Forward, Toward the Water Marrow Yin Fish!

Forward, Toward the Water Marrow Yin Fish!

Lei Jun looked at Xu Yuanzhen and Yuan Mobai. "How far can the fusion of three spiritual treasures raise it?"

Yuan Mobai said, "Just like advancing one's cultivation realm, the higher one's innate talent and comprehension, the harder they are to improve.

Chongyun, your comprehension is already quite high—worthy of Upper Grade. Naturally, improving it further will not be easy.

However, these three spiritual items of yours are all rich in spirituality. As they merge and converge, whether they can raise it to Profound Clarity is hard to say, but attaining Outstanding comprehension should not be difficult."

Xu Yuanzhen reached out and erased her painting, then rose to leave.

"Master is continuing his closed-door cultivation. I'm heading down the mountain for another walk."

She called to Lei Jun, "Same as before—if I haven't returned to the mountain by the time you reach the Third Heaven, remember to draw everyone's faces for me. I'll look at them when I return next time."

Lei Jun said, "Eldest Sister, I'm a simple, unadorned good man who does not care for empty fame."

Xu Yuanzhen said, "Cut it out. You brat are quietly rotten."

Lei Jun said, "I want to be a good man."

Xu Yuanzhen said, "What is there to want?"

Lei Jun glanced at her.

In a sense, Xu Yuanzhen and Yuan Mobai often played the black-faced villain and the white-faced savior.

The slight problem was that Xu Yuanzhen took endless delight in being the one who offended people.

"So, Eldest Sister, you enjoy being the bad person?" Lei Jun asked.

Xu Yuanzhen was about to leave, but when she passed by him and heard this, she stopped.

"People need not care about others' malicious judgments, but I have to admit that sometimes, I can't manage it..."

Though she said so, Lei Jun standing beside her clearly saw the rare upward curve of the woman's lips!

"...From time to time, I enjoy it." Xu Yuanzhen finished the latter half of her sentence and resumed walking away.

Lei Jun turned back to his master. "This disciple still feels that he is a simple, unadorned good man."

Yuan Mobai smiled and shook his head. "This master now understands somewhat where the two of you hit it off."

Jokes aside, the Ordination Ceremony had ended, and Lei Jun threw himself back into focused cultivation.

Improving his cultivation still ultimately depended on himself.

The Unfinished Vessel could not be used for the time being. It would be time for it to show its worth only after the Taiji Yin Yang Fish had been gathered.

Before then, aside from the resources already provided to a True Disciple of Celestial Master Mansion, Lei Jun mainly relied on the Fire Marrow Yang Fish and Azure Stone Ink to accelerate his cultivation.

On his Dao Foundation Altar, he constructed illusory Six Halls. Following the Scripture Recitation Hall, Refining and Salvation Hall, and Universal Salvation Hall he had already established, Lei Jun began building the fourth hall, the Silent Hall.

In cultivation, the virtual Silent Hall mainly helped cultivators further calm their hearts and gather their qi, sort their minds and steady their spirits, thereby making cultivation easier.

After the Silent Hall was complete, the next would be the Divine Tiger Hall and the Ordination Hall.

When holding an Abstinence Altar Dojo in reality, the Divine Tiger Hall was chiefly responsible for issuing talismanic commands and summoning the dead, while the Ordination Hall enshrined the true likeness tablets of deceased souls and ancestors.

The virtual Divine Tiger Hall in cultivation could empower Spirit Talismans and command spiritual qi, while the virtual Ordination Hall was used to enshrine ancestral spirits, further strengthening the Spirit Talismans produced by cultivators.

Though these two halls could help Celestial Master Mansion disciples improve their Spirit Talisman drawing and increase their combat ability, they would only truly come into effect once all Six Halls were complete and one had reached Foundation Establishment Perfection, so there was no need to establish them first.

Leaving aside everything else, Yuan Mobai had always taught his disciples along the most proper and orthodox path.

Whether it was Wang Guiyuan before or Lei Jun now, from Foundation Establishment High Stage to Foundation Establishment Perfection, they established the virtual Six Halls in the order of Scripture Recitation, Silent Hall, then Refining and Salvation, Universal Salvation, and finally Divine Tiger and Ordination.

Lei Jun had merely moved the Refining and Salvation Hall and Universal Salvation Hall forward in order to raise his "fish."

But overall, he was still following the orthodox path.

Deep in the mountains, one never knew the length of the years.

With Lei Jun wholeheartedly cultivating with great diligence, time passed swiftly.

In the blink of an eye, a year had gone by.

One day after the New Year had passed.

"Chongyun, Disciple Yuan Zhen has sent back a message."

His master, Yuan Mobai, brought good news.

"During her travels, she discovered several Cold Springs among the mountains north of the Xin River. They have nurtured spirituality.

"They are still weak at present, and it will take some time before true Water Marrow Yin Fish may be born, but we can begin preparations early."

Lei Jun was delighted at the news.

Having word of Water Marrow Yin Fish meant that his chances of combining yin and yang to improve his comprehension had greatly increased.

