another sacred ground that rivaled it.

The greatest Buddhist sacred ground of Southern Jin: the Little Western Paradise.

Lei Jun had previously heard this name mentioned by both Zhou Pu and Xu Yuanzhen.

There was also a Little Western Paradise in the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Human World, which served as the gateway to Sahā and its foremost Buddhist stronghold.

Sahā's arrangements differed significantly from the Five Sects of Sumeru’s Vajra Realm.

Though both in the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms and in the Two Jin Human World, the term "Little Western Paradise" was used, each had different Buddhist masters overseeing them.

The abbot of the Little Western Paradise in the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms was a Ninth Heaven peak monk of the Zen Martial lineage.

Meanwhile, the abbot of Southern Jin's Little Western Paradise, Master Baoneng, was a peak Ninth Heaven monk of the Vow-Fulfilling lineage.

He and Vimalakirti of the north were regarded as the two Great Saint Monks of the Human World, currently the top two cultivators in the entire Two Jin Human World.

In terms of influence, they were on par with—or beyond—the emperors of the Southern and Northern Jin dynasties.

In cultivation strength, they were arguably even superior.

In the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Human World, the original temples of Tianlong, Xuankong, and Bodhi had faded. In their place were newer sects like the Liuli Chan Monastery and the Putuo Nunnery, with Bodhi Temple being one of the few retained.

These newer temples were deeply involved in secular affairs, influencing the rise and fall of nations, while the Little Western Paradise remained relatively aloof.

In the Two Jin Human World, the Tianlong, Bodhi, and Xuankong temples still existed.

However, all three had migrated south and reestablished themselves within the Southern Jin’s borders.

They now surrounded and supported the Southern Jin’s Little Western Paradise.

Just like in the north with the Sumeru Sect, Buddhism was flourishing in the south.

The number of monks and lay believers across the land was massive. Combining both the north and south, the total exceeded that of the Tang, Han, Song, and Ming Human Worlds combined.

Monasteries, pagodas, temples, and nunneries of various styles were everywhere.

Stone-carved Buddhas and gold-gilded statues were found all over.

But the southern and northern Buddhist factions viewed each other as mortal enemies.

While there were many Ninth Heaven cultivators in the Two Jin Human World today, the vast majority came from either Sumeru or Sahā.

The Sumeru Sect needed no elaboration—under Vimalakirti were countless masters.

The Sahā’s Little Western Paradise was smaller in size and had fewer disciples, but the current abbots of Bodhi, Tianlong, and Xuankong Temples in Southern Jin were all dispatched by Sahā.

Thanks to Sahā’s backing, each of these three major Buddhist sacred sites housed monks at the Ninth Heaven Dharma Body level, who actively engaged with secular matters, influencing Southern Jin and resisting the Sumeru Sect from the north.

Like in the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms, the Little Western Paradise in Southern Jin held a transcendental status.

Master Baoneng was a legitimate imperial teacher.

Compared to Sumeru and Sahā’s top figures, the native forces of the Two Jin Human World seemed subdued.

Strictly speaking, there were only four Ninth Heaven-level native cultivators.

Aside from the emperors of Southern and Northern Jin, there was one Daoist Grandmaster and one Confucian Great Scholar.

The Daoist was Shen Xi, current sect leader of the Southern Jin’s Shushan Sect.

The scholar was Xiao Chan, patriarch of the Xiao Clan from the North Jin’s Longwai region.

The once-renowned Five Surnames and Seven Clans had dwindled to just five major houses, now known as the Four Surnames and Five Clans.

Due to repeated upheavals and tug-of-war between the Southern and Northern Jin, the Fang Clan of Jingxiang and the Ye Clan of Qingzhou had vanished from history.

Nonetheless, the remaining clans—the Lin Clan of Youzhou, Ye Clan of Jinzhou, Xiao Clan of Longwai, Chu Clan of Suzhou, and the Lin Clan of Jiangzhou—formed a vast and stable network of aristocratic influence that still served as the foundation of both Jin courts. However, Buddhism’s aggressive expansion had placed them under immense pressure.

In both the Southern and Northern Jin, the noble families largely sided with the royalty.

Had the Grand Jin Dynasty remained whole, the local powers might have united and stood on equal footing with Sahā and Sumeru.

But with the split into Southern and Northern Jin, that possibility had become remote.

Even if they wished to unite and mend old wounds, determining supremacy would not happen anytime soon.

With the advent of Sahā and Sumeru, neither half of the Jin Dynasty could resist either power alone.

Thus, Buddhism rose to dominance in this realm.

A small blessing within this misfortune was that the two Buddhist sects were also in fierce opposition to each other.

That gave native powers some room to maneuver, despite the arrival of overwhelming outside forces.

Regrettably, the Daoist talismanic sect’s sacred site, Mount Longhu, had already vanished.

