Seeking Fortune and Avoiding Misfortune: Starting from the Celestial Master’s Mansion
Chapter 97: The Grand Ceremony of Granting the Scriptures, and Being Listed in the Heavenly Court

"The disciple feels great pressure for entering so late," Lei Jun said calmly, but his words conveyed a hint of pressure. "To even make it onto this list, I must thank you, Master."

Each faction was working against the other, and most of their key contenders could be said to have been wiped out.

In this talisman conferral ceremony, Elder Shangguan's sect didn't have any particularly standout candidates, so there's nothing to say about that.

On Yuan Mobai's side, the main person was Lei Jun.

No one was working against him, so for a time, he stood out alone.

But he wasn't without risks.

As one of the only two disciples brought into the Dao by Senior Sister Xu Yuanzhen from Longhu Mountain, there were certainly people from Xu Yuanzhen's faction who wanted to block him.

But, as Yuan Mobai's direct disciple, everyone tacitly gave Yuan Mobai some face.

On one hand, Yuan Mobai was now in charge of the Ten Thousand Laws Sect.

This time, the talisman conferral ceremony was mainly hosted by him personally.

On the other hand, Yuan Mobai played a central role in maintaining the current situation of the Heavenly Master's Residence, and all factions were vying for his support.

And so, the strange situation unfolded.

Other factions had already been tearing each other apart to the point of almost diving into chaos, while Lei Jun's side remained calm and safely landed.

"I don't dare take all the credit for this," Yuan Mobai said with a smile, shaking his head. "It’s also because you, Zhonyun, have made many good connections and helped your fellow disciples, which is why you have gained so much support today."

The master and disciple exchanged a look and smiled knowingly.

Xia Qing, from Tianxu Mountain and the Blood River Tomb, was saved twice by Lei Jun.

Luo Haoran, from Qingxiao Lake and the Blood River Tomb, was saved twice by Lei Jun.

Li Zhenchang and Chu Andong, from Bilai Ridge, were saved once by Lei Jun.

Fang Jian, during the eruption of the Eight Desolation Blood Cavern, was saved once by Lei Jun.

For the seed disciples of other factions, Lei Jun wasn’t a competitor, but a genuinely good person.

Excluding Fang Jian and the others, Qu Yong, from Elder Ziyang's faction, had also been helped by Lei Jun in Xuanyang Cave Heaven.

Truly, Lei Jun was a disciple of the well-known good-hearted Yuan Mobai in the Heavenly Master's Residence, known for helping others.

He was indeed the new generation's timely rain of Longhu Mountain, the Heavenly Master's Residence’s protector.

... It seemed there might even be room for alliances?

This still fit the old saying.

Many times, many people find it difficult to succeed in something.

But to ruin something, it isn’t as hard as one might think.

On the other hand, for some people, the absence of others working against them means they can accomplish many things.

As for what Li Ming, Fang Mingyuan, Fang Lu, and others thought?

They could think whatever they wanted.

Those were unfortunate accidents, and he felt deeply regretful about them.

However...

"Senior Brother, you... are you not participating in the talisman conferral ceremony?" Lei Jun looked toward Wang Guiyuan.

Wang Guiyuan smiled and said, "I'll join a bit later, no rush."

Lei Jun turned his head to look at his master, Yuan Mobai.

Yuan Mobai nodded. "Zhonggui decided not to participate this time, it’s his own choice."

Lei Jun said, "Although it would attract some attention if the two of us participated together, but Senior Brother, this is the talisman conferral..."

Wang Guiyuan shook his head repeatedly. "Don’t feel pressured. I’m really not in a hurry. It's not about intentionally yielding. Even if you don’t participate, it won’t change my decision."

Lei Jun gazed at him, then suddenly changed the topic. "By the way, Senior Brother, if I may ask, how old are you this year?"

Wang Guiyuan: "Why are you suddenly interested in my age?"

Lei Jun: "I’ve never seen you worry about your lifespan or the Fourth Heaven tribulation."

Wang Guiyuan, like him, Xia Qing, Li Zhenchang, and Chu Andong, all wore apricot-yellow Daoist robes, still holding the status of transmission disciples. Although the Heavenly Master had been in seclusion for some time, generally speaking, the Heavenly Master's Residence’s true disciples were mostly at the Third Heaven cultivation level.

Having reached the Yuanfu realm, their lifespan was doubled compared to when they were cultivating the Foundation and Law altars, with a potential lifespan of up to four hundred years.

Similarly, their golden years for cultivation were extended to one hundred years.

Over the years, Lei Jun had been paying close attention.

He noticed that Wang Guiyuan's seniority wasn’t shallow.

Many disciples in the Heavenly Master's Residence, already over fifty years old, still called him Senior Brother.

If Wang Guiyuan had already passed fifty, but hadn’t reached the Yuanfu realm, that meant he had already passed the golden window for increasing his cultivation...

