This Earth Core Fla Heart was a spiritual object Lei Jun had prepared for himself, to be used when his cultivation reached the Eighth Heavenly Layer.
After retrieving the Earth Core Fla Heart and returning to his mountain retreat, Lei Jun continued at his own pace, earnestly cultivating and constructing the path to Connecting Heaven.
Thus, ti in the mountains passed unmarked as his cultivation advanced, oblivious to the passing seasons.
Two years flashed by in the blink of an eye.
Lei Jun’s path to Connecting Heaven gradually approached its final stage.
Yuan Mobai, after a long sojourn in the Southern Wilderness, had recently returned to the mountain. Lei Jun and his Senior Brother Chu Kun went out to greet him, and the master and disciples returned to the mountain together.
"Is Chonggui in seclusion?" Yuan Mobai asked with a smile.
Lei Jun nodded. "Eldest Senior Brother ntioned he had an epiphany regarding his cultivation and reached a crucial stage, so he has been in seclusion more often lately."
The master and disciples caught up on old tis, discussing the current situation in the Southern Wilderness with a certain lancholy.
Lei Jun and his disciple-brother Chu Kun cultivated peacefully atop Dragon Tiger Mountain.
But outside Dragon Tiger Mountain, peace was not to be found.
The affairs of the world change and do not pause for any one person.
The Southern Wilderness, which was still stable when Lei Jun left, had experienced drastic changes in these two years.
One of the Witchcraft Sect Sacred Lands in the Southern Wilderness, Gepo Mountain, was destroyed.
As a Sacred Land of the Divine Dance lineage, Gepo Mountain had stood prominently in the Southern Wilderness for many years. It was considered the most secure among the Witchcraft Sect’s Sacred Lands, but this ti, it was breached by Jiuli masters.
Gepo Mountain lay directly between the Jiuli secret realm, Youning Lake, and Zhuoqing Mountain.
Subsequently, a fourth area began to exude the black mist of Jiuli.
The mist spread rapidly, engulfing the surrounding mountain ranges in the Southern Wilderness, including Gepo Mountain.
Earlier, Lei Jun had learned on the mountain that besides Li Yan, another Jiuli Grand Shaman of the Ninth Heavenly Layer realm had appeared. This second Grand Shaman joined Li Yan and other high-ranking Jiuli tribesn in an offensive.
The enveloping black mist disrupted Gepo Mountain’s Ghost God Sacrificial Array. Compounded by a siege from nurous powerful Jiuli cultivators, Gepo Mountain was in grave danger.
Grand General Shangguan Yunbo of the Great Tang Divine Strategy Army, Prince Xiang Zhang Luo, and Ye Morong, another prominent general of the Divine Strategy Army, did not simply stand by and watch.
They quickly assembled, charged into the black mist, and rushed to support Gepo Mountain, hoping to create a pincer movent from within and without.
Faced with a common enemy, the Tang Imperial Court and the Witchcraft Sect Sacred Lands of the Southern Wilderness had gradually increased their interactions. Over ti, they began to set aside past enmities and vigilance, joining forces to a limited extent.
Experts from the other two great Witchcraft Sect Sacred Lands, Yintuo Mountain and Samsara Abyss, also rushed to Gepo Mountain’s aid.
The black mist blotted out the sky, and the enemy was formidable. However, as long as Gepo Mountain could hold its ground with its great formation, there was still a glimr of hope.
Unfortunately, Gepo Mountain was ultimately breached.
"Master," Lei Jun asked, "is Li Tianqing truly a traitor? Is he truly of Jiuli blood descent?"
Yuan Mobai said, "It is true that Li Tianqing of Gepo Mountain is of Jiuli descent. He could be called a Chosen One, or perhaps one favored by the Earth Sea. Unlike other Jiuli people who dwell in the eternal darkness of the Earth Sea, he can walk under the sun on the surface world.
However, to say he is a traitor of Gepo Mountain, I maintain a cautious stance. From my personal observations, he is unaware of his own heritage."
Lei Jun blinked.
He couldn’t help but recall so novels he had read before reincarnating into this world. The saying ’those not of our kind are sure to be of a different heart’ ca to mind, or stories of soone unaware of their true origins whose identity is suddenly exposed. In that mont, the vast world offers no place to call ho... or rather, they beco an outcast, belonging neither here nor there.
Lei Jun had t Li Tianqing, Gepo Mountain’s new top expert, a few tis before. Now, he found himself witnessing such a dramatic turn of events involving him.
In recent years, Sang Lu, the Great Witch of Gepo Mountain, was injured by Blood River Sect Leader Wei Ancheng during the battle in the Southern Wilderness. She required a long period of recuperation, so most of Gepo Mountain’s affairs had been entrusted to her designated successor, Li Tianqing.
One could say that over the past ten years, Li Tianqing was practically the new Holy Master of Gepo Mountain.
He was exceptionally gifted, possessed extraordinary cultivation, and had a relatively forthright and kind personality. He was respected by his fellow sect mbers and maintained extensive contacts externally.
Shangguan Yunbo had privately discussed Li Tianqing with Yuan Mobai and Zhang Luo, and all of them held him in high regard.
