Seeking Fortune and Avoiding Misfortune: Starting from the Celestial Master’s Mansion
Chapter 76: A gossipy heart

Hearing Wang Guiyuan’s words, Lei Jun thought to himself, As expected.

Earlier, Tang Xiaotang had stood up for him and caused trouble for a group of Gu Masters during their travels in the Southern Wasteland. Now the tables had turned, and it was time for them to retaliate.

Although there were frequent internal struggles within the Southern Wasteland Witch Sect, there was still some structure to their operations. It wasn’t a complete free-for-all. The Gu Masters killed by Tang Xiaotang naturally had acquaintances or elders who, at the time, had been too preoccupied to seek revenge. Now that they were free to act, and with Tianshi Mansion down on its luck, they wouldn’t show any mercy.

But knowing Tang Xiaotang, her reaction would only be...

“Bring it on!”

This young prodigy wasted no time. She boldly accepted the challenge and fended off the ambush. She didn’t care if there was an enemy ambush ahead; she bulldozed through them, quickly driving the attackers down the mountain and pursuing them relentlessly.

“To be fair, this all comes back to me,” Lei Jun said calmly.

Wang Guiyuan waved his hand dismissively. “No need to dwell on it, Junior Brother. Although our sect hasn’t clashed with the Southern Wasteland Witch Sect as much in recent years, we’ve been old enemies for a long time.

“From the late Sect Master and Elder Song, down to us younger disciples, most of us have faced off against their cultivators at some point. It’s just that with the recent death of the Sect Master, the situation seems more dire. But we’ve all been vigilant. Why else would Senior Brother and Elder Song stay at the mountain gate, keeping watch?”

Lei Jun nodded. On this point, Wang Guiyuan wasn’t just comforting him.

When Lei Jun first arrived in this world at the foot of the mountain, aside from Senior Sister Xu Yuanzhen, others were also present—Gu Masters from the Southern Wasteland and Tianshi Mansion disciples who had come to eliminate them. Their relationship was clear as day.

Tang Xiaotang always took full responsibility for her actions and could handle the consequences. So, the trouble stirred up by the Gu Masters was quickly resolved.

However, after Tang Xiaotang left the mountain again, the second wave of attacks from the Yellow Heaven Sect arrived. This time, they were determined to challenge Tianshi Mansion seriously, not just make a show of it.

The Sect Leader Taiping Daoist was unable to overcome Elder Li Hongyu of Tianshi Mansion. But the Yellow Heaven Sect had another heavyweight leading this second assault: Yu Qingling, the former Sect Leader of the Yellow Heaven Sect.

Rumor had it that Yu Qingling had retired from leadership due to his age, handing the reins to Taiping Daoist and retreating into seclusion.

In terms of age and seniority, he was from the same generation as the Second and Third Tianshi of Tianshi Mansion, as well as the current Supreme Elder, Li Song. Yu Qingling was one of the few remaining elders who had experienced the second major internal conflict of Tianshi Mansion and defected.

On the Yellow Heaven Sect’s side, he was considered their second Sect Leader. Since he hadn’t been seen in years, there were rumors that he was dead. But given the significance of this battle, Yu Qingling re-emerged.

Fortunately, Tianshi Mansion was prepared.

Thus, the fight that followed was a clash of veterans.

On Mount Longhu, the highest-ranking elder, Li Song, was an old acquaintance of Yu Qingling. These former brothers-in-arms had fought many times in the past and were now facing each other once again.

With Li Song holding off Yu Qingling outside, the Young Tianshi, Li Zhengxuan, remained steadfast at the ancestral hall with the Tianshi Sword, keeping the heart of the sect secure.

Lei Jun and the other disciples stayed on the mountain, assisting the elders in containing the Yellow Heaven Sect's assault at the perimeter of Mount Longhu, preventing any breakthroughs.