"According to the secular calculation, I am now past my sixtieth year," Wang Guiyuan said, smiling without changing his expression.

Lei Jun leaned back slightly, looking Wang Guiyuan up and down again.

Wang Guiyuan's smile faded, and his expression became serious.

"Some say cultivation is a struggle against fate, but for us Daoist disciples, we shouldn’t always think about defying heaven. The most important thing is to align ourselves with heaven and adapt to the natural order."

He spoke calmly, his tone sincere. "Unlike you, Junior Brother, and Senior Sister, and Junior Sister Tang, my talent for cultivation is indeed quite ordinary. If not for Master's grace, I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to cultivate in the holy land. To have come this far is already a great gain. I dare not hope for more. In fact, many times I remind myself to step back, yield a little, and remain steady."

If this were a story Lei Jun read before his transmigration on Blue Star, such a mindset might actually be beneficial to cultivation.

But in this world, it didn’t apply.

This was a world where the young decided their futures, where it was extremely rare for someone to reach greatness later in life. An "old tree blossoming" didn’t exist.

One step forward, and you advance; one step back, and you fall behind.

The world truly followed the saying: "If the youth do not strive, the elderly will regret."

In a world, you must follow the rules of that world.

Lei Jun silently watched Wang Guiyuan.

Wang Guiyuan smiled gently: "Junior Brother, don’t worry about me. Life, aging, sickness, and death—these are natural phenomena. The stars in the heavens follow their orbits; how could we, as mortals, be any different? Compared to the countless beings in this world, we are already fortunate enough to understand the Dao, live longer, and die peacefully. If I do grow old and approach the end of my lifespan, who knows, maybe in another life, we will meet again. Wouldn’t that be another beautiful story of fate?"

Lei Jun looked at Wang Guiyuan, then at Yuan Mobai beside him.

After a long pause, he nodded slightly. "What Senior Brother said is right. Earlier, I was too stubborn."

... But that’s not quite right.

The more Lei Jun listened to Wang Guiyuan, the more something felt off.

He gradually began to form some suspicions in his heart.

But since Wang Guiyuan didn’t bring it up himself, Lei Jun didn’t press the matter further.

Afterward, he focused again on his cultivation and studies.

On one hand, he prepared for the tribulation between the Third and Fourth Heavens.

On the other hand, he familiarized himself with the talisman conferral ceremony, preparing for the grand event.

As the fifteenth of July drew near, disciples from other branches who had been approved to receive the talisman began to arrive at the ancestral grounds of Longhu Mountain.

After the previous year's turmoil, the Heavenly Master’s Residence had finally regained some joy and energy, and the festive atmosphere was even stronger than during the New Year celebrations.

Guests from outside arrived one after another.

The talisman conferral ceremony was one of the most important rituals at Longhu Mountain’s ancestral grounds.

In general, the guests attending this ceremony had more weight than those attending the regular transmission ceremonies.

However, due to the special circumstances of the Heavenly Master’s Residence, unless someone was trying to sabotage the ceremony, most of the major powers did not send their top representatives in person, to avoid triggering the sensitive nerves within the Heavenly Master's Residence.

Aside from the high-profile imperial representatives from the Tang Dynasty, most other factions simply sent gifts through their younger generations.

Naturally, the Heavenly Master's Residence didn’t feel slighted, as this had been arranged in advance.

In fact, they were pleased to be overlooked by the top factions.

And again, they had to thank their old rival, the Lin Clan of Jiangzhou.

The new generation of clan leaders there was still struggling to emerge.

Compared to the Heavenly Master's Residence, the Lin Clan had made more enemies over the years.

Other factions were one thing, but the Tang Dynasty wouldn't miss such a good opportunity and kept a close eye on them.

With the Yangtze River and the upper and lower reaches of Jingxiang and Suhang, the Fang and Chu families were also paying close attention.

Compared to the Heavenly Master's Residence, the Lin Clan had more allies but also more enemies.

But sometimes, having too many allies wasn’t always a good thing.

Fortunately, the Lin Clan had managed to maintain a semblance of harmony and avoided a major internal conflict.

It was said that, during this period, many of the clan's elders had been meeting to discuss things, but it was still too early to say how things would settle.

Given the external environment, the Heavenly Master's Residence remained calm, steadily preparing for the long-awaited new talisman conferral ceremony.

Compared to the transmission ceremony, the talisman conferral ceremony was more grand and formal.

At the transmission ceremony, the disciple would need to invite three masters: the transmission master, the supervision master, and the recommendation master.

The talisman conferral ceremony, however, would be presided over by the three main masters and six protective masters.

The three main masters were the Transmission Master, the Supervision Master, and the Recommendation Master.

The Transmission Master would pass down the sacred talisman.

The Supervision Master would ensure the process was conducted impartially.

The Recommendation Master would ensure the protection of the talisman, vows, and incense.

