Fortunately, I Didn't Choose the Golden Barrier Talisman

After reading the sign fortunes, Lei Jun's expression did not change. He stepped steadily into the glowing gate suspended in midair.

All four sign fortunes were tangled knots of blessing and calamity.

Some hid fortune within misfortune; others concealed misfortune within fortune.

Some allowed one to turn danger into safety, while others were certain death.

Lei Jun also noticed something else:

Adapt to circumstances.

Avoid carving a mark on a boat to seek a lost sword.

It seemed to indicate that, for some reason, the environment within the Cloud Sea Immortal Pool had become even more unpredictable and violently changeable.

Not only were Wang Guiyuan's experiences from several years ago no longer useful—even some recently acquired experience might already be outdated... Lei Jun looked ahead at Li Ming's back.

Upon entering the Cloud Sea Immortal Realm, they first saw a vast expanse of white clouds, making it difficult to tell east from west.

"Everyone, stop and gather. Follow me shortly," Li Ming's voice called out.

"Wait for me!"

Someone suddenly shouted from behind. Then a figure rushed through the gate and into the Minor Cave Heaven.

Lei Jun turned around. The newcomer was also a Yellow-robed Daoist, appearing about the same age as Li Ming. He was handsome, possessing not only a Daoist's bearing but also a touch of refined scholarly elegance.

Li Ming went to greet him. "Senior Brother Fang, you've returned to the mountain? I thought you would miss the opening of the Cloud Sea Immortal Pool this time."

The Yellow-robed Daoist smiled. "I've missed it several times already. No matter what, I had to make it this time. Don't worry—I reported to Eldest Senior Brother and several Martial Uncles after returning to the mountain. They agreed to add me at the last minute."

Hearing how Li Ming addressed him, and listening to their conversation, Lei Jun remembered who this young Daoist was.

Fang Jian.

The fourth Personal Disciple of Contemporary Celestial Master Li.

Setting aside Tang Xiaotang's special circumstances, Fang Jian was currently the Contemporary Celestial Master's youngest disciple.

His luck was neither particularly good nor particularly bad.

It was good because the Contemporary Celestial Master had only begun his long-term seclusion shortly after taking him as a disciple. Unlike Tang Xiaotang, who had been one step too late and missed the chance, leaving her waiting until today.

It was bad because the Celestial Master had entered seclusion not long after Fang Jian joined the sect, so Fang Jian had not actually received much personal guidance from him.

Moreover, because the Celestial Master had gone into seclusion soon after Fang Jian entered the sect, among Contemporary Celestial Master Li's four Personal Disciples, the first three had all received their registers, while Fang Jian alone remained a Transmission Disciple.

Fortunately, just as Tang Xiaotang had received exceptional treatment, Fang Jian, as the Celestial Master's bona fide Personal Disciple, had no shortage of other elders teaching and instructing him on the Celestial Master's behalf. His cultivation was not delayed because of it, and he had never lacked resources or treatment.

His failure to undergo the Cloud Sea Immortal Pool's baptism before now was purely coincidence. On previous occasions, he had either happened to be away from the mountain or was in seclusion and had not emerged.

"Of course there is no problem if Senior Brother Fang wishes to participate."

After Li Ming exchanged greetings with Fang Jian, he closed the gate to the Minor Cave Heaven and introduced the other new disciples to Fang Jian.

Fang Jian put on no airs and appeared refined and easygoing.

After they exchanged greetings, Li Ming, familiar with the path like an old horse, took the lead and guided them through the dense clouds.

"Oh, right, I nearly forgot. During this trip down the mountain, I encountered something very important."

Walking shoulder to shoulder with Li Ming, Fang Jian's expression suddenly grew somewhat solemn. "I have already reported it to the various elders after returning. I believe it will soon be conveyed to all disciples, and you will receive notice after leaving here as well."

Everyone looked at him curiously.

Fang Jian spoke slowly. "During this trip, I encountered several people of the evil path. They were drawing a type of evil-path Spirit Talisman, which they called the Golden Breaking Talisman."

Golden Breaking Talisman... The attention of the Celestial Master Mansion disciples present was immediately drawn.

By its name alone, everyone instantly thought of their sect's renowned Golden Barrier Talisman.

Facing their speculative gazes, Fang Jian nodded in confirmation.

"Yes. This Golden Breaking Talisman can actually specifically break This Sect's Golden Barrier Talisman!

Among the senior and junior brothers who went down the mountain to train with me, someone was caught completely off guard. His Golden Barrier Talisman was broken, and he was injured by an evil-path fiend of the same cultivation level."

The surroundings fell silent in an instant.

The True Disciples of Celestial Master Mansion looked at one another, their expressions varied.

Lei Jun let out a soft breath.

That earlier Lower Middle Auspicious Sign had come true as well.

The Golden Barrier Talisman of Celestial Master Mansion had indeed been targeted and broken by outside enemies.

One could imagine the shock and embarrassment of Celestial Master Mansion disciples who had been fully confident in the Golden Barrier Talisman's defenses, only to have their defenses pierced in an instant when facing enemies outside.

