Cultivation: Fortune by Lots

Lei Jun nodded and said, "The second possibility is that there are other major powers supporting the Yellow Sky Sect from the shadows, and not just one. However, for this very reason, they each have their representatives, which has caused the Yellow Sky Sect to be divided into factions internally."

Yuan Mobai maintained his warm smile and said, "Regardless of the possibility, if real chaos indeed erupts on Dragon Tiger Mountain, there is a high likelihood that the Yellow Sky Sect will take desperate actions, and we must be even more cautious."

Lei Jun replied, "Disciple understands and will heed Master's teachings."

"In these troubled times, we can only do what is within our power, trusting in fate after having done our utmost," Yuan Mobai said.

Lei Jun caught the implications in his master's words and asked, "Has something happened?"

Yuan Mobai replied, "We've just received news that Prince Wu has rebelled."

An imperial edict summoned Prince Wu to the Capital City to appear before the Empress. Prince Wu claimed to be too ill to comply. When the Imperial Physician came from the Capital City, Prince Wu found various ways to delay his visit. Recently, however, he could delay no longer and finally, audaciously rose in revolt, raising a rebel banner and listing multiple severe charges against the current Empress. The principal accusation was that she had committed regicide and falsified an imperial edict. He further claimed there had been an earlier attempt to assassinate the late Emperor Zhang Qilong, and now, to silence Prince Wu, the Empress sought to strike him down as well.

Such verbal confrontation was not entirely focused on rhetoric. When the Emperor holds sway over the land, the destiny of the Dragon Veins accompanies them. Thus, their strong position also involves the support or opposition of the people. What Prince Wu was currently doing was a basic tactic. And there were even more strategies that could come into play afterward. Of course, the final outcome would still depend on the fundamental conflict between the two parties. The verbal sparring, in essence, aimed to reduce the opponent's advantage and increase one's own chances of victory.

It was clear that Her Majesty the Empress had not truly bought into Prince Wu's previous claims of severe illness, and she too was poised to act at a moment's notice. As soon as Prince Wu raised his rebel banner, formal suppression of the rebellion had already begun simultaneously.

"Surely Her Majesty can handle Prince Wu, can't she?" Lei Jun inquired of his master.

That was not to say Prince Wu was completely without skill, of course. The problem was that ever since Prince Wu, then General of the Suppressing Demon Guards, was suspected of collusion and word of it leaked, he had been under the Empress's watch. The situation he found himself in today was the result of being relentlessly pushed into a corner by the Empress, forcing him to fight like a cornered beast. It would not be an overstatement to say that Prince Wu was forced into rebellion by the Tang Imperial Court. On the other hand, Prince Wu should also know very well that even if the Great Tang is currently unstable, his chances of success remain very slim.

"At the same time Prince Wu raised his rebel flag, a Demonic Disturbance erupted in the East Sea, with fierce invasions that, though not quite as devastating as the earlier conflict in the Western Regions, were not far off," Yuan Mobai spoke softly.

Lei Jun's eyebrows twitched. No wonder.

Yuan Mobai continued, "Suppressing the rebellion in the Land of Wu and Yue is the responsibility of her subjects. The latest news is that Her Majesty has personally gone to the East Sea."

Lei Jun asked, "Are you, Master, or Eldest Senior Brother implicated in Prince Wu's matter?" Although he guessed that the Tang Imperial Court wouldn't complicate matters unnecessarily at this time, it was still better to be cautious. In this respect, Lei Jun quite agreed with his senior brother Wang Guiyuan's view.

Yuan Mobai chuckled and said, "Currently, no. Even Senior Sister Shangguan hasn't inquired about it. If there's anything, it would likely be discussed later."

Lei Jun mused, "On the other hand, if Our Sect encounters any issues at the moment, the Tang Imperial Court would, at most, offer a few verbal admonitions and not interfere directly, right?"

Yuan Mobai nodded and said, "Exactly." His expression became more solemn as he continued, "Recently, around the outskirts of Dragon Tiger Mountain, within the Xinzhou region, traces of activity from the Blood River Sect's cultivators have been detected."

Lei Jun exclaimed, "It's like a bunch of vultures, constantly flying around, just waiting to feed on carcasses."

Yuan Mobai said, "Stay alert."

Lei Jun replied, "Yes, Master."

Under the leadership of Yuan Mobai and the other two High Merit Elders, the Celestial Master Mansion began organizing its most skilled members to take turns descending the mountain for patrol and to clear out the secret arrangements of the Blood River Sect.

Now at the Fifth Heaven Layer realm of Cultivation, Lei Jun also began to take on more responsibilities. Even though he had yet to take disciples, he would occasionally be responsible for leading teams and guiding other disciples in action. Outside the mountain, they successively destroyed the Blood River Arrays covertly set up by the disciples of the Blood River Sect. They also encountered some powerful masters of the Middle Three Heavens from the Blood River Sect, and fierce battles broke out.

In the mountains, vile blood filled the sky, covering all directions. But immediately, vast seas of fire spread across, confronting the Blood Sea with a blazing inferno to burn away the corrupted blood.

Lei Jun flicked his hands, and instantly two High-grade Spirit Talismans from the Celestial Master Mansion's True Inheritance flew out—one Endless Sea of Fire Talisman and one Wind-Fire Rampart Talisman, their fierce fires ceaselessly intermingling. The opponent, an Elder of the Blood River Sect with Middle Three Heavens Cultivation, was temporarily left flustered by Lei Jun's assault.

Yang-aspected Fire Method and Thunder Method did indeed have a certain effect against the Yin-natured Blood Sea. But they were not entirely suppressive. The Blood River and the Blood Sea were adept at corrupting an opponent's Mana. Even the Fire Method and Thunder Method could be tainted by the vile blood, losing their wondrous effects. Cultivators from the Blood River Sect were not completely defenseless against the Fire Method and Thunder Method. Furthermore, Lei Jun's Endless Sea of Fire Talisman and Wind-Fire Rampart Talisman were not his Life-Bound Talisman Method.

Both parties were expected to engage in a struggle between water and fire, where excess water would extinguish the fire, and a fierce fire would evaporate the water. The current issue was that Lei Jun had successively cultivated and combined the Yin Yang Two Evil and the Yin Yang Er Gang, along with other factors. This resulted in his Spells having noticeably greater power than those of other Talisman Sect cultivators of the same realm. So now, by just flinging True Inheritance Spirit Talismans from the Mansion, he forced the Blood River Sect Elder to retreat helplessly.

Lei Jun did not rashly pursue, to prevent the appearance of any Upper Three Heavens masters from the Blood River Sect. However, it was strange that during this period, the highest Cultivation level among the Blood River Sect members around Dragon Tiger Mountain was only the Sixth Heaven Layer, and no great masters from the Upper Three Heavens were seen. Were they drawn away by the conflicts near the East Sea and the Land of Wu and Yue? Or was it some other reason?

BOOM!!!

As Lei Jun contemplated, a thunderous explosion suddenly echoed from afar. Not just Lei Jun, but all the Celestial Master Mansion disciples active outside the mountain turned to look. The source of the earth-shattering noise was their very own Ancestral Courtyard of the Sect, Dragon Tiger Mountain!

Upon the mountain's summit, dense Purple Thunder crackled and green flames blazed across the sky. The Dragon's Chant and Tiger's Roar sounded simultaneously. It was not a union against the enemy, but a battle between the dragon and the tiger!

Little Junior Sister must have ended her seclusion and returned to the mountain to settle accounts… Lei Jun suddenly realized.