Seeking Fortune and Avoiding Misfortune: Starting from the Celestial Master’s Mansion
Chapter 75: Have your cake and eat it too

Chen Yi left Xia Bo's mansion and returned to his own residence to check the elixirs in the jade bottle.

He first nodded, then shook his head.

The elixirs could enhance his cultivation, which was certainly useful for him at the moment.

"But if it were a spiritual item that could boost my physical vitality, that would be even better," Chen Yi murmured to himself.

That way, he could confidently carry out his cultivation plan.

If he successfully overcame the Heavenly Chasm Tribulation and reached the Third Heaven Altar Stage, he could employ a clever trick when selecting his third life-bound talisman.

He could use a spiritual item to strengthen his physical vitality while pretending to have chosen the Spirit Strike Talisman, thereby concealing his new trump card.

Even the trump card itself would be stronger.

This would significantly increase his overall strength.

In that glow, a hint of blood-red seemed to lurk, which quickly vanished along with the glow.

"What a pity..." Chen Yi sighed wistfully. "I'll keep trying to find a spiritual item that can enhance my physical vitality."

He perked up again and turned his gaze toward the main peak of Mount Longhu.

Dark clouds gathered there, resembling a celestial realm isolated from the mortal world.

"Ultimately, the Upper Qing Thunder Altar Hidden Cavern is the most important place. The sooner I get in, the better, but I just haven't had the opportunity."

Chen Yi frowned. "Even during the Lin Clan's and Yellow Heaven Sect's attack on the mountain, I couldn't sneak in. What a pity. Do I really have to wait until the initiation ceremony?"

Lei Jun, after catching up with his senior brother Wang Guiyuan, went to visit Luo Haoran.

Luo Haoran had been injured earlier in the Yunxiao Mountain Range and was immediately sent back to Mount Longhu to recuperate.

Fortunately, after a few months, Luo Haoran had fully recovered.

Faced with the Yellow Heaven Sect's invasion, Luo Haoran had joined his sect elders and fellow disciples in the battle.

Since he had only recently recovered, after repelling the attackers, he was assigned to guard the mountain instead of participating in fights outside.

After visiting Luo Haoran, Lei Jun returned to his residence, which he hadn't seen for over half a year.

Since he had just returned, the mansion hadn't assigned him any new tasks.

Taking advantage of this downtime, Lei Jun examined the Black Bear King's Gallbladder that Xia Bo had given him.

This treasure came from the body of a demon bear king, far beyond an ordinary bear.

The Black Bear King's Gallbladder contained abundant spiritual energy and fiery vitality.

Using it to refine elixirs or for medicinal baths would significantly enhance one's physical vitality.

As Xia Bo had said, this gift was precisely what Lei Jun needed.

In Yuan Mobai's lineage, disciples cultivated the Spirit Strike Talisman as their life-bound spell. Their physical vitality and close-combat skills were top-tier among their peers.

Without such abilities, Lei Jun wouldn't have been able to face body-refining martial artists head-on with his superior life-bound Spirit Strike Talisman.

Now, by further strengthening his body with the Black Bear King's Gallbladder and combining it with his life-bound Spirit Strike Talisman, Lei Jun's physical prowess would undoubtedly reach new heights.

"This Sixth-Grade Opportunity is truly great," Lei Jun nodded in satisfaction.

Choosing to return to Mount Longhu immediately had paid off.

If he had arrived a bit later, who knew who might have gotten this opportunity instead?

Although all disciples of the Talismanic Branch practiced life-bound spells, each had different focuses.

To Lei Jun's knowledge, none of Xia Bo's disciples specialized in the Spirit Strike Talisman.

But since the Black Bear King's Gallbladder was now in his hands, Lei Jun wasn't going to let it go to waste.

Later, Tang Xiaotang returned to Mount Longhu.

Lei Jun finally relaxed.

He had encouraged her to follow the path indicated by the first Upper-Moderate Omen, and nothing unexpected had happened.

The path that still held some risk for Lei Jun had been a breeze for Tang Xiaotang.

