At that time, Lei Jun also had no profound foundation in Taoist Laws, akin to a blank sheet of paper, ready to be freely inscribed upon. Now that his understanding of Taoist Laws had just begun to take shape, it wasn’t as if he had suddenly become constrained by rules and frameworks. However, from the perspective of pursuing future cultivation efficiency and personal compatibility, seeking to enhance his Root Bone and finding Spiritual Objects that corresponded to the Vermilion Sun Blossom was undoubtedly the most suitable choice for his current situation.
"To counteract the Vermilion Sun, one must start with the true Yin essence," Yuan Mobai spoke. "Next, let’s all keep an eye out for relevant leads."
"Thank you, Master, for taking care of these matters for your disciple," Lei Jun thanked Yuan Mobai.
After leaving his Master’s residence, Lei Jun returned to his own compound. He first made sure that the Vermilion Sun Blossom he was cultivating was properly taken care of. Then, Lei Jun sat down calmly, composed his thoughts, and meditated, regulating his breathing.
Although he did not spend much time in the Immortal Bamboo Forest, the overall Spiritual Energy within the Supreme Pure Thunder Mansion Cave Heaven remained abundant. Having visited the interior and been nurtured by the baptism of its Spiritual Energy, both Lei Jun’s body and mind benefited. He carefully regulated and nurtured his mana, summarizing and assimilating the gains from his recent journey to the Cave Heaven.
In the absence of any leads on the Spiritual Object that contrasted with the Vermilion Sun Blossom, Lei Jun did not grow anxious; apart from being observant, he continued with his daily life as usual.
Time passed through August and September, and the season gradually turned to autumn. Lei Jun, in Dragon Tiger Mountain, focused on his own cultivation.
Worldly affairs outside the mountain were tumultuous.
One day, Lei Jun prepared to visit the Treasure Pavilion to collect some Vermilion Cloud Paper. There, Lei Jun came across an old acquaintance: Shangguan Hong, who had joined the Celestial Master Mansion as a true disciple in the same Transcension Ritual as him. Besides Shangguan Hong, there was also a Taoist of average build and unremarkable appearance, yet possessing a light and agile aura. He looked to be about thirty years old, with a calm and unswerving demeanor.
"Lin Shixiong, Shangguan," Lei Jun greeted them.
The thirty-something-year-old Taoist smiled upon seeing Lei Jun, "Lei?"
The man’s name was Lin Shan, and he was the chief disciple directly passed down by Elder Shangguan Ning, and Shangguan Hong’s senior apprentice brother in the same lineage. Relatively low-key within the Celestial Master Mansion, he was consistently discreet, unlike the renown of Li Xuan and Li Kong, but he was still among the distinguished young generation of the Celestial Master Mansion who had already been Talisman-bestowed.
Shangguan Hong hesitated briefly before bowing to Lei Jun, "Master Lei."
Out of respect, little Tao Boys from the Tao Boy Court were required to use honorifics for all those who had passed the Transcension Ritual and become true disciples of the Celestial Master Mansion. Theoretically, Taoists who had undergone the ritual should likewise address Talisman-bestowed Taoists as Taoist Masters or Elders. Therefore, there was a common saying: "Transcended Taoists, Talisman-bestowed Taoists."
"We joined the Mansion in the same year, and we often visit each other," Lei Jun shook his head. "Why the formality, Shangguan?" Nᴇw novel chapters are publɪshed on novel✶fire.net
"I’ll be counting on Lei’s guidance in the future," Shangguan Hong stated, though despite changing his address, he still looked at Lei Jun with a sense of admiration. "Besides, you are far ahead of me in cultivation, Lei. The accomplished one should be the example, and you are my role model."
At that, Shangguan Hong sighed even deeper. If truth be told, he had been diligent in his cultivation over the years, never allowing himself to slack off. Although Elder Shangguan was his aunt, most of the time on the mountain, she was a strict teacher. Shangguan Hong’s progress in cultivation was not slow.
Based on his extraordinary comprehension abilities and high-quality Root Bone, it generally took around ten years at the Foundation Establishment stage. With various opportunities and assistance from Spiritual Objects, Shangguan Hong had now reached the higher levels of Foundation Establishment. Moreover, he was confident that he would reach the Foundation Establishment Perfection stage by the following year. By then, from the time he officially underwent the ritual to join the Mansion, it would be no more than six or seven years. This pace was above average, whether it was in the Daoist Holy Land Celestial Master Mansion, or in the Shangguan Clan from which he hailed.
But the problem was that the tall, young man with the surname Lei in front of him was a freak. In less than six years since he started, he first successfully established his Foundation. Then, he not only reached the Three-layered Heaven Dharma Platform Realm but even managed to achieve the Four-layered Heaven Yuan Talisman Realm.
As the saying goes, "Comparison is the thief of joy." But in this case, it was more like coming face-to-face with despair. When the disparity becomes too large, one ceases to feel upset. Shangguan Hong only felt a sense of helplessness wash over him. Having been born into the Shangguan Clan and later becoming a disciple of the Celestial Master Mansion, such feelings were foreign to Shangguan Hong, or at least very rarely experienced.
While that earlier call of "Master Lei" stirred complex emotions within him, Shangguan Hong wasn’t particularly unwilling.
"You seem to be unwell, Shangguan?" Lei Jun examined Shangguan Hong from head to toe.
Shangguan Hong nodded slightly, his expression grave, "I sustained minor injuries during an excursion outside. After returning to the mountain for treatment and recuperation, I am now substantially recovered. Thank you for your concern, Lei."
Nearby, Lin Shan calmly interjected, "Zhonghong and a few other fellow apprentices were unlucky to encounter the traitor Chen Yi."
Lei Jun, "Oh?"
Shangguan Hong said, "To tell the truth, we had not gone far from the mountain when we chanced upon Chen... Chen Yi. We fought a fierce battle. It’s embarrassing to say that despite some of us getting injured, we couldn’t subdue him. In fact, if he hadn’t been eager to flee, fearing that more of Our Sect’s higher-ups might arrive upon discovering his whereabouts, some of us might have fallen to his nefarious hands."
Shangguan Hong turned to look at Lin Shan beside him. "Afterwards, Lin Shixiong went out to capture Chen Yi, but that area was left with no trace of him. It seems we let him get away."
After a brief pause, Shangguan Hong added, "Chen Yi has improved in cultivation compared to last year when he defected. We saw this year that he had successfully overcome the Heavenly Moat Tribulation between the Second and Third Heavenly Layers and achieved the Law Platform First Layer realm!"
Upon saying this, Shangguan Hong felt another wave of emotions. Although not as exemplary as Lei Jun, Chen Yi had also left behind the other peers who had joined the Mansion at the same time.
"Did Chen Yi join the Yellow Sky Sect?" Lei Jun inquired.
Since Shangguan Hong was not privy to the details, Lin Shan answered, "Currently, in our pursuit to eradicate the Demon People of Yellow Sky Sect and the traitor Chen Yi, we’ve gathered information indicating that Chen Yi sought to join the Yellow Sky Sect but was not admitted. The specifics are unclear, and the information might be inaccurate, which requires further verification."
"I see," Lei Jun raised his eyebrows slightly at this revelation. "So what’s he doing getting close to Dragon Tiger Mountain again?"
With whatever powerful cards he held, shouldn’t he lay low and train hard, waiting for his strength to grow before returning for retribution? Surely, at just the Three Realms Boundary, he wouldn’t be rash enough to try and take on Dragon Tiger Mountain outright, would he?