Fate Selection, Seeking Good Fortune and Avoiding Disaster

Fate Selection, Seeking Good Fortune and Avoiding Disaster

Here it came. Pity there was no Supreme Good Fortune Sign again... Lei Jun read the sign fortunes.

Though the descriptions of all three sign fortunes were somewhat vague, Lei Jun calmly chose the path of the Upper Middle Auspicious Sign.

This was already the third time he had experienced something like this.

Drawing lots—fortune and misfortune went hand in hand, and luck and calamity were laid bare.

The first time he drew lots was when Lei Jun had just transmigrated here. The Light Sphere had sent out four sign fortunes: Upper Middle, Middle Middle, Lower Middle, and Lowest Auspicious Sign.

Upper Middle: no danger or alarm; obtain a Second Grade Opportunity. Auspicious.

Middle Middle: escape the current predicament, but possible future troubles; no other gains. Neutral.

Lower Middle: obtain a Fifth Grade Opportunity, but peril lurked at every step; life and death would not be in his own hands. Inauspicious.

Lowest Auspicious Sign: seek one's own death; Certain Death. Great misfortune!

Lei Jun had chosen to act according to the Upper Middle Auspicious Sign. He had successfully obtained a Second Grade Opportunity, not only escaping the predicament from when he had first transmigrated, but also arriving at Dragon Tiger Mountain Celestial Master Mansion, a Daoist Holy Land.

Looking back afterward, he discovered that the path foretold by the Lowest Auspicious Sign truly would have sent the newly transmigrated Lei Jun straight into a coffin the instant he landed.

The Lower Middle Auspicious Sign might also have claimed his life.

The second drawing had taken place after Lei Jun entered the Dao Child Courtyard of Celestial Master Mansion.

That time, fewer sign fortunes had emerged from the Light Sphere—only Middle Middle and Lower Middle.

Strictly speaking, neither was particularly good.

But Lei Jun, having chosen to act according to the Middle Middle Auspicious Sign, had successfully avoided the enormous pitfall of the Lower Middle Auspicious Sign.

Today was his third drawing.

The descriptions of sign fortunes had always been somewhat vague, but after comparing and summarizing them, Lei Jun was gradually getting the hang of them.

The Lowest Auspicious Sign meant great misfortune. There was no need to say more—it basically meant a situation of Certain Death. No matter what benefits there might be, he would not live to enjoy them.

The Lower Middle Auspicious Sign meant misfortune. Either the drawbacks far outweighed the benefits, or there were only drawbacks and no benefits. The danger or difficulty was less than that of the Lowest Auspicious Sign, so it was not entirely without hope.

The Middle Middle Auspicious Sign meant neutrality. It either held both good and bad, with joys and sorrows mixed together, or it was plain and uneventful, free of danger but also free of fortune and reward.

The Upper Middle Auspicious Sign meant good fortune. There might be a great opportunity accompanied by a little risk and future trouble; overall, the gains exceeded the losses. Or there might be gains without danger or alarm, though the reward would be less startling.

As for the Supreme Good Fortune Sign, the only one Lei Jun had never seen, it should have been a path of great fortune—auspicious stars shining overhead, filling one's basin to the brim without any risk.

This time, Lei Jun still chose the best available option, the Upper Middle Auspicious Sign.

He would not participate in Elder Du's selection.

While Lei Jun read the sign fortunes, the other young Dao children around him had already begun rushing outside.

"Senior Brother Lei?" Seeing that Lei Jun had not moved, someone stopped and turned back to ask.

Lei Jun said, "The work in this building isn't finished yet. One should see things through from beginning to end. I'll finish today's quota first."

"The opportunity is rare. Go take part in the selection first. If you aren't chosen, you can come back later to cut talisman paper." Several Dao children reminded him.

Lei Jun considered it, but still offered a reminder. "The elders of the sect observe our daily progress, and they also test our temperament. Perhaps seeing things through from beginning to end without being disturbed by sudden changes is precisely one of the things the elders value."

"What you say makes sense, but we should still go try our luck with Elder Du first." The youths waved at him, then hurriedly turned and ran toward the front courtyard.

Lei Jun watched them leave, then turned back to continue with the work at hand.

Only after finishing his work for the day at the Talisman Paper Building did he come outside.

Lei Jun looked up at the sky, then unhurriedly asked around for news about Elder Du.

Elder Du's selection was not limited to the Sixth Courtyard of Dao children. He was recruiting people from every Dao Child Courtyard.

The selection site had been set in an independent Cave Abode in the mountains, a Separate Mansion Elder Du had personally opened up.

The Lower Middle Auspicious Sign indicated that even the benefit of becoming familiar with Elder Du concealed danger?

Could it be that Elder Du intended to conduct some dangerous experiment using disciples of his own Celestial Master Mansion?

Lei Jun strolled toward the Separate Mansion.

But just as he reached the middle of the way, he suddenly saw what seemed to be a flash in the mountains.

Then came a deafening boom.

The earth shook and the mountains swayed, jolting Lei Jun's body.

He looked up and saw immense amounts of thunderfire shooting skyward above Elder Du's Separate Mansion.

Numerous talismans formed from converging radiance appeared over Celestial Master Mansion, intertwining into an array that suppressed the explosive lightning.

The lightning's momentum shifted, scattering explosively in all directions.

One streak of lightning struck another location amid the mountains.

A great swath of golden light surged into the sky there as well, spreading through the air like fireworks.

"First Elder Du's Separate Mansion, then the Spirit Mushroom Platform?"

Lei Jun roughly identified the direction.