Only the Shushan Sect and Chunyang Palace remained.

But the Chunyang Palace was now located in the north, under suppression from Sumeru, and faring poorly.

Shushan, in Sichuan, was slightly better off, though Sahā’s influence was also spreading fast there.

While Shushan had Shen Xi, a Ninth Heaven Daoist Grandmaster, he generally kept a low profile.

Of course, Lei Jun now knew that Shen Xi was the Eastern Green Emperor of the Human Dao Nation who had entered Penglai by chance.

Others might not know, but the Buddhist master from Sahā surely did.

Through the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms and the Two Jin Human World, Lei Jun had learned that the Sahā master was known as the Venerable Puguang.

According to ancient texts, this figure was once a Buddha-body-level patriarch of the Tianlong Temple.

It seemed he had survived the Han-end Great Cataclysm by taking refuge in Sahā and lived to this day.

However, his current condition appeared problematic.

Not only did he avoid returning to the mortal realm, but he also avoided leaving Sahā at all.

Even for entering Penglai—one of the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths—he had used a manifestation: the Central Yellow Emperor, Yan Keji.

So far, there had been no word in the Two Jin realm of the Little Western Paradise exposing Shen Xi as the Eastern Green Emperor of the Human Dao Nation.

Lei Jun now suspected that when he raided Penglai, Shen Xi hadn’t been present.

He might have sensed the disturbance afterward but didn’t know the full story.

As for Yan Keji’s identity, perhaps Shen Xi had a way of finding out?

Lei Jun considered heading to Sichuan.

But recent news from there indicated that Shen Xi was no longer at the Shushan Sect’s headquarters in Southern Jin—he had gone on a journey.

Still, Lei Jun managed to confirm one thing in the Two Jin Human World.

The Taiyi Huashang, one of the Six Great Ancestral Treasures of the Shushan Sect, was indeed the sect’s core guardian artifact.

Lei Jun had no interest in the artifact—he only cared about Shen Xi. Unfortunately, even Shushan disciples didn’t know their leader’s whereabouts.

The more rumors Lei Jun heard, the more legendary Shen Xi seemed.

He was actually very young—just past a hundred.

Given the current spiritual energy environment and Buddhist pressure, the fact that he reached Ninth Heaven so young had caused quite a stir.

He took over Shushan when it was nearly destroyed, with heavy casualties and dwindling membership.

Even now, the sect remained sparsely populated. Some even mocked it as a "one-man sacred land."

Lately, rumors said he had been entering the Southern Jin capital of Jianye more frequently and had earned the emperor’s favor.

With that came more speculation—that Shen Xi was in fact the greatest cultivator in the Human World after the two Great Saint Monks, surpassing even the emperors.

Though his cultivation might not have reached the perfected stage of the “Five Qi Towards the Celestial” realm, it wasn’t far off.

Lei Jun guessed that this rumor likely originated from Sahā’s Little Western Paradise.

They didn’t expose Shen Xi’s Penglai ties, but they did publicize his true strength to force him into the open.

Perhaps this was because of his growing closeness with the Southern Jin emperor.

Or maybe there were other concerns?

Worried that it might give the north and Sumeru an opening?

Lei Jun, seeing the situation, chose not to publicize anything either.

Unable to locate Shen Xi for now, he didn’t dwell on it.

His main goal in the Two Jin Human World was the Jade Pure Mysterious Heaven Cave.

This cave had long since moved from its original ancestral site.

Lei Jun concealed his tracks and searched in secret.

Across from Xinzou and separated by the vast Poyang Marsh, the Jiangzhou Lin Clan of Southern Jin was also in turmoil.

Being in the same realm, such distance meant little—Lei Jun had near-total access to their internal correspondence.

Though the conversation between the visiting guest and the host was face-to-face, the visitor was only a messenger.

The real communication between the Southern Jin and Great Han Lin Clan leadership still relied on written notes.

Though the Southern Jin Lin Clan visitor’s arrival was kept under tight wraps, even this small circle caused waves.

For Lin Xiaoyi and others from the Great Han Lin Clan, the revelations about the Southern Jin branch brought both good news and bad.

---

The bad news was that the aristocratic clans here lacked true power. Compared to the Present Han Human World, where spiritual qi surged through the heavens and earth, this realm lacked top-tier cultivators.

The good news was that, for precisely this reason, the Jiangzhou Lin Clan of Southern Jin—and other noble families as well—were similarly eager for external support. Cooperation came with fewer hidden agendas or reservations.

Unfortunately, although the Present Han Human World had no Sahā Buddhist faction, the Sumeru Buddhist Sect and the Jewel Sect, though rarely working together, might still share intelligence.

The Great Han's Jiangzhou Lin Clan and the Southern Jin’s Jiangzhou Lin Clan now faced the same towering behemoth.

