Cultivation: Fortune by Lots

Xu Yuanzhen looked at Lei Jun, and for once felt a bit sentimental—instead of feeling humiliated or angry at being deceived, she just smiled wryly at herself.

*Was the real embarrassment letting the Celestial Master Seal slip away back then, or had she simply misjudged Lei Jun?* That was hard to say.

Lei Jun raised his hand and waved dismissively, "Eldest Senior Sister, I really don't deserve your words. I honestly didn't know a thing back then, it was only when I revisited that place later that I realized the Celestial Master Seal might have been there."

Xu Yuanzhen watched him and suddenly broke into a laugh, "That's actually fine. To me, in fact, this is good news."

Lei Jun put his hand down, "Eldest Senior Sister, if you take another look, you should discover that, once you're used to it, I'm still pretty easy on the eyes."

Xu Yuanzhen said, "Cut it out."

Still, she really did stand up and pace around Lei Jun, "Not bad, you hid it well. If you hadn't said anything, I wouldn't have noticed at first."

"I owe that to Master," Lei Jun said, giving a Taoist salute to Yuan Mobai, who sat at the main seat.

Yuan Mobai smiled, "With Nephew Yuan Zhen adding another layer of protection for you, we can rest easy for a while."

Just as Xu Yuanzhen herself had said, what she cared about wasn't who acquired the Celestial Master Seal, but rather who couldn't get it.

After Lei Jun roughly explained the current situation with the Celestial Master Seal, Xu Yuanzhen didn't ask much more about it. While marveling at it with a click of her tongue, she simply added another layer of concealment for Lei Jun, just as Yuan Mobai had done.

"Master, Eldest Senior Sister, I also managed to get another kind of spiritual object earlier."

Lei Jun took out the Nine Sacred Frost Dew, "Used part of it, kept the rest."

Upon seeing it, Yuan Mobai smiled and said, "The Nine Sacred Frost Dew, I haven't seen this in years—last time was in the Southern Wilderness, if I recall."

Xu Yuanzhen asked, "You swindled it out of someone from the Blood River Sect?"

Lei Jun nodded.

Yuan Mobai said, "No wonder you cultivated a three-tiered Dharma Altar even faster than I expected,

It's good you held onto half of it. Store it for now; in the future, you might use it to nourish other spiritual objects—it could produce miraculous effects."

Lei Jun suddenly understood.

*So that best lot mentioned earlier was hinting that the opportunities from this Nine Sacred Frost Dew could be expanded—it all made sense now.*

*Besides helping him reach perfection at the Altar Stage more quickly, the other wonderful use of Nine Sacred Frost Dew was that it could help cultivate and nourish other spiritual objects.*

*Given that, he might as well hold onto it for now. As for exactly what to nourish in the future, he could decide based on the circumstances.*

*From here on out, he could temporarily set aside all other concerns and focus on two main priorities.*

*One was to devote himself to cultivation and prepare to cross the Heavenly Moat Tribulation from the Third to the Fourth Layer of Heaven.*

*If he could pass this trial, he would step into the Fourfold Heavenly Origin Talisman Realm of the Taoist Talisman Sect.*

*Not only would his strength increase, more importantly, his lifespan limit could rise from its current two hundred years to four hundred years.*

*Additionally, as Yuan Mobai and Tang Xiaotang had speculated—and Xu Yuanzhen agreed—once Lei Jun achieved the Four-layered Heaven Yuan Talisman Realm, he might have a chance to unlock the first tier of the True One Altar.*

*The other matter closely tied to Lei Jun was the Talisman-bestowed ceremony.*

*Previously, the ceremony was delayed for a long time because Celestial Master Li Qingfeng was in seclusion.*

*Now that Li Qingfeng had fallen, although a new Celestial Master had yet to be chosen, this new session of the Talisman-bestowed ceremony would no longer be postponed.*

*With a successful Talisman-bestowed, his name would enter the Heavenly Registry.*

*Lei Jun and other outstanding transmission disciples would begin to access, study, and potentially master high-grade Spirit Talismans and other ritual methods that only Middle Three Heavens cultivators of the Talisman Sect could learn. They could independently perform rites, enlighten people out in the world, or even establish their own schools, spreading the branches and leaves of Dragon Tiger Mountain far and wide.*

*In the days to come, Lei Jun once again ignored the tempests outside and focused on cultivating, preparing himself for the breakthrough to the Four-layered Heaven Yuan Talisman Realm.*

*For Dragon Tiger Mountain, internal peace meant that many covetous external forces would refrain from acting for now.*

*Previously, when the Celestial Master's Sword was lost, many shifted their focus to the Celestial Master Mansion of Dragon Tiger Mountain.*

*Now, however, much of that attention turned elsewhere once again.*

Jiangzhou Lin Clan.

*With hidden currents within and external forces fanning the flames, that place was already close to boiling over.*

*Letting an old enemy take the heat for them was finally enough to let everyone at Dragon Tiger Mountain breathe a little easier.*

*Even though the position of new Celestial Master remained undecided, at least for day-to-day affairs, this didn't impact the ongoing operation of the Celestial Master Mansion.*

*Li Qingfeng, who now counted as the new 'previous Celestial Master,' had been in seclusion for more than ten years.*

*Everyone was fairly used to life without a Celestial Master; at least, there wouldn't be any major turmoil in the short term.*

*Compared to the past, many matters now had clear names. Whether permanent or temporary, there were rules in place for the present.*

The High Merit Pavilion, officially established.

Li Song, Li Ziyang, Li Hongyu, Shangguan Ning, Yuan Mobai, and Xu Yuanzhen became the first group of members.

Tang Xiaotang was just an observer for now, auditing and learning, and later would be granted voting rights depending on her training and studies.

Li Zhengxuan, who had lost the Celestial Master's Sword, stood vigil at the Rear Mountain Ancestral Tomb to reflect on his mistakes.

Due to negligence toward his disciples, Elder Yao also entered seclusion for self-reflection and would not join the High Merit Pavilion for now.

The Celestial Master Robe remained in Li Hongyu's care for the time being.

The responsibility of overseeing the Altar of Wanfa Sect fell to Yuan Mobai.

...Even though Yuan Mobai said he wasn't suited to be the new Celestial Master, he was given unanimous support regarding the Altar of Wanfa Sect.

With the High Merit Pavilion directing things, all the post-battle cleanup at Dragon Tiger Mountain proceeded in an orderly manner.

The major High Merit Elders shuttled back and forth, keeping in touch with the Great Tang imperial family and other top powers.

They soothed related branches and lineages such as the Tianxu Sect and Purple Cloud Sect.

They handled the aftermath and burial affairs for the disciples who died or were wounded.

Charitable rites and altars were set up widely to comfort commoners afflicted by disaster.