Cultivation: Fortune by Lots-Chapter 441 - 241. The Seventh Heavenly Layer, Connecting Heaven! (Two-in-One Chapter)_3

It wasn’t until he suddenly sensed something and pulled a scroll from his sleeve, handing it to the elder before him, "Grandfather, urgent news from Jinzhou. Father instructed that it be delivered to you at the first opportunity."

Ye Moquan nodded slightly, unfurled the scroll, and read the text upon it. He read very slowly.

Ye Feishan stood quietly to the side without speaking.

After a long while, the elder laid down the scroll and spoke calmly, "Master Huang of the Pure Yang Palace has invited me to be his guest."

Ye Feishan took a deep breath.

Ye Moquan muttered to himself, "Is Master Huang’s health completely restored?"

He gazed long at the area south of the Grand River before speaking softly again, "Has Her Majesty reacted so swiftly? Or was she already informed?"

Ye Feishan stood quietly by his side, saying nothing. He did not disturb his grandfather’s train of thought. But his own heart was in turmoil. It was rare for his grandfather to leave his mountain retreat; he was planning to personally make the trip to Dragon Tiger Mountain in Xinzhou. It wasn’t just the Jinzhou Ye Clan that was stirring; the Fang Clan of Jingxiang in the south, the Chu Clan of Suzhou, and the Jiangzhou Lin Clan, which directly faced Dragon Tiger Mountain, were all preparing to act.

But this letter from Master Huang of the Pure Yang Palace, that paramount master of the Taoist Sect at the Ninth Heavenly Layer Mahayana Realm, was unexpected. To be precise, it had arrived unexpectedly early. The so-called invitation for Ye Moquan to visit the Pure Yang Palace clearly implied that if Ye Moquan insisted on heading south, the Pure Yang Palace would intervene in the current affairs. It even hinted at a willingness to declare all-out war.

Their response was too decisive. Moreover, Elder Huang had been recuperating for many years; was his health truly fully restored? While it was true that Elder Huang had always united Mount Shu and the Celestial Master Mansion, adhering to the Taoist principle of allied branches, and might offer support or even dispatch Elders to aid the Celestial Master Mansion, to expect him to personally strain his recovering body to fight to the death for the Talisman Sect’s Celestial Master Mansion, and even engage in full-scale warfare with the Jinzhou Ye Clan, seemed too much to ask. The Pure Yang Palace had also suffered grievous losses during the demonic disturbances in the Western Regions. The saying goes, "When the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold." A careless misstep could mean becoming the vulnerable lips instead of the protected teeth.

The Pure Yang Palace’s intense reaction likely meant someone was backing them, coordinating from behind the scenes. The most probable supporter was the Tang Imperial Court. Her Majesty the Empress...ŸŸŸ

"What about the situation in Youzhou?" Ye Moquan asked.

Ye Feishan replied, "The hermit of Yanran Mountain has decided to personally leave his ancestral land and journey to the snowy ridges of the Northern Border."

The hermit of Yanran Mountain was the title of Lin Huan, the current Clan Chief of the Youzhou Lin Clan.

"Reply to Master Huang of the Pure Yang Palace on my behalf," Ye Moquan said slowly. "I appreciate his kind invitation, and I shall visit Zhongnan Mountain to pay my respects."

"Yes, Grandfather," Ye Feishan replied.

After instructing his grandson to reply on his behalf, the old man then took up a brush and personally wrote another letter, to be sent elsewhere: Qingzhou.

Ye Feishan knew in his heart that the letter was for another Clan Chief of the Ye Clan, Ye Yan of Qingzhou—the National Father of the late Emperor.

The demonic disturbances in the Western Regions had indeed claimed the late Emperor, but the prominent aristocratic families had also suffered no small losses in recent years. The Jiangzhou Lin Clan was quietly weakening, and the Xiao Clan from outside Longwai had even defected. With Ye Moquan needing to attend to Elder Huang, who was returning from seclusion, Elder Chu of Suzhou alone would not be enough to hinder Her Majesty the Empress’s movements in the Capital City. Ye Yan needed to step into the forefront.

"Spread the news that Xu Yuanzhen has reached the Taoist Sect’s Ninth Heavenly Layer Mahayana Realm," Ye Moquan instructed after writing the letter.

"Yes, Grandfather," Ye Feishan replied.

They were not certain of Xu Yuanzhen’s current specific stage of cultivation. But that did not prevent them from disseminating the news that Xu Yuanzhen had already reached the Ninth Heavenly Layer realm.

「The Suzhou Chu Clan.」

The old Family Head, Chu Xiuyuan, was likewise not in the Suzhou ancestral lands. At this moment, Elder Chu stood atop a perilous peak in the Huai Mountains, the picturesque vista of mountains and rivers spreading before him as far as the eye could see. Behind him followed several high-ranking experts of the Chu Clan, led by Chu Zhe, the most accomplished of Chu Xiuyuan’s sons—his third son.

"The Great Void Temple is still primarily focused on Tianlong Temple," Chu Zhe reported to his father. "Furthermore, Great Void Temple disciples have also been spotted near the Southern Bodhi Sect."

"As expected," Chu Xiuyuan said, his hands clasped behind his back.

Among the Four Sacred Grounds of the orthodox Buddhist Sect, Bodhi Temple’s mountain gate had already been destroyed. Only a few limited forces remained, who had established a new sect under the patronage of the Tang Court. Even so, if they could eradicate them root and branch, the Great Void Temple would not be merciful. Of the remaining three of the Four Sacred Grounds, Vajra Temple and Xuantian Temple were both closed off and self-contained. They were inherently easy to defend and difficult to attack, and they rarely interacted with the outside world. Therefore, after conquering Bodhi Temple, the Great Void Temple’s second target had always been Tianlong Temple, leaving those two ’iron walnuts’ for later.

"There is some internal dispute within Xuantian Temple, and Vajra Temple has been sealed off for some years now. Although these two have shown some movement this time, their actions have been minor, merely to placate the Tang Imperial Court," Chu Zhe continued to report.

"Jinzhou has put in so many years of effort; there’s no need to be concerned about Xuantian Temple." Elder Chu withdrew his gaze from the distant mountains and rivers. "Vajra Temple, however, might have its own hidden depths. Don’t lower your guard."

The Chu Clan members behind him all acknowledged the command.

"A letter from Jingxiang reports movement from Mount Shu," Chu Zhe continued.

Elder Chu asked, "Are both the Blue Abyss Sword and the North Abyss Divine Spear being deployed?"

Chu Zhe replied, "The Blue Abyss Sword has been sighted. The North Abyss Divine Spear is still at Mount Shu, but word is that it is also ready."

Mount Shu is a Sacred Land of the Taoist Sect’s External Alchemy School, also known as the lineage of Artifact Refining. Through years of accumulation, it possesses the most treasured inheritances in the current age. Customarily, they are known as the Six Treasures of Mount Shu, corresponding to the number of the Six Harmonies. 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

The Upper Primordial Tower, also known as the Taiyi Primordial Treasure Pagoda.

The Qingxiao Manor below, buried within the earth veins of Mount Shu, has become part of the Mount Shu Sect’s mountain gate. Combined with the Summit, it is one of the foundations of Mount Shu.