Cultivation: Fortune by Lots

It was said that they needed to familiarize themselves with the procedures and rituals once more, but Lei Jun, as well as the other High Merit Masters, had long been so well-versed in the relevant statutes that they couldn’t possibly know them any better.

To Lei Jun, what made him somewhat sentimental was the fact that he had been in this world for thirty years already. Thirty years ago, when he first arrived, he entered the Tao Boy Court to attend lectures. It was then that he first came into contact with the procedural rules and rituals of the Longhu Mountain Celestial Master’s Mansion. Back then, the goal for him and the other Tao Boys of his cohort was to pass the Transcension Ritual and become official disciples of the Celestial Master Mansion. Thirty years later, it was now his turn to preside over a new Transcension Ritual ceremony. The cohorts of Tao Boys eligible for the Transcension Ritual had changed many times over. In another two years, it would mark a full thirty years since he himself had passed the Transcension Ritual. Lei Jun rarely made a point of remembering such days. However, whenever they occurred, they inevitably stirred a sense of sentimentality within him. Such days, in particular, made one acutely aware of the fleeting nature of time and the passage of years.

Before and after the New Year’s celebration, preparations for the Transcension Ritual ceremony were, as usual, proceeding without delay.

After the New Year, guests from various quarters began to arrive at Dragon Tiger Mountain consecutively.

The representatives from the other two great Taoist Sacred Lands carried significant weight.

The delegation from the Mount Shu Sect was led by Supreme Elder Xu Duan.

And heading the Pure Yang Palace this time was similarly an Elder of the Eighth Heavenly Layer realm, Lü Jinduan.

As far as formalities were concerned, Celestial Master Tang Xiaotang couldn’t afford to be lazy this time. She had to receive them along with Elder Yuan Mobai, Shangguan Ning, and the other Celestial Master Mansion Elders.

The reason why Xu Duan and Lü Jinduan came in person was that, in order to cope with the existence of the Mortal Tao Country, the three great Taoist Sacred Lands intended to strengthen their connections with each other.

The Mount Shu party suggested the mutual dispatch of representatives, with each of the three families sending capable disciples to reside in the other two Sacred Lands.

In doing so, they could share resources and, should the Mortal Tao Country cause trouble, quickly relay information or even provide mutual assistance. 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

After all, the known forces of the Mortal Tao Country were already no small matter.

Even considering only the masters of the Eighth Heavenly Layer realm, there were at least five such individuals: Rong Guangchen, Gu Han, Fu Dongsen, Hong Jie, and Wei Qiyue.

And this was after Wang Dongchu, Feng Yi, and Zhou Peng had fallen one after another.

Moreover, Fu Dongsen, Rong Guangchen, and Hong Jie were all at the Perfection stage of the Eighth Heavenly Layer realm.

Although only Fu Dongsen was in his prime, Rong Guangchen had been blessed with a mysterious Talisman Decree that ’rejuvenated’ him. He was still a genuine master at the fourth stage of Perfection in Nascent Soul Transformation from the Taoist Dan Ding Sect.

In the battle at Mount Shu, Hong Jie showed signs of aging.

But who knows if she might suddenly, like Rong Guangchen, regain her youth and revert to the peak state she once held?

What was more worrisome was this: Taoist Dan Ding Sect cultivators might not rely on external objects. However, when Refinement Sect cultivators fought an enemy, their strength was mainly manifested in their Magical Treasures and Magic Artifacts.

And of the six famous ultimate treasures of Mount Shu, known throughout the world, fully half had fallen into the hands of people like Fu Dongsen of the Mortal Tao Country.

This fact alone was sufficient for Fu Dongsen, Wei Qiyue, and Hong Jie to overpower Zhang Dongyuan, Xu Duan, and Zhang Taigang, who still remained at Mount Shu.

On the other hand, the Mortal Tao Country might also be linked with the Thousand Leaves Butterfly King, a Ninefold Sky Great Demon from the East Sea.

This constituted another significant threat that could not be ignored.

When all these forces were gathered together, they were not to be underestimated.

If not for the sudden exposure of critical secrets, which led to them being hit repeatedly, the original reserves of power held by the Mortal Tao Country would have appeared even stronger.

The reason why Fu Dongsen and others were forced to leave Mount Shu, and why the forces of the Mortal Tao Country were currently laying low, was to avoid becoming targets of public vitriol.

But should they find an opportunity to launch a full-fledged attack against a single party, it would undoubtedly be like a mountain bearing down upon them.

In the eyes of the Mount Shu Sect and the Pure Yang Palace, the Mortal Tao Country might also control the Celestial Master Robe...

Regardless of that possibility, Lei Jun and others also acknowledged the judgment of the Mount Shu Sect and the Pure Yang Palace.

After all, many details about the Mortal Tao Country were still not transparent, so it was prudent for their side to prepare for the worst.

As for the specific measures, they had not completely worked out the details among the three families, but the overall strategy of strengthening ties was clear.

The rest would be slowly discussed and fine-tuned.

"We will be imposing on you for some time to come."

The main representative of the Mount Shu Sect stationed at Dragon Tiger Mountain was Lei Jun’s old acquaintance, Ji Chuan.

He came with his teacher’s ancestor, Xu Duan.

Later, after the Celestial Master Mansion’s Transcension Ritual ceremony culminated, Xu Duan and the others would return to Mount Shu. Ji Chuan, however, would stay behind at Dragon Tiger Mountain.

He greeted Yuan Mobai with a bow. "My master and my father couldn’t come to Dragon Tiger Mountain this time. They especially instructed me to send their regards to Celestial Master Tang, Elder Yuan, and the other seniors of your sect."

Yuan Mobai smiled and said, "He and Brother Jidao are being too formal. Please also extend my greetings to them."

He gestured to Xu Duan, leaving Ji Chuan to Lei Jun.

Lei Jun smiled and said, "I have a separate residence in the mountains. Brother Jidao, if you don’t mind, you’re welcome to stay there anytime."

Ji Chuan, who had interacted with him quite a bit and felt no need for formalities, nevertheless smiled and graciously declined. "It would be better to find me a cave mansion in the mountain ranges outside the main peak of Dragon Tiger Mountain."

Although they all belonged to the Taoist Sect and were currently strengthening their interactions, they were still of different traditions.

As a guest making a temporary visit to Lei Jun, if it were just for borrowing a cave mansion for a short period, he wouldn’t stand on ceremony with Lei Jun.

But with an indefinite stay ahead, and no set departure date, it would not be proper for him to remain within the gates of Dragon Tiger Mountain.

"There are indeed spiritually endowed places among the mountains outside the main peak, but the environment there would hardly compare to this one," Lei Jun said. "Brother Jidao, your current cultivation is at a critical juncture."