For Lei Jun, as long as there were fellow disciples around, he refrained from using his superior Spirit Talismans. The situation wasn’t dangerous enough to warrant it, giving him room to conserve energy.

Of course, he wasn’t here just to take it easy.

On the contrary, Lei Jun took the opportunity to refine his physical body and combat skills. He unleashed the Daoist fists and staff techniques of the Tianshi Mansion True Legacy with impressive power, surpassing his peers.

This was thanks not only to his life-bound Spirit Strike Talisman but also to the gradual integration of the Black Bear King’s Gallbladder’s spiritual energy into his body.

After fully absorbing the gallbladder’s energy, Lei Jun’s raw physical strength was on par with that of martial body refiners of the same realm.

Previously, he needed his life-bound Spirit Strike Talisman to match martial artists with similar cultivation levels—provided they didn’t use their life-bound martial techniques.

Take Dong Yang, for example. If Dong Yang had successfully unleashed his Fire Python Pearl Burst in its second phase, his explosive power would have overwhelmed Lei Jun. But Dong Yang underestimated the intricacies of Lei Jun’s Dark River Force, and Lei Jun landed a decisive punch.

In life-and-death battles, the outcome often hinges on a split-second difference.

Now, however, the situation had changed.

Lei Jun’s cultivation had risen from the first layer of the Altar Stage to the second. His physical strength had also improved significantly with the Black Bear King’s Gallbladder. If he faced Dong Yang again, Lei Jun could fight him on equal footing using just his body, without relying on talismans.

If Dong Yang used his Fire Python Pearl Burst, Lei Jun wouldn’t even need the Dark River Force to weaken him. With the Spirit Strike Talisman, he could trade blows directly with a Third Heaven martial body refiner.

That said, the Dong family’s martial arts heritage was inferior to the Tianshi Mansion's Talismanic Branch. Against someone with a superior martial lineage, the fight could go differently.

Stay humble and keep working hard, Lei Jun thought calmly.

With the Wind Talisman, Water-Repelling Golden Eyes, and Breath-Taking Flag, he navigated the battlefield with ease. He focused on his cultivation while staying alert to his surroundings.

It was during this vigilance that he noticed something unusual...

In the forest, several young Daoists with similar attire and talismanic techniques were locked in a life-or-death struggle. Five were attacking one.

The lone Daoist was at a disadvantage but remained unflustered. He seemed more concerned with his surroundings than his own safety.

After confirming there were no more enemies nearby, a flash of blood-red light flickered in his eyes.

In the next moment, while using a Golden Barrier Talisman to block an attack, he suddenly released a surge of blood energy. The blood energy slashed forward like a sword, swift and fierce.

The Yellow Heaven Sect disciples were caught off guard. Two of them were injured—one lightly, the other severely.

But their wounds bled uncontrollably, the blood spurting wildly, rendering them unable to fight.

“The Blood River lineage of the Southern Wasteland Witch Sect?” one Yellow Heaven Sect disciple muttered, stunned.

With fewer opponents, the blood-red sword energy grew stronger with each wound inflicted. The tide of the battle turned quickly.

The blood sword was just one of his surprise tactics. In terms of talismanic techniques, he was already superior to his enemies.

By the time the injured disciples managed to suppress the malicious power with Warding Talismans, the remaining three were also defeated.

The young Tianshi Mansion disciple ensured there were no witnesses before he sighed in relief.

He collected the Yellow Heaven Sect disciples’ initiation documents as proof and burned their corpses with a Flame Talisman before slipping away quietly.

However...

The earth parted, revealing another figure who had been concealed.

Lei Jun put away his Breath-Taking Flag and watched the figure disappear.

Chen Yi.

An old acquaintance.

But the techniques Chen Yi used surprised Lei Jun.

Normally, a cultivator’s techniques aligned with their path.

But that blood-red sword energy clearly wasn’t from the Tianshi Mansion’s Talismanic Branch.

Something fishy here... Lei Jun stroked his chin thoughtfully.