The plan had been mostly successful, Wang Feng had nearly succeeded but ultimately died at the hands of the enemy. Yet our identities had been exposed, and Elder Song of the Wu Party would certainly find ways to mount a counterattack. We needed to hurry back and report the details to Elder Yuan, letting the old man make the decision... This was the line of thinking of another faction.

No matter what secret intentions either side harbored, at this moment, they called to their companions with identical motions.

Run!

The group of Heavenly Order Cultivators scattered in retreat immediately.

Master Faming and the Tianlong Temple monks launched a counteroffensive.

Lei Jun remained where he was, unmoving.

On one hand, he needed to suppress the tsunami below.

Lei Jun vaguely detected, at the core of the previous sacrificial ceremony within the sea below, a certain Spiritual Object flickering with radiance. It might have been the Third-Rank Opportunity mentioned in the earlier moderately good lot.

On the other hand, he had exposed the presence of the second wave of secretly prying Heavenly Order Cultivators. Letting these survivors return would allow those so-called two factions of the Great Ming Dynasty to vie among themselves.

And also...

Lei Jun did not look back.

But deep within his eyes, as the Heaven-piercing Earth-penetrating Taliscript operated, a vision gradually appeared, showing someone approaching from behind.

The newcomer possessed remarkable strength.

It was the present-day Abbot of Tianlong Temple, Master Miaoxin.

This abbot of Tianlong Temple had come to this place as well.

Lei Jun understood this clearly in his heart.

*If I had not come to Great Qing Bay, then Abbot Miaoxin would have been the one to thwart Wang Feng’s scheme.*

*Whether Abbot Miaoxin could seize or kill Wang Feng was uncertain for now.*

But at the very least, Wang Feng’s sacrificial ritual could definitely not continue.

"Amitabha Buddha," Abbot Miaoxin declared upon arrival, pressing his palms together, reciting the Buddha’s name, and looking first at Lei Jun.

Lei Jun dispersed the countless star-river-like Light Talismans that composed the Doumu Star God Dharma, and returned a Taoist bow of greeting to Abbot Miaoxin.

The two did not pause for lengthy exchange, and hurried with their own business. Lei Jun continued to suppress Great Qing Bay, while Abbot Miaoxin led his disciples in pursuit of the Heavenly Order Cultivators.

In the end, they managed to reel in a big catch.

When Lei Jun had gravely injured the high official surnamed Su, he had held back, sparing him from immediate death.

With such severe injuries, escape was nearly impossible, and the man was apprehended on the spot by Abbot Miaoxin.

At the same time, the waves within Great Qing Bay began to settle, while Lei Jun suppressed the aftermath of the broken sacrificial ritual.

The collapse of the ceremony caused the gathered Spiritual Energy to rebound, even sparking a tsunami.

The Sacrificial Instruments used to form and sustain the ritual had all been destroyed in the process.

Only the core piece had been preserved.

Lei Jun, without betraying concern, concealed it with his own mana, then collected it. Even Abbot Miaoxin remained unaware of the truth.

The object was square on all sides, emitting a chill, faint white light that formed a perfect circle on the outer layer, like a full moon.

The Spiritual Object radiating "moonlight" was, in truth, an inkstone.

The inkstone was entirely pure white, resembling fine jade.

Within it, moonlight flowed, like ink in the well, but white and eerily cold.

[Moonlight Inkstone]

After Lei Jun collected the inkstone, a name surfaced naturally in his mind.

His cultivation had reached new heights, and his comprehension and insight were both keen. Without close inspection, a rough glance revealed nearly all the secrets of the Moonlight Inkstone.

This treasure had, to some extent, absorbed a measure of the scholarly understanding of principles from the Confucian cultivator Wang Feng. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

But, all in all, its essence remained spiritual and untainted.

Its Spiritual Nature could be utilized by Confucian Practitioners as well as those from other traditions.

It was particularly well-suited for Confucians and Taoists.

*However, if Lei Jun wanted to wield this treasure freely, he would need to devote more effort to refining it.*

There was no rush at present; he could explore it later whenever he had leisure.

Lei Jun put the Moonlight Inkstone away properly.

Later, Abbot Miaoxin, accompanied by Master Faming and other Tianlong Temple disciples, returned.

This time, Lei Jun brought along his junior, Chu Kun, and exchanged formal greetings with the group.

"Fortunately, Master Lei arrived to quell this disaster," Abbot Miaoxin had already heard an account of events from Master Faming and other disciples.

He privately marveled at Lei Jun’s strength, but also became more convinced of a particular view.

*Regardless of Lei Jun’s precise cultivation realm in the Eighth Heavenly Layer, his prowess in actual combat spellcasting had already reached a level where he could play a decisive and guiding role among eminent sects and Sacred Lands.*

Not just among the elders of other Holy Land Sects; even those who lorded over a sacred portal must treat Lei Jun with due respect now.

Even if their opponent was this young.

Or rather, precisely because their opponent had achieved all this at such a young age, Abbot Miaoxin needed to approach him with even greater caution.

Through conversation with Abbot Miaoxin, Lei Jun learned the situation in Yuhang over the last period.

At the Qiantang River Mouth in Yuhang, a much larger battle had erupted than in Mingzhou’s Great Qing Bay.

Both sides had Great Scholars of the Ninth Heavenly Layer participating.

The war had been so fierce that the sky and earth had been upended, nearly causing the Qiantang River to flow backward.

The final result had been near mutual destruction.

But Chu Xiuyuan and Ye Yan, joining forces, held Yuhang firm and drove the invading Heavenly Order Cultivators back into the sea.

*As for what Fourth Rank Opportunity was present there, Lei Jun did not know, nor did he feel any regret at missing out, or any desire to investigate further.*

He had already secured the Moonlight Inkstone here in Mingzhou’s Great Qing Bay, and had no time to rush elsewhere, so he need not be greedy or chase after more.

However, Abbot Miaoxin’s group had captured the Heavenly Order Cultivator surnamed Su, and through interrogation, obtained information that interested both Lei Jun and the abbot.

The captured cultivator, though grimly defiant and willing to die for his nation, was deeply conceited and loose-lipped.

Lei Jun and Abbot Miaoxin spoke with him for a good while, gradually prying out bits of information.

"In the world of the Great Ming Dynasty, while Daoist Talisman Sect traditions still survive, the Celestial Master Mansion has long since disappeared..." Lei Jun exchanged a glance with Chu Kun.