Seeking Fortune and Avoiding Misfortune: Starting from the Celestial Master’s Mansion
Chapter 65: Brave Lei Jun, not afraid of difficulties

The current Tianshi and the head of the Jiangzhou Lin Clan, both gone?

When the news spread, an eerie silence descended.

Half was shock, half was disbelief.

Then, the entire world shook!

On one hand, this was the third Tianshi to fall within the past hundred years.

On the other, the head of the Jiangzhou Lin Clan—one of the renowned Five Great Surnames and Seven Prominent Clans—had also fallen.

The power structure of the Daoist world in the Great Tang collapsed in two key areas.

The resulting power vacuum drew the eyes of countless people.

All the forces that had been holding back, watching and waiting, now sprang into action at once.

Tianxu Mountain, for now, remained on the edge of the storm.

After hearing the news of the Tianshi’s demise, the Tianxu Sect erupted in brief yet intense chaos.

But strangely, it soon calmed down.

It wasn’t that everyone could accept the news so easily; rather, though the Tianxu Sect was on the storm's edge, it still lay within the storm’s reach.

With the fall of the Jiangzhou Lin Clan's head, various major factions, whose loyalties were unclear, began stirring. The Lin Clan had no choice but to lie low.

Meanwhile, with the Tianshi gone, the Yellow Heaven Sect launched a full-scale counterattack.

The sect leader, Taiping Daoist, led the Yellow Heaven Sect, who had been biding their time and amassing power for years, to strike at their long-standing nemesis—the Tianshi Mansion.

Despite the initial chaos from the Tianshi’s death, the Tianshi Mansion quickly regrouped and fought back against the Yellow Heaven Sect.

Xu Yuanzhen focused on the mysterious expert who had ambushed the Tianshi.

This person was directly tied to the Tianshi's demise. Moreover, other high-ranking members of Mount Longhu couldn’t afford to be ambushed again while battling the Yellow Heaven Sect.

Fortunately, for now, no other enemies had interfered.

However, the Yellow Heaven Sect was unleashing the power it had built up over years, attacking on multiple fronts.

Not only did Taiping Daoist and his followers return to Mount Longhu to challenge the Tianshi Mansion, but branches of Mount Longhu like the Zixiao Sect and Tianxu Sect were also targeted.

Tianxu Sect patrol disciples reported spotting Yellow Heaven Sect cultists in the mountains.

A storm was brewing!

Tianxu Sect’s Sect Master, Daoist Tu Guangyu, steadied his mind, reassured the disciples, and directed them with composure.

The entire sect began preparations to face the invaders.

“I shall activate the Eight Extremes Mountain-Guarding Formation. All Tianxu Sect disciples, calm your minds, avoid panic, and support each other. If we unite as one, we will weather this storm,” Tu Guangyu said calmly.

In the main hall, the disciples of Tianxu Sect responded in unison:

“We will follow the Sect Master’s teachings!”

Although Lei Jun and Xia Qing were True Disciples of the Tianshi Mansion, since they were temporarily stationed at Tianxu Sect, they naturally followed Tu Guangyu's orders and prepared to defend the mountain with the other disciples.

The situation at Mount Longhu was complex, changing by the hour. Even if they were needed back there, with their Lower-Heaven cultivation, Lei Jun and Xia Qing couldn’t make a decisive impact. It was better to stay at Tianxu Mountain and assist in managing the crisis here, where their efforts would be more useful.

The Eight Extremes Mountain-Guarding Formation consumed large amounts of Earth Vein Spiritual Energy, so it was only activated in dire circumstances.

Besides the main peak, eight surrounding peaks were selected to host subsidiary altars representing the Eight Trigrams: Heaven, Earth, Wind, Thunder, Water, Fire, Mountain, and Marsh.

With one main and eight subsidiary peaks, once the formation activated, the protective barriers became a seamless defense, nearly impossible for ordinary enemies to breach.

Though the Yellow Heaven Sect was launching a full-scale attack, their core forces were focused on Mount Longhu.