Yet her mood was far from pleasant.

"As expected, nothing major happened at Chiyuan Hidden Cavern. I made the trip for nothing," Tang Xiaotang pouted in dissatisfaction.

She had been hoping for a heroic moment.

"Oh, right..."

Tang Xiaotang suddenly remembered something and tossed an item to Lei Jun.

"I took care of those small fry. The other things aren't worth mentioning, but I found this spiritual item on one of them. You might need it in the future."

Lei Jun caught the object. Even before examining it closely, he could sense its spiritual nature.

Looking closely, he saw it was a strangely shaped spirit jade.

The jade was flat, perfectly round, and covered with intricate patterns. It was pure white, resembling a cloud sculpted by human hands, yet it seemed naturally formed, without any sign of carving—a marvel of nature's craftsmanship.

[Yuan Heart Tranquil Jade]

A flash of insight hit Lei Jun, and the name of the item surfaced in his mind.

But he had never heard of it before, so he looked up at Tang Xiaotang.

The tall woman said casually, "The Yuan Heart Tranquil Jade is rare. Its main use is to help Talismanic Branch cultivators at the Third Heaven Altar Stage overcome the Heavenly Chasm Tribulation and reach the Fourth Heaven Primal Talisman Stage.

"I don't need it, and you won't need it anytime soon either. Focus on your cultivation and think about it once you reach the Third Altar Stage."

Hearing this, Lei Jun raised an eyebrow.

This was the Fifth-Grade Opportunity mentioned in the first Upper-Moderate Omen.

According to Tang Xiaotang, the Yuan Heart Tranquil Jade served a similar purpose to the Mist-Wrapped Cloud Crystal he had used before, though the latter helped overcome the tribulation from the Second Heaven to the Third Heaven.

Indeed, the Yuan Heart Tranquil Jade was a perfect treasure for him... Lei Jun thought.

Had he known in advance what opportunities each omen held, he might have hesitated between the Yuan Heart Tranquil Jade and the Black Bear King's Gallbladder.

Even though the Yuan Heart Tranquil Jade came with some risk, while the Black Bear King's Gallbladder was risk-free.

But now, the situation was ideal.

The Yuan Heart Tranquil Jade was only useful for Third Heaven cultivators aiming for the Fourth Heaven, so Tang Xiaotang had no need for it and didn't value it much.

Thus, Lei Jun ended up with both treasures, getting the best of both worlds.

But this was only because it was Tang Xiaotang.

Next time, who knew if he'd have such a reliable and generous companion?

Lei Jun stopped overthinking it. He thanked Tang Xiaotang and stored the Yuan Heart Tranquil Jade away for when he was ready to break through to the Fourth Heaven Primal Talisman Stage.

For now, he focused on body refinement with the Black Bear King's Gallbladder and studying the mysteries of the Tianshi Seal's imprint.

With these clues, Lei Jun sensed that the Tianshi Seal was indeed returning to Mount Longhu.

However, its exact location and direction remained unclear.

He didn't rush or search blindly, continuing his daily cultivation and patiently waiting for the right moment.

His sect occasionally assigned him to patrol the mountain or eliminate infiltrating Yellow Heaven Sect disciples.

The situation seemed stable for now.

Until...

"Gu Master?"

Returning from a mission outside the mountain, Lei Jun ran into Wang Guiyuan, who shared some news:

"After the Lin Clan and Yellow Heaven Sect, a new enemy has arrived to attack Mount Longhu.

"They are strong practitioners of the Southern Wasteland's Gu Master lineage. Though few in number, they are powerful, cunning, and ruthless."

"They come from Yin Mountain, the sacred ground of the Gu Master lineage," Wang Guiyuan explained.

Lei Jun remarked, "I remember Master saying that the Southern Wasteland was in turmoil, and the Gu Masters who bore grudges against us died in their internal conflicts long ago..."

Then a thought struck him.

Sure enough, Wang Guiyuan smiled bitterly. "Exactly. So this attack isn't aimed at our sect as a whole. They're here for Tang Xiaotang."