Lu Fang was taken aback, "Oh?"

He looked again with greater focus.

In the center, Qin Caiwei was visibly excited yet strived to remain calm, flawlessly carrying out the ceremonial rites and rituals.

"Qualified for the Transcension Ritual in just two years?" Lu Fang indeed became interested. "The last person with such speed, I remember, was..."

"Master Lei."

Shangguan Sheng nodded affirmatively. "The last Tao Boy who was qualified for the Transcension Ritual in just two years was none other than the current Master Lei."

Lu Fang thought for a moment, recalling the roster he had read before, and matched the name to the girl. "Remember, is she called Qin Caiwei?"

Shangguan Sheng answered, "Correct."

Lu Fang asked, "What’s her background?"

Shangguan Sheng replied, "According to the information we have, she comes from an ordinary mortal family."

Lu Fang watched Qin Caiwei. "A meteoric rise!"

Lei Jun was well aware that he was the center of attention at the Transmission Ceremony.

Yet, he appeared indifferent, maintaining his composure.

Following the completion of the primary offerings and the core ritual, Lei Jun, as the presiding High Merit Master of the ceremony, began the subsequent procedures. He methodically conducted the steps of sending off the gods, inducting the officials, rekindling the furnace, and exiting the hall. Finally, he concluded with a bow to the ancestral masters and expressed his gratitude.

Everything else was as usual.

However, it was Lei Jun himself who, during this time, advanced further in his diligent cultivation, with his path to Connecting Heaven becoming increasingly perfect.

Now presiding over the Transmission Ceremony and appealing to heaven in prayer, he felt a deeper connection with the cosmos, experiencing numerous revelations.

It was as if he had established a closer bond with the heavens and the earth.

He looked up to the sky.

Above the vault of heaven, the Supreme Pure Thunder Mansion Cave Heaven remained unchanged, and Purple Thunder drifted.

But this time, Lei Jun felt as if he could see an even more profound and mighty confluence of thunders meeting in the higher layer of clouds.

Is this the Shenxiao mentioned in the Taoist Scriptures? Lei Jun’s thoughts were lively and nimble, yet his state of mind remained serene.

The communion with heaven and earth did not distract Lei Jun; on the contrary, it made his hosting of the Transmission Ceremony even more auspicious and in harmony with nature.

He did not think too much about it, choosing instead to quietly contemplate and go with the flow, fulfilling the ceremonial proceedings at the same time.

As pairs of masters and disciples each took their leave, Lei Jun, with the roster of disciples in hand, went to the Rear Mountain Ancestral Tomb. After paying homage to the ancestral masters again, he collected and presented the roster.

Thus, the Transmission Ceremony, over which he had presided for the first time, was declared perfectly complete.

Afterward, he returned to the Celestial Master Hall.

There, Celestial Master Tang Xiaotang was entertaining the guests who had come to observe the ceremony.

Lei Jun also came forward to express his gratitude.

The host and guests were naturally in high spirits.

At last, Lei Jun openly declared, "As a humble Taoist, having paid my respects to heaven and earth and the lineage of ancestral masters and feeling inspired, I have discerned a revelation and decided to bestow upon myself a Taoist Title today.

"Although responsive to Shenxiao, and aspiring to reach Tianshu, one should not be all-encompassing; thus retracing half a step, I shall be known as Xuanxiao.

"All of you, esteemed guests, are fellow practitioners of Our Sect, and today I boldly request you all to bear witness to this moment."

A disciple’s religious name is bestowed by the Sect when a disciple of Dragon Tiger Mountain undergoes initiation and the Transcension Ritual.

Taoist Titles, on the other hand, are often self-bestowed by Taoist cultivators who have made significant achievements in their practice and feel a connection with the cosmos, or they may be disseminated by others.

For instance, Yuan Mobai himself took the title Taoist Yu Li, also known as Yu Lizi.

On the other hand, Tang Xiaotang has never chosen a Taoist Title for herself.

She prefers to be addressed as Celestial Master.

Given Lei Jun’s current Cultivation and his status as a High Merit Elder at the Celestial Master Mansion, his self-bestowment of a Taoist Title would naturally be another minor celebration, warranting inviting fellow practitioners and friends to be witnesses.

Lei Jun didn’t arrange for this specifically, so he took the opportunity to make the announcement immediately following the Transmission Ceremony.

The guests present congratulated Lei Jun upon hearing the news.

Celestial Master Tang Xiaotang said with a smile from the main seat, "It would have been fine even to be called Shenxiao Zi."

Lei Jun also smiled. "Unfortunately, I was born too late. However, leaving a margin doesn’t affect the hope of continuing the legacy in cultivation."

Yuan Mobai, listening on the side, showed an even richer warm smile on his face, which was always pleasant.

The other guests mostly thought of Lei Jun’s self-developed Xuánxiāo Five Thunder Talisman and the Mysterious Sky Thunder Ancestral Law Portrait.

Shangguan Sheng exchanged a glance with Lu Fang.

"Taoist Xuanxiao, Xuanxiao Zi..." Shangguan Sheng murmured.

Lu Fang nodded slightly.

The two could not help but recall how they had witnessed Lei Jun revealing the Mysterious Thunder over the East Sea and his Mysterious Sky Thunder Ancestral Law Portrait in the Southern Wilderness.

