Qi Refining Twelve Story Building, Complete!

Qi Refining Twelve Story Building, Complete!

This time, the Purple-Gold Spirit Mushroom Essence and Heaven Abyss Pure Dew had been completely used up in one go, but the profits were enormous.

The Dragon Horse Scale remained in Lei Jun's hands, though its radiance was dim for the time being.

However, Lei Jun could sense that the treasure's foundation had not been harmed. It merely needed a little time to recuperate and restore its vitality.

"Your work here is complete. I'm returning to the mountain first."

Xu Yuanzhen gave Lei Jun only that one instruction. She spoke no further with the other Celestial Master Mansion disciples, instead stepping onto the Jet-Black Thundercloud and vanishing into the sky.

Lei Jun composed himself and went to inform Daoist Luo and his fellow disciple.

The two True Disciples of Celestial Master Mansion seemed accustomed to this. Apart from thanking Xu Yuanzhen for stopping to help, they said nothing more.

Yet Lei Jun could clearly see a trace of concern in Daoist Luo's eyes, as though he feared that a fine young sapling, sound in both body and mind, would be led astray by that Eldest Sister...

Afterward, Lei Jun did not impatiently rush to return to the mountain as soon as possible.

He settled down and continued helping with disaster relief and epidemic prevention at Green Cloud Ripple River Beach.

Only several days later, when a new batch of dao children arrived with their training assignments to help, did Lei Jun and the other first batch of dao children sent to Azure Cloud Marsh hand over their duties and depart.

"Junior Brother Chen and the others are still confined?"

After returning to the Dao Child Courtyard beneath Dragon Tiger Mountain, Lei Jun, Zhang Yuan, and the others heard the latest gossip.

"They're all still confined and reflecting on their mistakes. So are those young masters and young ladies from First Courtyard, and visits are forbidden."

A young dao child answered, "The Mansion seems determined to stamp out this recent crooked trend. Not a single person who took part in the brawl at the Talisman Ink Workshop was spared."

Zhang Yuan slapped his thigh. "The uproar this Junior Brother Chen stirred up is getting bigger and bigger. He's truly become a man of the hour this year!"

The other dao children nodded repeatedly. "Exactly. Ever since Senior Sister Tang stopped coming to the Dao Child Courtyard so often, this Senior Brother Chen has had the strongest limelight."

Zhang Yuan said, "Senior Sister Tang is still far stronger, but the things Chen Yi has caused aren't small either."

Celestial Master Mansion was a Daoist Holy Land. Even the Dao Child Courtyard at the foot of the mountain might conceal crouching tigers and hidden dragons.

However, whether it was a stereotype or truly the case, youthful geniuses of this sort were mostly recognized troublemakers and subjects of conversation.

Each generation brings forth its talents.

Today, it was little Chen Yi's turn.

Lei Jun said, "Some people were ultimately just fish in the pond struck by a fire at the city gate."

Zhang Yuan beside him gave a bitter smile.

He had also followed Lei Jun to Green Cloud Ripple River Beach, seemingly avoiding the great brawl at the Talisman Ink Workshop.

But when Lei Jun had gone to the Hall of Affairs, he had arrived late, leaving only two training assignments for him to choose from.

Zhang Yuan, on the other hand, had gone early. He had watched helplessly as the easier assignments were all claimed by others, then waited until Lei Jun arrived.

Otherwise, Zhang Yuan would not have needed to go to either Green Cloud Ripple River Beach or the Talisman Ink Workshop.

Of the two terrible assignments, Azure Cloud Marsh was not the worst, but it was still exhausting. It took a long time, the environment was poor, and it delayed one's own cultivation.

Because of Xu Yuanzhen, no third person at Green Cloud Ripple River Beach knew of Lei Jun's changes.

Thus, Zhang Yuan once again began questioning his life:

This Junior Brother Lei might indeed have good luck. He had dodged the unprovoked disaster of the great brawl at the Talisman Ink Workshop again.

But did he really need to keep his eye on Lei Jun and follow him in everything?

If he had not waited for Lei Jun and had claimed another training assignment early on, he would neither have chosen the Talisman Ink Workshop and been swept into the brawl nor gone to Azure Cloud Marsh to suffer... Zhang Yuan rubbed his face hard with both hands, sinking into deep turmoil.

Lei Jun listened to everyone chat for a few moments in the dining hall. After dinner, he returned to his small courtyard.

He cultivated in quiet concentration.