Even if enemies arrived at Tianxu Mountain, they would struggle to break the Eight Extremes Formation.

However, the eight subsidiary altars surrounding the main peak needed people to guard them.

Compared to the main peak, these subsidiary altars were on the front lines of any attack, making them riskier, despite the formation’s protection.

When assigning roles, Tu Guangyu and the other leaders decided to keep Lei Jun and Xia Qing—True Disciples of the Tianshi Mansion—at the main peak.

At that moment, a Light Sphere flashed in Lei Jun’s mind, displaying a message:

【Eight Extremes Divided Defense, Disaster from the Center, Earth Vein Flux, Midnight Calamity.】

The Light Sphere then revealed three fortune slips:

1. Upper-Moderate Omen: After the upheaval at the main peak, enter the belly of Qiǎn Heaven Peak before midnight to obtain a Fourth-Grade Opportunity. However, this may lead to karmic entanglements, so proceed with caution. Good.

2. Lower-Moderate Omen: Stay at the main peak during the upheaval. You may obtain an Eighth-Grade Opportunity, but amid the disaster, danger is unpredictable, with potential for severe injury or death. Bad.

3. Lower-Bad Omen: After the upheaval at the main peak, if you enter Qiǎn Heaven Peak past midnight, the Earth Vein's shift will lead to catastrophe. There will be no escape, only death. Very Bad.

Lei Jun pondered the fortune slips and extracted three key points:

Disaster from the Center.

Qiǎn Heaven Peak.

The Midnight Timeframe.

It seemed the Eight Extremes Formation’s weakness wasn’t in the eight subsidiary altars but in the seemingly safer main peak.

Qiǎn Heaven Peak’s altar was particularly significant among the eight.

The timeframe around midnight was critical:

Before midnight, there was a chance to secure a Fourth-Grade Opportunity in the mountain’s belly.

After midnight, delaying or entering then would mean stepping into a death trap…

Lei Jun’s thoughts raced, but his expression remained calm as he approached Sect Master Tu Guangyu and declared:

“Sect Uncle Tu, I request to guard one of the subsidiary altars.”

The Tianxu Sect leaders were surprised.

From afar, Xia Qing also turned to look.

“These past days, while staying at Tianxu Mountain, I’ve received great kindness from my seniors and peers,” Lei Jun said sincerely.

“In this moment of crisis, I wish to do my utmost to help Tianxu Mountain overcome this ordeal.”

He paused, lowering his voice slightly:

“With the Yellow Heaven Sect attacking, now is the time for unity. I dare not lag behind.”

The Tianxu Sect leaders were thoughtful.

The Yellow Heaven Sect had always been a sensitive foe for all branches of Mount Longhu, stemming from old disputes between the Li family and outsiders.

With the Tianshi Mansion in turmoil and morale fragile, favoritism now could undermine unity.

“Sect Uncle Tu, I am also willing,” Xia Qing stepped forward. “In such danger, we should stand together. I dare not fall behind.”

She glanced at Lei Jun, her eyes showing admiration rather than irritation for his boldness.

“Very well,” Tu Guangyu agreed. “Lei Jun, you will guard Qiǎn Heaven Peak's altar; Xia Qing, guard Kūn Earth Peak's altar. Be careful.”

Though he assigned them to key altars, Tu Guangyu left some leeway, ensuring they weren’t being recklessly sacrificed.

Qiǎn Heaven and Kūn Earth were pivotal yet relatively secure altars among the eight.

Securing his role without further debate, Lei Jun was pleased.

After the crowd dispersed, he privately sought out Tu Guangyu.

“Sect Uncle Tu, though I am young and inexperienced, I have encountered the Yellow Heaven Sect before,” Lei Jun said slowly.

“One incident left a deep impression. When I was still in the Daoist Children's Academy, a mansion elder secretly colluded with Yellow Heaven Sect cultists. He manipulated us apprentices into causing distractions while he stole artifacts from the mansion…”