Betrayers Who Founded Their Own Sect

The entrance to Profound Yang Grotto-heaven resembled the entrance to Cloud Sea Immortal Pool: both were illusory gateways hanging alone in midair, shimmering with light.

The difference was that Cloud Sea Immortal Pool's entrance stood upright like an ordinary "door."

Profound Yang Grotto-heaven's entrance, meanwhile, looked like a "well" laid horizontally in the air.

Legend had it that the inside of the Cave Heaven resembled an Underground Palace.

At the deepest point of the Underground Palace lay a Profound Cave, brimming with Earth Fire Yang Flame.

When danger comes, enter Profound Yang Grotto-heaven, and there will be alarm but no danger... Lei Jun silently read the Sign Fortune.

The key to this Supreme Good Fortune Sign was not simply coming to Yang Mountain Separate Residence. It was entering Profound Yang Grotto-heaven when the crisis came afterward.

Otherwise, it would merely be a journey with alarm but no danger, rather than turning misfortune into fortune.

He shifted his gaze away from the Cave Heaven entrance.

There was no need to rush. Sneaking into the Cave Heaven now would draw too much attention. He only needed to wait quietly for the right moment.

Outside the Cave Heaven, everyone quietly bathed in the abundant yang qi. Some cultivated on their own, while others conversed with their Fellow Disciples.

Lei Jun took a rough look around. Among the disciples of his generation who had passed Chuan Du Initiation alongside him, the more outstanding ones, such as Li Ying, had also reached Foundation Establishment Middle Stage.

From the look of it, most of them had hope of advancing to Foundation Establishment High Stage within the next year.

Without Azure Stone Ink, their cultivation had not progressed as quickly as Lei Jun's.

Still, under the arrangements of their elders, each had encountered opportunities of their own. Elder Ziyang's younger daughter, Li Ying, was particularly outstanding.

However, Li Ying, Shangguan Hong, Guo Yan, and the others had all previously chosen the Golden Barrier Talisman as their Natal Talisman Art.

Because of the appearance of the Golden Breaking Talisman, they had been forced to collectively recultivate the Golden Barrier Talisman, which had delayed their own dedicated cultivation...

Hm?

Lei Jun's heart stirred. The keen senses honed by the Night Wind Stone caught several hints of something unusual.

While he was observing others, it seemed that some Fellow Disciples from Celestial Master Mansion were also secretly watching him.

Lei Jun did not turn around. His expression remained unchanged.

In the distance, Qu Yong quietly studied Lei Jun.

He recalled Senior Brother Li Xuan's instructions before this trip to Yang Mountain Separate Residence.

"On this trip, keep an eye on and look after Junior Brother Lei from Martial Uncle Yuan's line."

Li Xuan, who always wore a stern expression, had an unusually rare smile on his face, as though he were concerned.

"Junior Brother Lei has little experience leaving the mountain for training. He also spent quite some time in the Azure Stone Ink mine and only came out recently. You must keep watch over him at all times."

Qu Yong immediately understood.

What Senior Brother Li Xuan truly meant was for him to carefully observe Lei Jun's condition.

If Lei Jun really had spent a long time around Azure Stone Ink, then his current cultivation progress would surely have far exceeded expectations.

But at the same time, it would have left hidden injuries in his body and weakened his qi and blood.

It seemed Senior Brother Li Xuan still wanted to verify it in secret.

Such a private task had been entrusted to him. Naturally, Qu Yong wanted to earn merit from it, so that Elder Ziyang and Senior Brother Li Xuan might look after him in the future.

Although Lei Jun had not sparred with anyone and was only meditating and cultivating by himself, Qu Yong still roughly discerned some clues.

This Junior Brother Lei seemed to have already reached Foundation Establishment High Stage?

Qu Yong was not entirely certain, but he had a vague suspicion.

After all, he himself was at Foundation Establishment High Stage.

But Qu Yong would rather have been wrong.

How long had this Lei Jun even been in the sect? How long had it been since he formally entered the Celestial Master Mansion through Chuan Du Initiation?

He had only come to Dragon Tiger Mountain four years ago.

It had only been a little over two years since he formally underwent Chuan Du Initiation and entered the mansion.

Even in Celestial Master Mansion, there were people so gifted that comparing oneself to them could make one die of anger... Qu Yong sighed inwardly.

He had passed Chuan Du Initiation one generation earlier than Lei Jun, Li Ying, Chen Yi, and the others—three years earlier, in other words. He had been an official True Disciple of Celestial Master Mansion for more than five years and had reached Foundation Establishment High Stage, which was no poor achievement.

Yet Lei Jun, who had entered three years later, had already caught up to him in cultivation. How could Qu Yong not feel rueful?

The only thing that comforted Qu Yong was the possibility that Lei Jun's rapid progress was due to Azure Stone Ink.

If that were so, then in the future, breaking through the tribulation of the Third Heaven and advancing to the Altar Realm would be harder than climbing to heaven. At any moment, he might die and vanish from the world.

