Cultivation: Fortune by Lots-Chapter 463 - 246. High Merit Elder, Lei Chongyun (Two in One Chapter)_2

But now he was no longer certain.

Not only Lin Chou, but current news indicated that even Lin Che, who possessed the Dragon Serpent Pen, had perished. Other experts were assisting the Dragon Tiger Mountain Celestial Master Mansion in besieging Jiangzhou. Mount Shu, the Imperial Court, or perhaps someone else?

「Youzhou.」

Once the ancestral land of the North Sect Lin Clan, it had also become a wasteland. The once constant and never-fading glow of cultural splendor that pierced the skies had vanished, marking the end of the Youzhou Lin Clan’s ancestral land’s Cultural Pulse. The only consolation was that the casualties among the Youzhou Lin Clan were not as severe as in Jiangzhou. However, Elders such as Lin Litao and Lin Likong from the clan had still been lost.

The current clan leaders of the Ye Clan from Jinzhou and Qingzhou, Ye Moquan and Ye Yan, stood side by side, their expressions solemn as they watched the broken walls and ruins before them.

"Within the next few years, it will be very hard for Yujing to take that step towards the Ninth Heavenly Layer and bring peace to the world," Ye Moquan, who had the appearance of an old man, slowly said.

The middle-aged man resembling a Confucian scholar, Ye Yan of Qingzhou, sighed in silence. Lin Huan’s talent was extraordinary, and she was still young. With the current Surge of Heavenly and Earthly Spiritual Qi favoring cultivators’ advancement, almost everyone in and out of Youzhou had been certain she could take another step forward soon. Who would have expected such a calamity? If she’d had a choice, she naturally would have focused on her cultivation first, emerging only after achieving Perfection. Unfortunately, life rarely goes as planned. From a certain perspective, Lin Huan and the Youzhou Lin Clan had been dragged down by Lin Che and the Jiangzhou Lin Clan.

Yet the plight of the North and South Lin Clans proved that the Foreign Lands were indeed of utmost importance to the Four Clans and Six Families of the Confucian Studies legacy. A misstep in their strategy now had grave consequences.

"When I went to Great Black Mountain, although I sensed something unusual, I still underestimated it and failed to detect the brutal and cunning force hidden within," Ye Yan lamented lightly.

Ye Moquan replied, "The world changes constantly; how could you and I completely foresee everything? Instead of regretting what’s already past, it’s better to say that prioritizing the Bodhi Temple over the Celestial Master Mansion back then was a serious miscalculation—grasping the insignificant while letting the crucial slip by. But discussing it now is pointless; all we can do is try our best to mend the fold after the sheep is lost."

Ye Yan whispered, "Brother, next summer, you and Xu Yuanzhen of the Celestial Master Mansion..."

Ye Moquan smiled. "As an old man, I would naturally avoid a trial of strength with the youth wherever possible, but some things cannot be avoided."

Ye Yan said, "Later on, we also need to make a trip to Jiangzhou."

Once the Five Clans and Seven Families, now reduced to Four Clans and Six Families. The Jiangzhou Lin Clan still had Lin Yuwei, an Eighth Heavenly Layer Great Scholar, who could just barely maintain the facade of the Southern Sect Lin Family. However, they could never return to Jiangzhou and would need to find a new place to settle and thrive. The Youzhou Lin Clan, having people but having lost their land, would next focus all efforts on rebuilding the ancestral land of Youzhou, attempting to repair and continue their Cultural Pulse. The other prominent families, united by a common enemy, would all lend their support.

But the matter wasn’t completely resolved yet. Ye Moquan and Xu Yuanzhen had already established a battle covenant, with only about half a year remaining until then. During this period, the major families would unite to first and foremost unravel the mystery and threat of the "Barbarian Spearhead." Aside from that, news from the south indicated that in the great battle of Jiangzhou, apart from the "Barbarian Spearhead" targeting the ancestral land’s seals, there was also a shackle specifically designed to trap individual Confucian Cultivators, which had successfully confined the Eighth Heavenly Layer Great Scholar Lin Chou. Although it hadn’t been seen in the Northern Lands of Youzhou, they still had to guard against it. Moreover, they needed to be wary of any new tactics the opponent might employ in the future.

"Brother, there’s one more thing..." Ye Yan said slowly. "In this chaos, we are at fault for not clearly identifying the enemy, but on the other hand... there is internal unrest!"

Ye Moquan nodded in agreement. 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

Ye Yan continued, "Brother, I’ll trouble you with matters in the north. I will be going to the capital to meet with King Huayang and others to investigate this leak."

Ye Moquan advised, "Chiyuan, be careful in all your affairs."

After watching the Qingzhou Ye Clan Chief depart, the old man withdrew his gaze, standing alone in the wind and snow. His grandson, Ye Feishan, arrived from afar, bringing a heavy cloak, which he draped over his grandfather.

"The Celestial Master Mansion," Ye Moquan began, "has a new High Merit Master at the Seventh Heavenly Layer, not yet forty years of age."

Ye Feishan confirmed, "Yes, his name is Lei Jun. His time spent on cultivation isn’t long, but his rise has been meteoric. He has surpassed even Li Zhengxuan from before and is quickly catching up to Xu Yuanzhen. He’s only a step behind Tang Xiaotang, yet his momentum seems to be accelerating even faster."

Ye Moquan smiled slightly. "The Surge of Heavenly and Earthly Spiritual Qi marks this as an era for the young. Feishan, the future rests on you and your peers."

"Yes, Grandfather," Ye Feishan said gravely.

Ye Moquan’s gaze shifted into the distance, his smile fading. "This should have been the best of times, yet auspiciousness is shadowed by danger."

Ye Feishan lowered his head. His grandfather faced south, looking in the direction of Dragon Tiger Mountain, but his sentiments were not solely about Dragon Tiger Mountain itself.

Prominent families might produce unruly scions, but more often they diligently fostered outstanding young talents, hoping they would carry on the family’s legacy. Nowadays, with the Surge of Heavenly and Earthly Spiritual Qi benefiting cultivators, Confucian Cultivators were naturally among them. The Jinzhou Ye Clan recently had an outstanding young disciple at the Sixth Heavenly Layer, preparing to challenge the Heavenly Moat Tribulation leading to the Seventh Heavenly Layer. As far as Ye Feishan knew, the situation was similar in other major clans. Reaching the Upper Three Heavens before the age of one hundred was generally considered indicative of exceptional talent in the younger generation. Yet even counting the potential talents at the Sixth Heavenly Layer who were currently preparing, each family, at this point, had merely two or three such individuals.

And yet, at Dragon Tiger Mountain... After Xu Yuanzhen came Tang Xiaotang, and after Tang Xiaotang, now Lei Jun and Lei Chongyun have emerged. If one includes the earlier Li Zhengxuan, Dragon Tiger Mountain’s current generation has already produced a full four Upper Three Heavens Cultivators under one hundred years of age! Among them, Xu Yuanzhen and Tang Xiaotang have even reached the Ninth and Eighth Heavenly Layers, respectively.