Even without considering the courts of Great Han, Southern Jin, or Northern Jin, any communication between these major clans needed to remain low-profile and covert—gradual and careful.

As for the noble clans banding together for protection, Lei Jun did not interfere for now. He simply gathered intelligence quietly, observing from the sidelines.

That said, while staying among the Southern Jin’s Jiangzhou Lin Clan, Lei Jun did hear a rather unexpected piece of news.

Apparently, they had long since confirmed that realms outside of the Two Jin Human World existed.

The reason? They had previously encountered a fellow clansman who had arrived by accident from another realm.

His name: Lin Zhan.

The somewhat unfamiliar name triggered Lei Jun’s memory—this man was from the same Human World as him.

Once an elder of the Jiangzhou Lin Clan in the Great Tang Human World, Lin Zhan was of the same generation as Lin Che and Lin Yuwei, even their uncle by lineage.

Back when Lei Jun and Tang Xiaotang stormed the ancestral ground of the Tang-era Jiangzhou Lin Clan, they’d wondered about the absence of elders like Lin Jian and Lin Zhan.

Only later did they learn that, advanced in age, both had left in search of methods to counter aging and prolong vitality.

Lin Jian had become lost in an alternate void linked to the Old Song Human World, even dragging another elder, Lin Jin Song, into it during a rescue attempt.

Lin Zhan, however, had vanished without a trace—until now.

It turned out he had inadvertently fallen into the Two Jin Human World.

According to the Southern Jin’s Lin Clan, Lin Zhan had died unexpectedly during a recent Northern-Southern conflict.

Lei Jun didn’t particularly care about this elder’s fate.

What interested him was that Lin Zhan had seemingly arrived in the Two Jin Human World directly from the Great Tang Human World.

Even if it had happened by accident, this implied the potential for a direct portal between the two realms.

That would greatly simplify cross-realm travel.

Lei Jun fell into thought.

No matter which Jiangzhou Lin Clan it was, they all viewed the destruction of the Great Tang aristocracy and the suppression of the Taoist Tianshi Sect from Mount Longhu as arch-enemies.

So when exchanging views, it was inevitable they’d mention the Tianshi lineage.

Indeed, a letter from the Southern Jin Lin Clan mentioned the existence of the Jade Pure Mysterious Heaven Cave, stating that after the fall of the Great Jin Dynasty’s Tianshi Sect, the royal family briefly held control of it.

But as the dynasty fell into repeated chaos, even the royal family lost the cave. Many years had passed since, and no further news had emerged.

Lei Jun frowned slightly at this.

After days of secret searching, he still hadn’t found any trace of the cave.

Given his current cultivation level, this was quite unusual.

It could only mean one of two things: either the cave had already exited this realm, or it had fallen into someone else's hands—and that person’s strength wasn’t low.

"Too few clues," Lei Jun muttered, shaking his head.

He decided to head to Jianye, the Southern Jin capital.

Back when the royal family held the Jade Pure Mysterious Heaven Cave, they might have left some clues behind. Though the Great Jin Dynasty had long since split, he figured it was still worth trying his luck in the south before turning to the Northern Jin capital.

Like a shadow in the wind, Lei Jun crossed rivers and mountains in the blink of an eye, heading for Jianye.

Though Southern Jin’s national fortune was weak and fragmented, it still had a Ninth Heaven emperor presiding over the capital. Such a place was anything but ordinary.

So Lei Jun further concealed his presence.

Having sealed the Amitabha Peacock Throne back at his sect’s main altar, he could now use his Taiqing Eightfold Radiance Cloak again.

With the rain-mist cloak shrouding him, even most Ninth Heaven cultivators would struggle to detect his presence.

Calmly, Lei Jun entered the capital city of Jianye.

---

Meanwhile…

The current leader of Southern Jin’s Shushan Sect, and the Eastern Green Emperor of Penglai, Shen Xi, was in a remote and desolate place.

He was standing atop a snowy plateau.

The land stretched out bleak and boundless.

He entered a barren mountain.

Inside, however, lay a hidden pocket realm—modest in scale, but carefully cultivated by Shen Xi over many years despite the area's average spiritual veins.

Within the blessed land, a few Shushan cultivators—officially believed to have died in past wars—saw Shen Xi and greeted him with joy.

"Senior Brother Sect Leader!"

Shen Xi nodded and handed over some items to the disciples who gathered around him. “Where’s my master?”

One replied quickly, “Uncle-Master is over at the Cold-Heat Fire Spring.”

Shen Xi paused. “Went earlier than usual?”

The disciple looked concerned. “Yes, and he’s staying longer each day.”

Shen Xi said nothing, only nodding before walking onward. The others stayed behind.

He walked deeper into the hidden realm.

Here, eternal ice and surging underground fire intertwined, forming a rare yin-yang harmony of cold and heat.