I wonder whether this Junior Brother Lei has already damaged his body and qi and blood because of the Azure Stone Ink... Qu Yong guessed.

That could not be determined by observation alone. Qu Yong withdrew his gaze and considered whether there might be another way.

The instant he withdrew his gaze, Lei Jun glanced over.

After looking at Qu Yong, Lei Jun faintly shook his head, neither confirming nor denying anything.

For the following days, Lei Jun no longer thought about other matters and focused solely on his own cultivation.

Until one afternoon.

Boom!

A sudden thunderclap exploded between heaven and earth above Yang Mountain Separate Residence.

In the rear mountain valley, Lei Jun and the others, who had been cultivating and nurturing themselves, rushed out of their thatched huts.

Looking up, they saw thunderclouds blanketing the sky, with lightning streaking across the heavens.

The lightning struck directly at Yang Mountain Separate Residence!

A great deal of light automatically flared up both inside and outside Yang Mountain Separate Residence, interweaving into illusory Talismans so vast they seemed to cover the sky, protecting the Dao Palace below.

But in the next instant, countless blue flames swept in and surrounded it.

The azure flames were terrifying. They actually tore a gap through the protective wards of Yang Mountain Separate Residence by force!

Through that gap, several figures charged into the Dao Palace.

Yet some were immediately struck into ashes by lightning!

"They are the wicked heretics of the Yellow Heaven Demonic Path!"

The voice of the Celestial Master Mansion elder presiding over Yang Mountain Separate Residence boomed like thunder, echoing through every corner of the mountains. "Disciples, follow me and slay demons, eradicate evil!"

Including Lei Jun, all the True Disciples of Celestial Master Mansion thunderously accepted the command.

Yellow Heaven Path...

Lei Jun took out his short rod-like Supreme Purity Golden Bamboo and held it in his hand. No wonder even a Separate Mansion Cave Heaven of Celestial Master Mansion would face a crisis.

This enemy counted as one of Celestial Master Mansion's old nemeses.

Lei Jun had once indirectly dealt with Yellow Heaven Path as well.

The truth behind the theft at the Dao Child Courtyard had been that a Celestial Master Mansion elder sympathetic to Yellow Heaven Path had secretly stirred up trouble.

After a famous internal conflict in the history of Celestial Master Mansion, the traitors who had broken away from the sect had established their own school and founded Yellow Heaven Path.

Thus, to Celestial Master Mansion, they were absolute heretics and outsiders—rebellious mortal enemies the mansion had always wished to purge.

Yellow Heaven Path hid underground and developed in secret. While Celestial Master Mansion hunted them down, they remained determined to oppose Celestial Master Mansion.

The Golden Breaking Talisman that had previously cracked the Celestial Master Mansion's inherited Golden Barrier Talisman had come from Yellow Heaven Path!

Fortunately, experts such as Xu Yuanzhen within Celestial Master Mansion had responded in time, improving and repairing the original flaw in the Golden Barrier Talisman, thus resolving the Golden Breaking Talisman's threat to it.

Afterward, Celestial Master Mansion struck Yellow Heaven Path hard, forcing them to retreat into deeper underground silence.

But their low-profile concealment was clearly only temporary. Like venomous snakes lurking in the shadows, they had been gathering strength and waiting for an opportunity.

Now, Yellow Heaven Path had struck again, targeting Yang Mountain Separate Residence.

Their offensive was fierce. Many Yellow Heaven Path disciples charged into the Dao Palace.

Some even broke into the rear mountain valley.

For a time, thunder and fire flew everywhere, figures crisscrossed one another, and all manner of Spirit Talismans and Magical Artifacts filled the air.

For now, Lei Jun stayed among the crowd, keeping a low profile.

Under the influence of the battle outside, Earth Fire Yang Flame suddenly erupted from within the newly opened Cave Heaven, which had already been unstable. Whether friend or foe, anyone who approached suffered injuries to varying degrees.

After the earth fire erupted, it surged and ebbed like the tide. The firelight then drew back again, generating a powerful suction force.

Without drawing attention, Lei Jun had already adjusted his position. Seizing the chance, he secretly shifted several steps, pretending to be caught off guard as he too was sucked into the Cave Heaven.

Qu Yong was indeed diligent. Even at such a moment, he was frantically fending off enemy attacks while keeping watch on Lei Jun.

As a result, he too was caught off guard by the suction from the Cave Heaven entrance. His face changed drastically, but he could not break free.

Upon entering Profound Yang Grotto-heaven, the first thing that met Lei Jun's eyes was a boundless expanse of Golden Red within the still-crude Underground Palace.

Lei Jun then looked back at the Cave Heaven entrance.

The fierce earth fire had temporarily sealed it off, cutting off the inside from the outside.

Only Qu Yong and two Yellow Heaven Path disciples had been swept in with him.

Earth fire rolled in all directions as the four faced one another.