Yuan Mobai smiled and shook his head, "The chances were small, almost nonexistent."
Lei Jun recalled so novels he’d read back on Blue Star before crossing worlds, and couldn’t help but let his imagination run wild, "He... maybe soone already killed him in secret and is taking his place?"
Yuan Mobai, hearing this, let his smile fade a little, and pondered, "That..."
Lei Jun said, "Disciple was just daydreaming, speaking offhand."
Yuan Mobai replied, "More ideas weren’t a bad thing,"
However, for now Lei Jun had to rein in his wild imagination.
The fifteenth day of the first month of the new year was coming soon.
This year, the Transmission Ceremony would be held for the second ti since Celestial Master Tang inherited the position.
For this Transmission, the Du Shi were mostly elders from the previous generation of the mansion.
However, as Lei Jun’s generation grew older and their cultivation improved, in the future they would carry more of the responsibility for guiding destined disciples into the Tao.
Lei Jun already had a candidate under him... well, a bear candidate, but the plan was not to participate in this Transmission.
That Gungun, who he’d just sent to the Tao Boy Court this year, had stirred up a bit of a fuss, though thankfully things quieted down as ti went on.
*Lei Jun believed his master Yuan Mobai was to thank for laying the groundwork so well.*
Gungun’s cultivation foundation was already completely solid, but still needed ti to study all the sect procedures and regulations.
No one was exempt from this; even soone as free-spirited as Celestial Master Tang hadn’t skipped these lessons back when he was in the Tao Boy Court.
Gungun had returned to the mountain with Lei Jun for several years now. Luckily, he was still young and had practiced the Humanization Section of Taoist Laws for nurturing, so his age wasn’t a big issue—he could wait for the next Transmission in three years to formally enter the mansion as a disciple.
"In prior years, there might have been so controversy," Yuan Mobai remarked.
Lei Jun and Chu Kun, senior and junior brothers, both nodded.
Repeated calamities had taken a toll on their numbers, and it had sowhat affected the reputation of the Celestial Master Mansion.
The candidates chosen for the Transmission Ceremony in recent years ca from the Tao Boy Court’s accumulated reserves.
And as for the Tao Boy Court itself, the number of newcors they’d recruited and brought back to the mountain in recent years was lower than usual, and those who did arrive lacked anyone truly impressive.
*It was lucky the neighboring Jiangzhou Lin Clan also had their vitality severely damaged; internally, they were divided against each other and unable to unite, or Celestial Master Mansion’s situation would be even worse.*
Of course, good fortune in this world never belonged solely to one house.
Being able to produce Xu Yuanzhen, Li Zhengxuan, and Tang Xiaotang—three young Upper Three Heavens Cultivators—plus Lei Jun and Chu Kun, who were rising rapidly in the Middle Three Heavens, Celestial Master Mansion had enjoyed a streak of luck that made countless people envious, jealous, and bitter.
Yet for the mansion to quickly recover, they still needed more fresh talents to keep erging.
The mansion wasn’t so desperate as to accept just anyone.
But so rules were being loosened—turning a blind eye here and there.
So, among the group of gray-robed little Tao Boys, there was now a bear called Gungun wearing a custom oversized gray Taoist Robe.
After the new year passed, Lei Jun himself wasn’t distracted by anything else and stayed focused on his cultivation.
Winter faded, spring ca, then suddenly it was sumr.
Ti flew by fast.
One day, Yuan Mobai suddenly summoned his two disciples, Lei Jun and Chu Kun, for a eting, "I will be leaving the mountain again soon, heading once more to the Southern Wildernes."
Lei Jun, hearing this, looked to his master.
Yuan Mobai’s expression was calm, his smile warm as ever, and he nodded slightly at Lei Jun’s gaze.
*Lei Jun understood his master knew what he was doing, and would be cautious after what had happened at Great Southern Mountain before.*
Chu Kun said, "Master, I’ve heard that things are growing more and more chaotic down in the Southern Wildernes now."
Yuan Mobai nodded, "That’s right,"
The Blood River Sect leader, Wei Ancheng, had been trying to unify the Witchcraft Sect, always getting tangled up in visible and hidden obstacles.
After secrets about the previous dynasty’s descendants were exposed, it drew attention from all directions.
But Wei Ancheng was formidable; not long ago, he led Blood River Sect to break through Golden City Stronghold—the Ghost Tao Sacred Land, that was like an iron fortress.
So of the inheritors of Golden City Stronghold couldn’t accept this and fled, looking for a chance to make a coback.
Others chose to bow before Wei Ancheng.
After taking Golden City Stronghold, Wei Ancheng didn’t stop—his next target was Yin Mountain, the Sacred Land of the Worm Art Vein.
The Southern Wildernes was ablaze, filled with bloodshed and battles everywhere.
That was why Chu Kun had reminded Yuan Mobai to be careful.
"While I’m away from the mountain, if you have anything co up, discuss it with the Sect Leader, Yao, and Shangguan," Yuan Mobai instructed.
Shangguan Ning, who had earlier gone to the Capital City, had recently returned to Dragon Tiger Mountain; so Yuan Mobai now felt comfortable leaving. With the situation at Dragon Tiger Mountain right now, it wasn’t wise for too many High rit Elders to be absent at the sa ti.
Compared to the storm raging in the Southern Wildernes, things in the Great Tang Dynasty’s Capital City had actually been calm lately.
There was still plenty of controversy, but after a long struggle, the Scholarly Mansion was finally finding its footing and gaining public support.
Previously, the Yellow Sky Sect and Great Void Temple had caused trouble one after another, leading to deaths and injuries among the representatives of Celestial Master Mansion and Tianlong Temple in the Scholarly Mansion.
After the Yellow Sky Sect branch was destroyed, the Great Void Temple also paid a price—rumor had it that top experts were killed within the temple.
But now, the calm in the Capital City felt more like the final lull before a bigger storm broke out at any ti.
Lei Jun settled himself and focused on cultivation.
Inside his quiet chamber, he sat cross-legged. Above his head, a Tao Seal hovered, shimring with light as threads of Tao Containnt flowed from within.
Lei Jun closed his eyes and, keeping his heart and mind serene, practiced his breathing skills and adjusted his Qi.
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