These three masters would preside over the entire ceremony, and all were highly respected and skilled elders of Longhu Mountain.

The six protective masters were the Guardians of the Talisman, Law Masters, Sutra Masters, Altar Masters, Oath Masters, and Dao Masters. These were also selected, qualified elders.

Normally, the current Heavenly Master would serve as the Transmission Master and personally host the ceremony.

However, in rare cases, the Heavenly Master might not serve as Transmission Master, and would instead attend as the Supervision Master.

This year, however, due to the special circumstances, the position of Heavenly Master was temporarily vacant. As a result, three of the senior elders from the Gaogong Pavilion—Yuan Mobai, Li Hongyu, and Li Song—served as the Transmission Master, Supervision Master, and Recommendation Master to preside over the ceremony.

On the appointed day, when the time arrived, Yuan Mobai opened the Ten Thousand Laws Sect Altar.

Thousands of beams of light surged upward, piercing the heavens and spreading in all directions, forming a radiant barrier that enveloped the surrounding area of Longhu Mountain.

Within the barrier, numerous talismans spun and flew, their Daoist essence boundless.

Since the previous Heavenly Master, Li Qingfeng, had passed away, the Ten Thousand Laws Sect Altar had finally been reopened.

With the procession of ritual masters and ceremonial banners leading the way, Lei Jun and the other disciples attending the talisman conferral ceremony welcomed the three main masters and six protective masters into the altar.

Lei Jun's position in the procession was not particularly prominent.

They lined up according to their order of entry, and Lei Jun ended up standing at the very end.

But he was too remarkable to be overlooked.

At just under twenty-six years old, having reached the Third Heaven, his cultivation was already a rare achievement among the Holy Land’s top-tier powers.

And considering that he had officially entered the Heavenly Master’s Residence less than six years ago, it was even more impressive.

The guests attending the ceremony couldn’t help but focus their attention entirely on him.

As the only seed disciple, this was the downside... Lei Jun thought to himself with a bit of self-deprecation.

He had always avoided drawing attention, but under such circumstances, he didn’t shrink back, remaining calm and composed.

Everything proceeded smoothly according to the well-established rituals.

After the three main masters and six protective masters entered the Ten Thousand Laws Sect Altar, they paid respects to the ancestral masters and honored the heavens and earth, with Lei Jun and the other disciples following suit.

Then, the three main masters and six protective masters each delivered their explanations of the classics and vows.

In this world, for the disciples of the Daoist talisman sect, the most important ceremonies were the transmission and talisman conferrals.

For the disciples of the Daoist alchemy sects, the key ceremonies were the crowning and taking of vows.

Although the disciples of the Heavenly Master's Residence didn’t need to undergo the full three vows like those in the Pure Yang Palace, they still followed their sect's regular rules and regulations.

The next part was the penitence rituals and offerings, which were meant to communicate with the gods, atone for mistakes, and pray for protection and longevity.

After the ceremony was complete, Lei Jun and the others were presented with important items, such as the talisman, scriptures, magic swords, command flags, official seals, and the peach staff, marking their new positions and Daoist duties.

One major distinction between a talisman-bearing Daoist and a transmission Daoist was the rank of their position within the sect, which is often referred to as "ranking in the heavenly court."

In the past, before Longhu Mountain’s Daoist sect first changed its era, they would seek the approval of their ancestral masters to perform rituals on behalf of the gods, and their position was referred to as the "Heavenly Court."

Only disciples who received the talisman could carry out such functions, commanding spirits.

It was said that they could issue commands to the heavens, summon heavenly generals, and ascend to true immortality, preserving their life path forever without falling to the underworld.

However, due to the changing times, the Daoist traditions of Longhu Mountain had also evolved, and such stories had become more of a legend in the Heavenly Master’s Residence.

Still, certain aspects of this tradition remained.

For example, a talisman-bearing disciple left a trace of spiritual energy within Longhu Mountain’s ancestral grounds.

If Lei Jun and other transmission disciples who hadn’t yet received the talisman died outside the mountain, and if they were far away or in a special environment, the elders in the Heavenly Master’s Residence wouldn’t immediately sense it.

However, if a talisman-bearing disciple died outside the mountain, most of the time, the elders would sense it immediately.

Depending on the situation, they might even be able to discern the location and some details.

For Lei Jun, the practical benefit of receiving the talisman meant that, within the boundaries of Longhu Mountain, he could draw on more natural spiritual energy for cultivation and spellcasting.

With the talisman, Yuan Mobai could now pass on the Third Volume of the True One Dao Sutra and teach him advanced talisman techniques.

With this, Lei Jun was confident that he could soon overcome the tribulation, reach the Yuanfu realm, and ascend to the Fourth Heaven.

The increased lifespan beckoned him.

The Qingling Thunder Palace called to him.

The Heavenly Master's Seal and the True One altar called to him.