This, indeed, was a kind of karmic connection.

Shangguan Sheng and Lu Fang quickly regained their composure, their expressions returning to normal as they congratulated Lei Jun together:

"In the presence of the Supreme Pure Xuanxiao Zi, all impurities are dispelled. It is indeed a joyous and congratulatory occasion."

Mount Shu’s Xu Duan and Pure Yang Palace’s Lü Jinduan, both senior in status and age, also offered their congratulations: "Since Taoist Xuanxiao is present, this humble Taoist pays his respects."

In their hearts, they felt that compared to Tang Xiaotang, Lei Jun was indeed more modest and steady.

Shenxiao, corresponding to the ancestral masters of the Taoist Sect, is often mentioned in the Taoist Scriptures.

Generally speaking, junior disciples rarely take such titles for themselves.

However, there are always exceptions.

Tang Xiaotang, for example, who stood before them, was one such exception.

Her self-created Shenxiao Pure Yang Talisman was named after Shenxiao, and she didn’t give it much thought.

Lei Jun was not opposed or concerned about it, but since he had created Mysterious Thunder, he might as well continue smoothly on this path.

However, to the eyes of the aging Xu Duan and Lü Jinduan, such actions only seemed more agreeable.

The other guests also offered their warm congratulations.

Lei Jun returned each one of them respectfully.

「Subsequent to this, most of the guests took their leave one after another.」

The Transmission Ceremony on Dragon Tiger Mountain came to an end, gradually settling into quietness.

Apart from Mount Shu Sect’s Ji Chuan, a representative from Pure Yang Palace also stayed behind, named Long Tao, one of the Elders of Pure Yang Palace, with a Cultivation Realm on par with Ji Chuan and Chu Kun at the Sixth Heavenly Layer.

Like Ji Chuan, he was preparing to find a suitable place outside the Dragon Tiger Mountain Main Peak to create his own cave mansion.

While not entering the core area of Dragon Tiger Mountain, this still made contact and movement convenient.

Chu Kun was responsible for helping them get settled.

In the days that followed, Lei Jun returned to his usual tranquility and peace, continuing to live and cultivate at his own pace.

「Winter turned to spring, and time flowed on.」

No other disturbances arose on Dragon Tiger Mountain.

However, Xu Yuanzhen, the senior apprentice sister who often wandered outside, finally returned to the mountain.

Her return was not for the sake of settling down to cultivate in peace, but rather to bring back some things she was interested in to the Supreme Pure Thunder Mansion Cave Heaven, utilizing the environment there to study and refine some items.

Xu Yuanzhen was accustomed to doing things her own way, and most were used to her behavior by now.

However, Tang Xiaotang was very curious about what Xu Yuanzhen was currently busy with, so she would visit every so often to offer her concern and comfort, providing incessant harassment until she was quite disdainfully chased out by Xu Yuanzhen.

As time moved on, Lei Jun felt certain sensations growing stronger and clearer in his heart.

When autumn came and the weather gradually turned cold, almost half a year had passed since Lei Jun had presided over the Transmission Ceremony at the beginning of the year.

He was now forty-nine years old.

「In the deep autumn season, Wang Guiyuan also returned safely.」

"Senior apprentice brother, what’s this?" Chu Kun looked at what Wang Guiyuan had brought back with some surprise.

It seemed like ashes left after something had burned, yet it was a spirit stone that solidified into the shape of a sphere.

The stone sphere resembled a Star that had either fallen into slumber or stepped into death, silent and still.

Only when one stimulated it with Mana did light flicker within, resembling starlight or firelight, as if it was the burning of a heavenly sun, shining and emitting heat.

"Heavenly Ash Celestial Remains," Yuan Mobai said with a smile, holding one in his hand as well.

Wang Guiyuan stated, "This trip was lucky for this disciple and came with a bit of fortune, so I didn’t return empty-handed."

He smiled and said, "The quantity is not large, but thankfully, it’s not small either—there are six pieces."

Yuan Mobai replied, "Just one is rare enough, let alone six?"

"Thank you, senior brother," Lei Jun said, also holding a sphere in his hand.

The custom of sharing between these brothers was established, so without much ado, they accepted the gifts from each other.

As for where Wang Guiyuan had found such a great bargain, neither Lei Jun nor Chu Kun asked too many questions.

For Chu Kun, who possessed the Constellation Holy Body, this was undoubtedly a treasure.

The same went for Lei Jun, Yuan Mobai, and Xu Yuanzhen, who practiced the Destiny Star God; it was equally useful for all of them.

With the six pieces of Heavenly Ash Celestial Remains Wang Guiyuan had brought back, apart from Lei Jun, Yuan Mobai, Xu Yuanzhen, and Chu Kun, there were even two pieces left over to be contributed to the Sect’s Treasure Pavilion as a way to accumulate merit and virtue.

For Lei Jun, this treasure also had another use.

It could help him cultivate new Divine Skills in the future.

However, that matter could wait for now. There were more pressing issues at hand.

Lei Jun finally decided to go into seclusion, not concerning himself with external affairs, and to focus on his Cultivation for a while.

Everything had fallen into place; the time was ripe. He could begin the final sprint.