That night, his tenth Qi Sea was formed, and his cultivation rose to the Qi Refining Tenth Layer.

Lei Jun let out a long breath.

In truth, after reaching the Qi Refining Ninth Layer, he had again felt the speed of his advancement gradually slow.

At the time, there had still been a great surplus of Purple-Gold Spirit Mushroom Essence.

But as his realm rose, the difficulty of advancing only grew greater.

Before going to Azure Cloud Marsh, with the innate foundation of Average Talent, if he wanted to continue advancing quickly, more and more bottlenecks and barriers were inevitable.

Before going to Green Cloud Ripple River Beach, he had estimated that he would need until the end of this year, or even the beginning of next year, to break through to the Qi Refining Tenth Layer.

Compared to All Living Beings who would squander most of their lives, or even an entire lifetime, merely reaching the Qi Refining Twelve Story Building, Lei Jun was already very fortunate.

Even the cultivation arts Celestial Master Mansion gave dao children to lay their foundations were excellent enough.

The cultivation resources provided were far inferior to those of formal disciples who had undergone Chuan Du Initiation, yet they still surpassed the outside world by an unknown margin.

Dragon Tiger Mountain, as the sacred Ancestral Home of the Talisman School among the Taoist Sects, was one of the world's few blessed lands of spiritual beauty. The abundance of its spiritual qi far exceeded ordinary places.

With famous masters offering guidance, many paths became clear with a single point. There was no need to waste time taking winding roads, wrong roads, roads that led back, or even roads that led nowhere.

Yet precisely because this was Celestial Master Mansion, there were too many talents here, with monstrous prodigies gathered in droves.

Though no one said it aloud, ever since entering the sect, Lei Jun seemed able to read this atmosphere:

Junior Brother, do you think we are as happy as you imagine?

No, you're wrong.

The happiness of us geniuses is beyond your imagination.

"Mm, I can imagine the happiness of geniuses now." Lei Jun nodded seriously.

Thus, over the following days, Lei Jun calmed down and continued cultivating diligently.

Then the days entered October.

Lei Jun advanced from the Qi Refining Tenth Layer to the Qi Refining Eleventh Layer.

Even Wang Guiyuan was somewhat astonished. "Junior Brother Lei, you truly are a True Person who does not reveal himself. This Hidden Dragon Spirit Body is indeed extraordinary. Now you're about to soar into the heavens in a single flight."

Lei Jun said, "I've had to trouble Senior Brother Wang greatly for your guidance during this time."

Wang Guiyuan said, "Not at all, not at all. I cannot shamelessly take credit for this."

He calculated the dates, then looked at Lei Jun. "At this rate, Junior Brother Lei, you may well make it in time for next year's Ordination Ceremony!"

Lei Jun said, "I'll work toward that goal."

Thus, at the end of November.

When the twelve Qi Seas within Lei Jun's body boiled together, it meant he had successfully opened all twelve stories of the Qi Refining Twelve Story Building.

One level of cultivation, complete!

Surging True Qi flowed like a rushing great river, unbroken and majestic.

In the depths of that vast river-sea of True Qi, a hidden dragon seemed to swim, occasionally soaring into the heavens.

Wang Guiyuan sighed. "Qi Refining Twelve Layer before the age of twenty isn't rare in our Celestial Master Mansion, but rising from the Qi Refining First Layer to the Qi Refining Twelfth Layer in less than two years after entering the sect—that's quite rare."

After exchanging a few greetings, he straightened his expression.

"Junior Brother Lei, Master has returned to the mountain and summoned you."

"Please lead the way, Senior Brother." Lei Jun left his small courtyard and went up the mountain with Wang Guiyuan.

Winter had arrived.

It was the end of the year. After the New Year would come this Ordination Ceremony... Lei Jun gazed at the magnificent Dao Palace among the mountains.

He had successfully made it in time.

If he successfully passed the Chuan Du Initiation, he could move up here to live in the Dao Palace on the mountain.

Since he had the chance to participate in this Ordination Ceremony, he needed to carefully consider the choice of master and lineage ahead.

Wang Guiyuan led the way ahead. Rather than heading for Elder Yuan's residence in the Main Mansion, he came to a Cave Abode in the mountains.

Like Elder Du, most of the other elders had also opened Separate Mansions in the mountains.

Upon entering the Cave Abode, Lei Jun suddenly felt as though the entire chamber was in spring. The winter outside no longer had anything to do with this place.