Cultivation: Fortune by Lots

Shortly thereafter, another person emerged in the forest.

A handsome young man in ordinary clothes, yet his gaze was intimidating.

It was none other than Chen Yi, who had defected and was now a fugitive from Celestial Master Mansion.

He had undone his Taoist hair knot, shed his Taoist Robe, disguised himself, hiding by day and traveling by night, leaving Dragon Tiger Mountain behind as he headed into the distance.

To avoid revealing his tracks, if he encountered Heavenly Master Mansion Disciples, he would avoid them if he could.

But a tide of indignation was building in his heart.

The Supreme Pure Thunder Mansion Cave Heaven... after all, I couldn't get in...

Chen Yi turned his head to look back in the direction of Dragon Tiger Mountain, but the immortal realm atop its peak, wreathed in thunderclouds, was now out of sight.

Had I known it would be like this, I might as well have taken the risk and tried to force my way in.

At first, he thought that as long as he could successfully become Talisman-bestowed, he would eventually have a legitimate chance to enter the Supreme Pure Thunder Mansion Cave Heaven. So, despite his eagerness, he had forced himself to endure and wait.

Now, that legitimate chance seemed to be gone.

But...

"One day, I will return!" Chen Yi enunciated each word deliberately, forcing the eight words through clenched teeth.

After one last glance in the direction of Dragon Tiger Mountain, he turned decisively and left.

「...」

The world is vast, encompassing far more than the landscapes found north and south of the Grand River.

Heading northward, the season was now marked by swirling snowflakes.

Jinzhou lay directly north of the Great Tang.

Everyone knew that here, the most effective commands were not decrees from the emperor.

The most influential voice was not that of the ruling Zhang imperial family of the Great Tang.

This place was like a kingdom within a kingdom.

It belonged to the Ye Clan.

As one of the Two Ye among the Five Clans and Seven Families of the Great Tang, the Jinzhou Ye Clan, also known as the Jinzhou Ye, held sway here.

In the midst of the snowstorm, the Ye Clan Ancestral Land was as warm as spring, evergreen throughout the four seasons.

Within the main residence, an elderly man silently read a letter.

In front of him stood several people, speechless, awaiting orders.

The old man read slowly. It was a long time before he finally spoke, "The Celestial Master's Sword... it has been lost, then."

Among the few standing, a middle-aged man who resembled a well-read Great Scholar, his hands respectfully clasped, replied, "Yes, Father."

The elderly man set down the letter with a soft sigh, "With Li Qingfeng gone, the Celestial Master Seal not returned, and the Celestial Master's Sword also lost, the Li Clan has reached a critical moment."

He looked at the people before him, "What do you think?"

Though strict rules governed the clan, as the old man had posed a question, the middle-aged man promptly and respectfully responded:

"Those within the Li Clan will mostly not retreat. Some are reluctant, while others dare not.

If the Li Clan does not withdraw, there's a possibility of further infighting within Celestial Master Mansion, perhaps even complete fragmentation.

As for the final outcome... I still believe the Li Clan will prevail. Xu Yuanzhen is strong, but he cannot manage everything alone.

Yuan Mobai and Yao Yuan are more likely to stay neutral, while Shangguan Ning, obeying the orders of the Tang Court, is more likely to support the Li Clan.

No matter how the Li Clan develops within Celestial Master Mansion, they are still largely loyal to the Tang Court.

Thus, Xu Yuanzhen and Tang Xiaotang together face a two-against-five situation.

However, if an actual battle were to break out, Celestial Master Mansion would become even weaker, and I'm afraid more troubles will befall them soon after."

The elder remained noncommittal, his gaze sweeping over the others.

Truth be told, most in the Ye household did not view this outcome negatively.

Strictly speaking, although separated by great distances, the Jinzhou Ye Clan was among those within the Five Clans and Seven Families with a relatively good relationship with Celestial Master Mansion.

The elder in the room, the current head of the Jinzhou Ye Clan, had once been an acquaintance of the brothers who became the second and third Celestial Master Li; one might even say they were old friends.

It was with this elder's assistance that the Li Clan of Xinzhou had accelerated its rise to prominence.

The Tang Court bolstered various major sects' Sacred Lands to counter the Confucian Studies prestigious families.

How could these established families, having stood for many years, not have their own countermeasures?

Some chose more drastic means.

Others, more subtle approaches.

For the elder, if he had to choose between adding another similar family or another sect's Sacred Land, he would choose the former.

The Li Clan of Xinzhou was preferable to Xinzhou's Taoist Holy Land, Dragon Tiger Mountain.

Because the latter might continuously produce more of the Li Clan...

Now, the Li Clan had reached a pivotal moment, as had Celestial Master Mansion.

The elder didn't elaborate further, simply instructing in the end, "From today, increase the frequency of reports from Dragon Tiger Mountain."

Those before him hastily agreed.

As he lit the letter with a candle flame, he changed the topic, "What news is there from other places?"

「...」

Lei Jun waited in Yuan Mobai's residence, with Wang Guiyuan accompanying him.

Before long, Tang Xiaotang also arrived.

"Senior Sister isn't here? Didn't she come to see Master?" Tang Xiaotang asked curiously.

Lei Jun and Wang Guiyuan both shook their heads.

Tang Xiaotang took a seat, looked Lei Jun up and down, and chuckled, "Not bad, not bad. Have you reached Perfection in the Third Layer of the Altar?"

Lei Jun replied, "Yes, just in the last couple of days."

Tang Xiaotang said, "Then prepare well for the Heavenly Moat Tribulation between the Third Heavenly Layer and the Fourth Layer of Heaven. The Yuanxin Calming Jade I gave you can help, but it's no absolute guarantee. It can only provide some assistance; the main effort still has to come from you."

Wang Guiyuan sighed, "Lei, your cultivation advances by leaps and bounds. It's truly admirable."

A few days prior, when he had heard about the Celestial Master Seal from Lei Jun and Yuan Mobai, he was, for a rare moment, so unsettled his eyes nearly popped out.

But once he regained his senses, his first words were, "Junior Brother, you must be very careful! This item is indeed a treasure, but it could also become a huge problem!"

Lei Jun then patted his shoulder, "Now, Senior Brother, you're also in on the secret. You can share this burden with me."

Wang Guiyuan quickly said, "What did you just say? I've already forgotten! I'm getting old, you know, my memory really isn't what it used to be... No, wait, it's my hearing that's going! I didn't quite catch what you said!"