Chapter 655: 289. Eighth Heavenly Layer, Divine Court! (Combined Chapters)_4

During the battle at Dragon Tiger Mountain Li Wai, cultivators from the Golden City Stronghold eyed the situation like tigers watching their prey.

However, they had sided with the Blood River Sect during the previous battle in the Southern Wilderness and suffered misfortune as a result. Consequently, they were forced into hiding and had caused less trouble in recent years.

Zonghan was also a one-time overlord of the Southern Witch Sect and had forcefully unified the previously fractured Golden City Stronghold.

But his luck was poor. He had risen against Wei Ancheng, the Blood River Sect Leader, only to end up on the losing side in the great battle of the Southern Wilderness.

The Golden City Stronghold suffered heavy losses, and Zonghan himself was not lightly affected.

Cultivators of the Ghost Tao Lineage derive their strength entirely from controlling Evil Souls and Walking Corpses.

Suffering successive losses, it was not easy to replenish their forces.

Zonghan had gone into hiding these years, enduring hardship and biding his time. He had just started to accumulate some resources, only for Tang Xiaotang to annihilate them all in this battle.

"Didn’t Junior Sister Tang bring the Celestial Master’s Sword?" Lei Jun asked.

On one hand, the Celestial Master’s Three Treasures should not easily leave the mountain. This was especially true given that, officially, only the Celestial Master’s Sword remained at Dragon Tiger Mountain.

On the other hand, Tang Xiaotang, having recently achieved the External Scenery of the Divine Court, was reportedly concerned that she had nowhere to test her new powers...

Yuan Mobai nodded slightly. "I still hope the Sect Leader will return to the mountain soon."

With Xu Yuanzhen, Yuan Mobai, and Lei Jun all present at the mountain gate, the Celestial Master Mansion itself should not be in significant trouble for the moment.

But in recent years, the situation within and outside the Great Tang had changed drastically. It had become quite complex, unlike in the old days.

The master and disciple chatted as they made their way to meet the other High Merit Masters in the mansion.

Xu Yuanzhen was not usually present here, while Shangguan Ning and Zhang Jingzhen were both in attendance.

Both were surprised to hear that Lei Jun had successfully reached the Eightfold Heaven Realm.

They had anticipated Lei Jun might achieve the Divine Court, but they had never imagined it would happen so soon.

After staring intently at Lei Jun for a long while, Shangguan Ning turned to look at Zhang Jingzhen and said with self-deprecating laughter, "Jingzhen, do you feel a little better now?"

In the past, before Lei Jun had joined, Zhang Jingzhen had advanced to the Sixth Layer of Heaven Dao Seal Realm.

Yet after that, Lei Jun had overtaken her, passing through the Heavenly Moat Tribulation that led to the Seventh Heavenly Layer even faster than she had.

And now, wasn’t Shangguan Ning herself being similarly surpassed by this younger martial nephew?

Admittedly, multiple factors like age and the surges of Global Spiritual Qi were at play, yet the gap between them remained tangible and significant.

First, it was Xu Yuanzhen who had greatly disheartened everyone.

Then, Tang Xiaotang’s achievements left everyone helpless and somewhat numb.

Now, Lei Jun too had emerged.

Instead of becoming more numb, everyone began to question their own existence.

One or two occurrences could be chalked up as flukes, allowing them to comfort themselves. But now that a third such exceptional individual had emerged, and as their numbers grew, insecurities crept in, making people question the reality of the world around them...

Fortunately, Shangguan Ning possessed an extraordinary background and experience. She was still able to maintain a stable state of mind, even managing to joke and console Zhang Jingzhen amidst her self-deprecation.

Zhang Jingzhen, much calmer by now, smiled in response. "I am fine, Martial Aunt. Please do not worry."

"Regardless, it is indeed an occasion for great joy that our sect has gained another Eightfold Heaven cultivator."

Shangguan Ning congratulated Lei Jun with a smile, her expression then growing a fraction more serious. "The current situation changes in the blink of an eye."

She took a Jade Slip and handed it to both Lei Jun and Yuan Mobai. "If you hadn’t come, Yuan, I really was planning to send a disciple to call you and Xu. It’s even better now that Lei has left seclusion. This is the latest news: the East Sea is restless, and the Void Realm is not as stable as before. It might change."

Lei Jun asked, "Fifth Master, is it about Changjie Island?"

Shangguan Ning replied, "No, not in that direction. It’s closer, already near the coastal areas of Mingzhou and Yuhang."

Upon hearing this, both Yuan Mobai and Lei Jun furrowed their brows slightly.

Shangguan Ning continued, "People from the Imperial Court have already gone to investigate. I also heard that the Suzhou Chu Clan and Tianlong Temple have sent people."

Yuan Mobai said, "In that case, let’s wait and see for now. We should also pass the message to Yuan Zhen."

Lei Jun, Shangguan Ning, and Zhang Jingzhen all nodded.

After a few more words, Yuan Mobai and his disciple, Lei Jun, exited and headed to the Altar of Wanfa Sect.

Yuan Mobai activated the Ancestral Altar, and Lei Jun stepped inside.

After offering incense and prayers to the ancestral masters, he inherited the last volume of the True Formula of the Great Way Scripture—the sect’s orthodox scripture.

Above the Altar of Wanfa Sect, a magnificent radiance shone, with vast amounts of Tao Containment and Talisman Scriptures swirling within it.

Instantly, everyone within the mansion knew that a High Merit Elder had achieved a breakthrough. The sect had gained a new Divine Court cultivator of the Eightfold Heaven Realm.

The entire mansion was suddenly filled with an extreme sense of invigoration.

Tang Xiaotang, Yuan Mobai, Xu Yuanzhen, and Lei Jun had achieved breakthroughs in their cultivation levels one after another. As a result, the Celestial Master Mansion now had four cultivators above the Seventh Heavenly Layer, including Xu Yuanzhen, who was at the Ninth Heavenly Layer.

In terms of high-level strength, the mansion now surpassed its state from thirty years ago when Celestial Master Li Qingfeng had assumed office.

However, due to consecutive calamities, the middle and lower tiers of power in the mansion still appeared thin. This created a sense of the Celestial Master Mansion being top-heavy.

But as long as the top tier remained strong and stable, with careful management in the following period, the Celestial Master Mansion’s lineage would continue to expand in both height and depth. It would then regain the former glory of its peak years.

It wasn’t just the younger disciples; even the earlier generations of elders in the mansion felt their spirits greatly uplifted at this moment.

Shangguan Ning and Zhang Jingzhen gazed together at the column of light rising from the direction of the Altar of Wanfa Sect.

"Lei isn’t quite fifty yet, is he?" Shangguan Ning suddenly asked.

Zhang Jingzhen nodded. "To my knowledge, Lei’s birthday is in the summer."

Shangguan Ning remarked with a sigh, "So young indeed."

Zhang Jingzhen, however, seemed even more composed. "Martial Aunt speaks the truth. This is indeed a blessing for Dragon Tiger Mountain." 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

Yuan Mobai watched his disciple inherit the seventh volume of the True Formula of the Great Way Scripture, his heart filled with endless emotion.