That single moment of error could determine victory or defeat, life or death.

Quite a few Celestial Master Mansion disciples had chosen the Golden Barrier Talisman as their Natal Talisman Art. Their troubles were only beginning.

"The Golden Barrier Talisman has a history of over a thousand years. It is not as though it never had minor flaws, but it has continuously been improved. No enemy of the same cultivation level has breached it in the past several centuries. How could it suddenly..."

At last, someone broke the silence. Li Ying's expression was ugly.

Li Ming drew a deep breath. "Senior Brother Fang and the others reported it in time. Since the sect elders already know, they will surely find a way to improve and remedy it soon. Everyone can rest assured."

He glanced at his younger sister. Hearing this, Li Ying lowered her head and said no more.

Li Ming's mood was just as terrible.

Both he and his sister had chosen Natal Talisman Arts that included the Golden Barrier Talisman!

When others faced the Golden Breaking Talisman, they could still avoid relying on the Golden Barrier Talisman and fight with other Spirit Talismans.

But for Celestial Master Mansion disciples who had made the Golden Barrier Talisman their Natal Talisman Art, it was equivalent to losing half an arm.

Furthermore, it would delay their future cultivation.

Even if the upper echelons of Celestial Master Mansion improved the Golden Barrier Talisman again and made up for its flaws, Li Ming and Li Ying would still need to spend additional time and effort reforging this Natal Talisman Art.

Of course, many people would suffer this misfortune, not just the two of them.

But...

The very moment he heard the news, Li Ming's gaze swept over everyone present.

As outstanding figures among this year's new disciples receiving Chuan Du Initiation, none of those he had been watching were absent.

There was no need to mention Chen Yi and Lei Jun.

What made Li Ming secretly frown even more was that after hearing about the Golden Breaking Talisman, both of them remained relatively calm.

The Natal Spells they had chosen likely did not include the Golden Barrier Talisman!

Shangguan Hong was here as well.

Previously, he had mistakenly entered a forbidden area and been punished with confinement, delaying his cultivation.

Yet after several months, he had still risen in hot pursuit and finally succeeded in Foundation Establishment this very month.

Though later than expected, he still lived up to his previous reputation as a genius.

What gave Li Ming slight comfort was that although Shangguan Hong's emotions did not fluctuate much upon hearing of the Golden Breaking Talisman, his expression had stiffened for an instant. Though he quickly concealed it, Li Ming had still caught it.

Another girl named Guo Yan was not as high-profile as Chen Yi or Shangguan Hong.

The master she had taken was Elder Hu, the one who had guided her into the Dao and brought her to Dragon Tiger Mountain. Her master's status was also not as high as Lei Jun's master, Yuan Mobai.

Among the several top seedlings of this Chuan Du Initiation, she was the most low-key.

But Guo Yan herself was far from ordinary. Like Lei Jun, Li Ying, and Chen Yi, she possessed a Spirit Body above Upper Grade innate talent, and she had successfully reached Foundation Establishment in the spring after today's Ordination Ceremony.

Upon hearing about the Golden Breaking Talisman, her brows immediately furrowed tightly.

Li Ming took in each of these reactions.

He said nothing more and led everyone through the layers of clouds to the center of the Minor Cave Heaven.

The sight that appeared before Lei Jun and the others was magnificent and mysterious.

Rather than a pool, the Cloud Sea Immortal Pool was more like an enormous lake.

Moreover, like mountain ridges, the lake was divided into three tiers, all suspended in the air as heat and vapor rose from them.

Each immense lake was itself formed from multiple smaller lakes stretching continuously together.

Thus, this place resembled a layered immortal realm, divided and connected by clouds and water.

Lei Jun looked upward. The highest point was entirely shrouded in white clouds, mysterious and ethereal.

This was the Cloud Sea Immortal Pool: at the very top was the pure Cloud Sea, and beneath it were the three tiers of Immortal Pools—the Upper Immortal Pool, Middle Immortal Pool, and Lower Immortal Pool... As Lei Jun observed them, he compared them with the four sign fortunes in his mind.

At this moment, Li Ming spoke beside him.

"Before coming here, your various sect elders surely reminded you that while the water of the Immortal Pool nourishes people, it may also contain risks.

"At present, the suitable place here for everyone to undergo baptism and cultivate is the middle tier, the Middle Immortal Pool.

"The Lowermost Immortal Pool has, due to its great age, become deficient in spiritual energy.

"As for the Upper Immortal Pool at the very top..."

Li Ming looked up at the Upper Immortal Pool and paused slightly.

His gaze swiftly swept over his sister Li Ying for an instant before he continued.

"...the Upper Immortal Pool is currently extremely dangerous. Its spiritual energy and pool water are excessively scorching and may cause burns. Do not set foot there lightly."

Chen Yi noticed the oddness in Li Ming's gaze. His face remained impassive as he pondered inwardly.

Lei Jun stood still, steady as Mount Tai.