The Spirit Mushroom Platform mentioned by the Middle Middle Auspicious Sign had been a spirit vein controlled by Celestial Master Mansion since the sect had first been founded. Nurtured by spiritual energy, it would occasionally produce precious Flowing Light Spirit Mushrooms.

Whether refined into pills or consumed directly, the spirit mushrooms could aid cultivation, their uses boundless.

But years ago, certain changes had affected and damaged the Spirit Mushroom Platform.

Fortunately, spiritual energy throughout the world was generally denser in the present age than before, and cultivation was gradually welcoming a flourishing era.

Though the destruction of the Spirit Mushroom Platform was regrettable, it did not harm the foundations of Celestial Master Mansion, one of the Daoist Sects' holy lands. The mansion continued to develop and occupy new cultivation treasures and Grotto Heaven Spirit Veins.

As for the Spirit Mushroom Platform itself, it had been damaged for years, so few people normally went there.

After Elder Du's Dharma Altar exploded, there would be a Sixth Grade Opportunity there?

While pondering this, Lei Jun did not stop walking. He continued on his way, still heading for Elder Du's Cave Abode.

A Fifth Grade Opportunity was superior to a Sixth Grade Opportunity.

When he arrived outside the Cave Abode, the place was already a complete mess, scorched black everywhere.

Quite a few Gray-robed Novices lay sprawled on the ground, unconscious.

Some Dao children had been closer to the outer edge and were in better condition, but they were all filthy and trembling, every face filled with terror.

"What happened?" Lei Jun grabbed a Dao child from the Sixth Courtyard whom he knew.

The moment the other saw Lei Jun, he immediately began pouring out his grievances.

"Senior Brother Lei? Ah, don't even mention it. Elder Du's Dharma Altar exploded!"

Still shaken, the Dao child looked back at the Cave Abode that had just exploded.

"I heard people died—some from the Second Courtyard and Fifth Courtyard. Even more were injured.

Senior Brother Zhang from our Sixth Courtyard squeezed closest to the front, so he was injured the worst. Several others were hurt too.

They were just sent away for treatment. I don't know how things are now..."

The young Dao child was still deeply afraid.

Others gradually gathered nearby. Looking at the miserable state of the Cave Abode, waves of panic swept through them.

"Do not gather here." Someone spoke at that moment.

Everyone turned to see a Yellow-robed Youth hurrying over from afar.

He looked about the same age as the young Dao children.

But unlike the Dao children dressed in gray robes, this youth wore an apricot yellow Taoist robe and a Taoist headscarf. He had already undergone the Chuan Du Initiation and entered the Inner Mansion. He was a proper True Disciple of Celestial Master Mansion—a Daoist, not a Dao child.

Several more Yellow-robed Daoists arrived one after another behind him.

"Today's matter was purely an accident and has nothing to do with any of you. There is no need to worry. Help treat the dead and injured fellow disciples first. The mansion will arrange care and handle the aftermath later." The young Daoist spoke gently.

The Dao children immediately obeyed. "Yes, Taoist Priest."

Within the Dao Child Courtyard, everyone addressed one another as senior brothers and junior brothers out of courtesy and affection, and they normally attended lectures and large classes together.

Though the Yellow-robed Daoist before them was the same age as they were, he had his own master and generational rank. The Dao children did not dare rashly call him Senior Brother.

No matter how young a Daoist might be, once he gave orders, the Dao children could only obey.

Lei Jun and some of the uninjured people immediately began treating the wounded.

Starting from the area near the Cave Abode, they cleared outward in an expanding circle, searching for fellow disciples who might have been thrown far away by the explosion.

Lei Jun searched through the mountains for a while. He treated two injured young Dao children and brought them back to a flat area to settle them down, then continued searching.

After searching further, he found no one. Yet behind a cluster of mountain rocks, he discovered faint flickers of light.

Lei Jun's heart stirred, and he moved closer to inspect them.

Those faint lights consisted of a thread of Purple-Gold Radiance intertwined with a thread of azure light.

The azure light seemed to be lightning. Entwined with the Purple-Gold Radiance, it somehow lingered without dispersing for a long time.

But as it was depleted, the azure lightning gradually faded away, leaving only purple-gold flashes. Dense spiritual energy began to burst forth from within them.

Lei Jun lightly touched it with one finger.

The Purple-Gold Radiance suddenly intertwined in midair, forming an illusory spirit mushroom.

The next instant, the phantom of the spirit mushroom melted into Lei Jun's body.

Only abundant spiritual energy and a faint fragrance remained in the air, refreshing his mind and delighting his heart.

Without any need for deliberate nurturing or refinement, Lei Jun could already feel the circulation of energy within him becoming smooth, while the True Qi in his Dantian grew more active than before.

He calmed himself and left the area first.

With the proper True Disciples of Celestial Master Mansion present to coordinate matters, the disturbance gradually subsided.

So long as they were not injured, the Dao children attended their Evening Lesson as usual that very day.

Of course, that could not stop people from discussing matters in private.

Lei Jun gave nothing away. After the Evening Lesson, he returned to his residence.

Celestial Master Mansion was unlike other places. It did not encourage disciples to crave comfort, but neither was it stingy with places for quiet cultivation.

Even Dao children each lived in their own separate courtyard. They had to live alone, however, and could not arrange for family members or servants to reside with them.

Inside the Quiet Room, Lei Jun sat cross-legged in meditation, silently breathing and circulating qi.

Using Inner Vision of One's Body, he saw threads of golden light emerging from throughout his Four Limbs and Hundred Bones.

As Lei Jun circulated qi and breathed, the golden light that had originally been scattered throughout the Meridians and Acupoints of his body finally gathered again in his Dantian.

The purple-gold phantom of the spirit mushroom appeared once more.