Supreme Good Fortune Sign Reappears! (Monday, Please Vote)

After finishing his talisman crafting, Lei Jun offered incense and prayed to Heaven, then cleared away the Ritual Altar and let out a long breath.

"When drawing talismans at the Foundation Establishment High Stage, the power of a single basic Spirit Talisman was not much stronger than when I was at the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage. If I wanted a noticeable increase, it should come after reaching Foundation Establishment Perfection."

He straightened his Daoist robe, stretched his limbs, and assumed the stance of an Internal Family Fist.

After practicing another round of martial forms, he could feel his high-stage Dao Foundation, with its Eight Gates opened and Six Curtains raised, continuously providing Magic Power, nourishing his flesh and blood and comprehensively enhancing his physical strength, speed, and reactions.

As Lei Jun threw his punches, Spiritual Energy gathered around him, as though forming a small Spiritual Energy tornado.

When Lei Jun withdrew his fist and resumed his stance, the Spiritual Energy storm slowly contracted and subsided around him.

"Not bad. If I practice more every day and grow more accustomed to these changes in my body, I can improve a little further." Lei Jun nodded slightly.

Next, he could continue cultivating from the Foundation Establishment High Stage toward Foundation Establishment Perfection.

Once he successfully condensed the illusory image of the Six Halls within the Dao Foundation Altar, he would reach Foundation Establishment Perfection and be ready to challenge the Heavenly Moat of the Third Heaven.

"Azure Stone Ink was more effective at assisting cultivation from the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage to the High Stage than from the High Stage to Perfection..."

Lei Jun had expected this long ago.

From the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage to the High Stage, Yuan Mobai's method had helped him cut roughly half the time.

It had originally been expected to take around three years, but now he had succeeded in about a year and a half.

From the Foundation Establishment High Stage to Perfection, the effect was somewhat weaker.

Without Azure Stone Ink, it would take around six years. Now, it was estimated to take four.

...If other opportunities or resources gave him another push during that time, it might be shortened further.

There was no need to rush. He only needed to cultivate steadily, make proper preparations, and seize any opportunity well when it came.

Lei Jun remained calm and continued cultivating with full focus.

As he had previously agreed with Yuan Mobai, after reaching the Foundation Establishment High Stage, Lei Jun finally moved out of the Azure Stone Ink mine beneath his master's Private Residence and returned to live in his own courtyard at the Main Mansion.

When he went to collect the items distributed by the mansion, Wang Guiyuan no longer needed to do it for him. Lei Jun resumed appearing in public.

Although he now had Yuan Mobai's Vermillion Point Brush, Lei Jun still collected the corresponding number of Raven Hair Talisman Brushes along with his Talisman Paper and Talisman Ink.

On one hand, he continued keeping the matter of the Vermillion Point Brush secret. On the other, he truly needed ordinary Black Hair Brushes for his daily talisman-crafting practice.

Ever since Lei Jun began showing himself again, True Disciples of Celestial Master Mansion who knew him had gradually come to visit.

After having come up empty-handed last time, Fang Jian, the Celestial Master's fourth direct disciple whom he had not seen in a year and a half, and Shangguan Hong, Elder Shangguan's disciple, both appeared again.

This time, however, everyone's exchanges were much more down-to-earth, more like the ordinary comings and goings between fellow senior and junior brothers.

Eldest Sister Xu Yuanzhen had not returned since leaving the mountain last time.

Most others had their attention fixed on Yuan Mobai.

After suffering the "calamity of imprisonment," Lei Jun seemed even more low-key in his daily life.

Still, one visitor caught him slightly by surprise.

"Junior Brother Lei, it is certainly good to be steady and composed, but you are still young. You must not lose your edge."

A young Daoist looked at Lei Jun before him and spoke slowly.

The other man's surname was Luo, his given name Luo Haoran.

When Lei Jun had still been at the Dao Child Courtyard, he had crossed paths with him twice.

Once had been during the theft incident at the Dao Child Courtyard.

The other had been during the disaster relief and epidemic eradication at Green Cloud Ripple River Beach.

Back then, Daoist Luo had thought highly of Lei Jun.

After Lei Jun underwent Chuan Du Initiation and formally became a True Disciple of Celestial Master Mansion, the two became fellow senior and junior brothers.

Although they did not share the same lineage of inheritance, they had interacted several times in the ordinary course of things.

Their relationship was not as close as Lei Jun's with Xu Yuanzhen, Tang Xiaotang, or Wang Guiyuan, but it was still quite good.

It was only because Lei Jun had been placed in "confinement" afterward that they had not met for more than a year.