Who would have thought that it would end up this way?
Amidst the sudden crisis and chaos, Gepo Mountain was breached, and Sang Lu, the Great Witch of the Divine Dance lineage at the peak of the Eighth Heavenly Layer, perished.
Fortunately, many experts from the Mortal World responded in ti. They successfully dispersed the black mist, preventing it from forming a complete encirclent, and the four plus of mist eventually retreated to their respective origins.
However, Gepo Mountain’s main gate had already been destroyed.
Li Tianqing tried every ans to defend himself, but under such circumstances, he found it impossible to clear his na and had no choice but to flee.
During the escape, Wei Ancheng, leading masters from the Blood River Sect, erged again to fish in troubled waters.
Then, experts from the Western Region Buddhist Sect suddenly appeared to intercept them.
Previously, Jiasheng Upper Master had been focused on causing trouble for the Mortal Taoist Nation.
Although the people of the Mortal Taoist Nation had gone into hiding, the cultivators of the Western Region Buddhist Sect were unwilling to let matters rest.
However, they also had not forgotten about Wei Ancheng, who had killed Master Sangjie.
This ti, the experts from the Western Region Buddhist Sect sought to avenge Master Sangjie. Although they failed to capture Wei Ancheng himself, they thwarted his plans and managed to kill and injure so disciples of his Blood River Sect.
Li Yan and the other Jiuli experts failed to secure a larger area with the black mist. After uprooting the ’nail’ that was Gepo Mountain, they wisely decided to cut their losses and retreat.
After the new battle, Gepo Mountain faced the most dire situation.
Elder Yuan Shanji had already defected during the previous major battle in the Southern Wilderness.
Now, lacking both their past and present Holy Masters, Sang Lu and Li Tianqing, and with their sect’s foundation destroyed, one could imagine the difficulty the surviving Gepo Mountain cultivators would face in re-establishing themselves in the bloody and chaotic Southern Wilderness.
"However, after that battle, there were no new major moves from the Jiuli side, which can be considered a stroke of luck amidst misfortune," Yuan Mobai said.
Lei Jun and his Senior Brother Chu Kun exchanged a glance. Chu Kun hesitated before saying, "Although they have two Ninth Heavenly Layer masters, the Jiuli people’s performance... doesn’t seem that formidable?"
The Earth Sea was undoubtedly dangerous. However, it also concealed many Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures and wondrous opportunities not found in the outside world. The Jiuli people had thrived for many years. If this was the extent of their strength, then the Great Tang should be planning to push them back into the Earth Sea, or even considering an invasion of it.
"Perhaps there’s more to it than ets the eye. I hope Grand General Shangguan and Prince Xiang do not underestimate them," Lei Jun comnted.
Yuan Mobai nodded in agreent. "That’s how it should be."
As they were speaking, the expressions of both Lei Jun and Yuan Mobai subtly shifted.
He turned to his master with a smile. "Eldest Senior Brother has co out of seclusion."
Yuan Mobai smiled and nodded. "Quite tily indeed."
Seeing Yuan Mobai’s return, Wang Guiyuan’s face lit up with joyful surprise, and he hurriedly inquired after his master’s well-being.
However, in the end, he solemnly said to Yuan Mobai, "Master, I’ve had so insights in my cultivation and wish to travel far from the mountain to broaden my horizons and increase my knowledge..."
He looked helplessly at his two Junior Brothers. "...What’s with those expressions on your faces?"
Chu Kun said, "Er... Even though it’s been over a decade since you last left the mountain, Senior Brother, hearing you say this so suddenly today still feels a bit jarring."
Lei Jun was even more direct. "Senior Brother, do you have sothing you need to attend to? Is there anything I can help with?"
Wang Guiyuan glanced at Yuan Mobai, who nodded with a smile. He then raised a hand to his forehead and turned back to Lei Jun and Chu Kun. "I’d be grateful if you two would stop teasing !"
Lei Jun and Chu Kun said in unison, "You’re too polite, Senior Brother."
Wang Guiyuan shook his head with a wry smile.
After packing up his belongings, he bid farewell to Yuan Mobai once again and then slowly left the sect gate.
Lei Jun turned to look at Yuan Mobai.
Yuan Mobai’s expression remained calm, his smile unwavering, as he gave a slight shake of his head, reassuring Lei Jun.
He changed the subject. "Master, the next Transcension Ritual is approaching. Will you or Elder Shangguan be presiding?"
Ever since Celestial Master Tang assud her position, she had presided over nurous Transcension Rituals and had grown weary of them. Consequently, recent and upcoming Transcension Rituals were delegated to the High rit Elders of the Celestial Master Manor to oversee. Although this sparked so discussion, there were no procedural issues.
"What about you, Chongyun?" Yuan Mobai asked in return.
"I hadn’t thought about it before," Lei Jun candidly said. "If it’s entrusted to , I will do my best. Please allow so ti to familiarize myself with the procedures and rituals in advance, so I don’t make a fool of myself when the ti cos."
He neither pursued nor shunned such tasks.
Upon hearing this, Yuan Mobai laughed and said, "Then prepare well for your first Transcension Ritual."
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