Floating within it was a hunched figure—not a living person, but a spiritual manifestation formed of soul essence.

Like Shen Xi, the figure wore simple robes and straw shoes, appearing as an elderly man around sixty.

Shen Xi approached and bowed respectfully. “Master.”

The old man was none other than Gongsun Daoqi, the previous leader of the Shushan Sect—believed dead for years.

Smiling, he said, “Didn’t you just visit? Why so soon again—something urgent?”

Shen Xi shook his head. “Nothing urgent. Just concerned about your health.”

The old Daoist replied serenely, “No need to worry. Though things fluctuate, I’ve already outlived my fate—I'm living on borrowed time.”

Shen Xi stayed silent.

Gongsun Daoqi continued, “Had I not received your talisman decree, I would have passed on fifty or sixty years ago. We owe this time together to our allies from the Talisman Sect.”

Shen Xi shook his head. “This year, you’re still under five hundred. By right, you should have over three hundred years left.”

The elder chuckled. “Given my injuries, it's natural my lifespan would shorten. Destiny’s course, no point clinging to it.

But when you stumbled upon Penglai and used the Heavenly Palace and talismanic methods to preserve me—it was fate giving us another chance.

Now things are changing again. Let’s take it as it comes.”

Shen Xi closed his eyes briefly.

He could no longer access Penglai.

But theoretically, as long as he—the Eastern Green Emperor—was alive, Gongsun Daoqi should have remained at peak form until the end of his natural 800-year lifespan.

Yet, in recent years, his condition had grown unstable.

Thankfully, this hidden realm helped sustain him externally.

Shen Xi had thus moved his master here for protection.

Clearly, something unexpected had happened in Penglai.

He had caught some whispers already.

Had the Tianshi of Mount Longhu in the Great Tang become Penglai’s new master?

Likely due to disturbances caused by Lei Jun when clearing the ruins of the Heavenly Palace there.

Shen Xi was now planning either to re-enter Penglai or travel to the Great Tang Human World—but wasn’t ready to tell his master just yet.

The outcome was uncertain.

Meanwhile, the Shushan Sect was caught between two powerful Buddhist forces and required constant vigilance.

Whether for himself, his master, or the sect—it had not been easy surviving this long.

Once, Penglai had brought opportunity.

Now, every next step had to be taken with extreme caution.

“I’ve held on this long just to give the sect a little more strength before I go,” Gongsun Daoqi said, his spirit emerging from the fire-ice domain.

“If the heavens reclaim this favor, so be it. But you…”

Shen Xi looked up.

“You were born with the Stellar Light Immortal Physique. Your talent is unmatched. You've led this sect through hardship with wisdom and diligence. You’ve done better than I ever did. So no matter what, your priority should be preserving yourself.”

The old man smiled. “Even if we are a 'one-man sacred ground,' as long as you remain, our sect will never fall to ruin.”

Shen Xi bowed. “I will remember your words, Master.”

---

Lei Jun emerged from Jianye disappointed. He hadn’t found any clues about the Jade Pure Mysterious Heaven Cave.

What he did notice, however, was the growing dominance of Sahā Buddhism. It had even begun to overshadow Confucianism as the primary school of thought.

A symbolic turning point: a Southern Jin prince, already training in Buddhist teachings while keeping his hair, was named Crown Prince. He practiced the Emperor’s Sovereign Arts and bore part of the kingdom’s national fortune.

Due to the fractured land, the imperial arts were already faint in both the Northern and Southern Jin—barely better than nothing.

Yet this event still caused huge unrest throughout Southern Jin, becoming one of the most pivotal matters in recent years.

Never before in history had a Buddhist monk—or even someone training in Buddhist Dharma—been chosen to inherit the throne and wield the emperor’s cultivation method.

...Well, except in the Present Han Human World, where the Han Emperor followed a Shamanic Dao path.

Lei Jun shook his head, focusing on his own matters. He prepared to head north to the Northern Jin capital for another try.

Unexpectedly, just as he was about to leave Jianye, a glowing orb lit up in his mind, displaying lines of text:

[Southern-Northern Bodhi – A rainbow streak across a thousand miles.]

Then three fortune lots appeared:

• Upper-Mid Lot: "At the third quarter of the You hour tomorrow, head 1,000 miles south of Jianye to the northern foot of Mount Yunzhou. Chance to obtain a third-grade opportunity. No immediate risk, though latent dangers may exist. If handled properly, all will be well. Auspicious."

• Mid Lot: "Before the third quarter of the You hour tomorrow, arrive at Bodhi Temple 400 miles west of Jianye. Chance to obtain a fifth-grade opportunity. Minor disturbances may arise; latent danger possible. Proceed with caution. Neutral."

• Mid Lot: "Do not go to Bodhi Temple or Mount Yunzhou. Nothing gained, but nothing lost. Neutral."