"Martial Uncle Yuan has always been easygoing and will not cling to the past. Even if there are occasional ups and downs, Junior Brother Lei, you need not worry too much going forward," Luo Haoran said.

Lei Jun replied, "Rest assured, Senior Brother. I regard everything that happened before as my master tempering me. I will not be unable to rise after one setback."

Luo Haoran relaxed. "That is good. I was worrying unnecessarily. Junior Brother Lei, your state of mind has always been commendable."

After chatting a little longer, Luo Haoran took his leave.

Lei Jun saw him out, watched his retreating figure disappear, and smiled faintly.

In the days that followed, Lei Jun remained unaffected by the outside world and continued cultivating according to his own pace and rhythm.

Though he no longer remained in the mine pit for extended periods, Azure Stone Ink ore was still supplied to him in an unending stream.

During his cultivation, Lei Jun discovered another matter that interested him.

Azure Stone Ink had to be in contact with someone for a long time before it caused accumulated harm to the flesh and body of low-realm cultivators.

Thus, using Azure Stone Ink directly to attack cultivators was of little use.

But Lei Jun had spent a long time among Azure Stone Ink, refining the Spiritual Energy within it and combining it with his own Magic Power to temper his Dao Foundation. In that process, his Magic Power gradually began to acquire certain characteristics of Azure Stone Ink.

If he could further improve and adjust it, perhaps his Magic Power would gain additional effects when facing opponents likewise at the Foundation Establishment or Altar Realm.

Lei Jun became interested. He treated it as a new subject that he could pursue alongside his cultivation and began researching it slowly.

As time passed, the weather steadily grew warmer, the heat deepened, and summer was about to arrive.

One day in April, after Yuan Mobai finished teaching his two disciples, he brought up a matter.

"Soon, the mansion will prepare an expedition, selecting outstanding disciples to cultivate at the Yang Mountain Separate Residence for ten days to half a month."

Lei Jun and Wang Guiyuan exchanged a glance. "The Yang Mountain Separate Residence, the Profound Yang Grotto-heaven? That newly opened Blessed Grotto Heaven our sect established outside?"

Celestial Master Mansion was vast and prosperous. Apart from the Dragon Tiger Mountain Ancestral Home, it had also sought out many spiritual veins and blessed lands beyond the mountain, establishing Separate Mansions and Cave Heavens, among them quite a few places of exceptional spiritual beauty.

The Profound Yang Grotto-heaven was the newest one. Celestial Master Mansion had established the Yang Mountain Separate Residence around this Blessed Grotto Heaven.

Two or three years ago, Yuan Mobai himself had gone there to help survey and stabilize the newly opened Blessed Grotto Heaven.

Within the Profound Yang Grotto-heaven were profound apertures containing Blazing Yang Spiritual Energy, beneficial to cultivators' practice and even more effective than the Cloud Sea Immortal Pool.

Yuan Mobai said, "The Separate Mansion outside the Cave Heaven has largely stabilized. So long as they do not venture too deeply into the Profound Yang Grotto-heaven, it is already mature and safe for disciples who have only recently entered the sect."

He smiled. "That is why Senior Brother Ziyang organized this expedition, selecting disciples of the Second Heaven and Third Heaven to go. He has given your master two slots."

"Master, it is not that this disciple distrusts you or Martial Uncle Ziyang." Wang Guiyuan smiled. "But if possible, this disciple would rather not go this time."

Seeing Lei Jun turn to look at him, Wang Guiyuan explained.

"The Profound Yang Grotto-heaven was newly opened, after all, and is not yet fully secure. Better to wait this time and speak of it later.

"Of course, after that incident at the Cloud Sea Immortal Pool the year before last, Martial Uncle Ziyang and the others will certainly be very careful about safety this time.

"But Junior Brother Lei, listen to me. In life, it is best to put prudence first. You may miss some opportunities, but you will also better avoid unknown dangers."

Lei Jun listened quietly.

Yet his attention was fixed on his own mind.

There, the Light Sphere flickered once more, and two fortune sticks flew out:

The Separate Mansion was newly founded, the Cave Heaven newly established; it seemed perilous but was truly safe, and when misfortune came, good fortune would turn it away.

Supreme Good Fortune Sign: Go to the Yang Mountain Separate Residence. When danger arrives, enter the Profound Yang Grotto-heaven. There would be alarm but no danger, and he would obtain a Fourth Grade Opportunity. It could be further developed afterward, with no lingering worries. Great fortune!

Middle Middle Auspicious Sign: Do not go to the Yang Mountain Separate Residence or the Profound Yang Grotto-heaven. Remain at Celestial Master Mansion and cultivate quietly. There would be neither alarm nor danger, but nothing gained either. Ordinary.