Though Eldest Sister Xu Yuanzhen was cold-faced, she was still dependable.

"North of the Xin River, east of the Great Marsh, lies the Cloud Firmament Mountain Range. This Sect has a branch lineage there that has taken root and flourished, called the Purple Firmament Sect. We can go there directly," Yuan Mobai instructed.

"Yes, Master," Lei Jun replied.

After receiving talismans, heirs of Celestial Master Mansion could remain on Dragon Tiger Mountain to cultivate, or choose to leave the mountain and travel abroad, founding sects outside to spread the branches and leaves of Celestial Master Mansion's lineage.

If a talisman-receiving Taoist Priest who left the mountain had Transmission Disciples under him, or if other Transmission Disciples wished to follow after receiving permission from their Ordination Master, they could go along as well.

Many sects of the Taoist Talisman lineage now traced their origins to this. Everyone still revered Dragon Tiger Mountain as the sacred Ancestral Home, and the Purple Firmament Sect was one such sect.

Yuan Mobai and Lei Jun immediately prepared to depart.

Wang Guiyuan had once again been loaned out to Elder Liu to play the part of a "Daoist boy," so he would not travel with Lei Jun and the others.

But after learning the news, he still asked Elder Liu for half a day off and returned especially to see his master and junior brother off.

Wang Guiyuan helped pack all of Lei Jun's luggage.

Moreover, because they did not know when they would return from this long journey beyond the mountain, he also helped Lei Jun collect some cultivation resources to bring along.

Talisman Brushes, Talisman Ink, Talisman Paper, incense burners, treasure mirrors, dharma ropes, and Magic Rulers—all were present in abundance.

There was simply a little too much of it...

"Senior Brother, what is this?" After putting away the first set, Lei Jun pointed to the second. "Master should have no use for these basic items."

Wang Guiyuan smiled. "When traveling, a poor family can grow rich on the road. This is a long journey for you, unlike the last time at Yang Mountain, which was still this Sect's Separate Mansion. It is right to prepare more thoroughly. This second set is for spare parts."

Lei Jun put it away, then pointed to the third set. "Then what is this?"

Wang Guiyuan said, "Spare parts for the spare parts, just in case."

Lei Jun said, "Then are there spare parts for the spare parts' spare parts?"

Wang Guiyuan said, "If you were going somewhere farther away this time, there would be. But the Cloud Firmament Mountain Range can barely be considered within this Sect's sphere of influence, so there is no need to be overly cautious."

Lei Jun said, "...Senior Brother is right."

With a Cloud Cart to ride in, Lei Jun did not need to worry about transportation.

Yuan Mobai likewise understood his eldest disciple's habits. But aside from commenting, "A bit extravagant," he said nothing more.

The two set out, leaving Dragon Tiger Mountain and riding the clouds north.

They would first make a brief stop at the Purple Firmament Sect, Celestial Master Mansion's branch Taoist sect in the Cloud Firmament Mountain Range, allowing the Purple Firmament Sect to extend Host's Courtesy to Elder Yuan and his disciple.

Then they would leave the Purple Firmament Sect's Main Peak and head toward the vicinity of Azure Firmament Mountain.

That was the actual area Xu Yuanzhen had mentioned in her message, located toward the east of the Cloud Firmament Mountain Range.

Nominally, Yuan Mobai was the principal figure on this journey. Celestial Master Mansion's Little Martial Uncle had grown weary of stillness and wished to travel beyond the mountain, admiring the landscapes elsewhere while cultivating in quiet seclusion.

To outsiders, Lei Jun, as his disciple, was merely an accompanying Daoist boy.

They also had a place to stay near Azure Firmament Mountain.

The Purple Firmament Sect had founded its sect several centuries ago and had likewise spread its branches and leaves throughout the Cloud Firmament Mountain Range. It had established a branch around Azure Firmament Mountain and Azure Firmament Lake, called Azure Firmament Temple.

Lei Jun and his master took up residence there.

Generally speaking, a Taoist Temple had three important figures in charge: the Temple Master, the Upper Seat, and the Supervisor of Fasting.

The first oversaw the temple's overall affairs.

The latter two served as his deputies, equivalent to "vice temple masters."

When Lei Jun and his master came to Azure Firmament Temple this time, they met only two of them.

The Temple Master of Azure Firmament Temple, Lu Zhaoqing, was a bona fide True Disciple of Celestial Master Mansion. In his early years, however, he had left the mountain to cultivate at the Purple Firmament Sect, later taking charge of Azure Firmament Temple and becoming, in effect, the Purple Firmament Sect's regional head for the Azure Firmament Mountain area.

He had crane-white hair and the face of a child, with the immortal bearing and Daoist bones that perfectly matched the common image of an enlightened immortal elder.

The other was Qin Tao, Supervisor of Fasting at Azure Cloud Temple. By lineage and inheritance, he was a successor of the Purple Firmament Sect, but he and Lei Jun still addressed each other as fellow senior and junior brothers.

"Senior Brother Lu, we trouble you this time." Yuan Mobai exchanged greetings with Lu Zhaoqing.