Cultivation: Fortune by Lots-Chapter 375 - 217. Second-grade Opportunity, Dark Side of Celestial Book!_2
He found a relatively safe place, and only then refocused his mind on the Celestial Book and its Dark Side within the True One Altar Cave Heaven.
Under the influence of the Dark Side of the Celestial Book, Lei Jun felt that his path toward the starry sky inside the book was being disrupted.
He handled the change with composure, calmed his mind, and tried to grasp both sides of this cosmic principle.
His comprehension advanced from Clear Insight to Serene Insight, and at that moment the gap revealed itself, allowing Lei Jun to quickly find the trick within.
The Dark Side of the Celestial Book now seemed to become part of the book itself, the two indistinguishable from one another.
Lei Jun’s consciousness re-entered the cosmic starry sky inside the book, and the Taibai Metal Scepter that represented him shone brightly.
When Lei Jun gazed at this cosmic starry sky once more, he felt something entirely new.
Although the other six star scepters among the Seven Luminaries were still shrouded in mist and light, making it hard to distinguish their identities or origins, the Star River that Lei Jun and the others once explored together now appeared completely different in his eyes.
Originally, the two ends of the brilliant Star River, one splitting into seven—each connected to one of the Seven Luminaries—seemed to symbolize the main Chapter of the Celestial Book dividing into seven, suggesting seven pages or seven volumes.
At the other end, however, it converged into a radiance that was hard to see clearly.
Now, that once-concealed, radiant end of the Star River finally revealed itself in Lei Jun’s vision.
This end had no true terminus, instead forming a vast loop.
The loop, surprisingly, connected right back to one of the seven branches at the book’s other end of the Star River!
Or in other words, to one of the Seven Luminaries.
The other six luminaries, each had only one axis of the Star River connecting to them.
But that one unique luminary was hooked to both ends, as though the entire brilliant Star River encircled and protected it.
... Taiyang Riyao!
As Lei Jun gazed at this scene, countless thoughts flashed through his mind, *Was this the truth hidden in plain sight all along?*
The main Chapter of the Celestial Book was divided into not just seven pages, but more.
Taiyang Riyao, in turn, held more than one page of the main Chapter.
*If not for obtaining the Dark Side of the Celestial Book, I probably never would have seen through this truth.*
According to Lei Jun’s speculation, Riyao was likely the current Emperor of Great Tang, Empress Zhang Wantong.
That figure, truly deep and inscrutable.
Her connection to the main Chapter of the Celestial Book seemed deeper than anyone else’s, and what she controlled was far beyond the others’ reach.
*But did the others, each getting a page of the Celestial Book, have anything to do with her?*
*She always remained calm and unreadable, but how much did she really know about the identities and backgrounds of the rest?*
*Did she also know about the existence of the Dark Side of the Celestial Book?*
Seeing that the other star scepters were dormant for now, Lei Jun shook his head slightly, checked again, and found that his own Taibai Metal Scepter showed no outward change.
The impact of the Dark Side of the Celestial Book was as subtle as ever, its presence nearly nil, almost impossible to detect.
So far, there appeared to be no risk of exposure.
However, whether Riyao, with more pages of the main Chapter in hand, could notice any clues still remained to be seen in future observations.
*No wonder it was said that the karma would become so entangled, I needed to proceed with caution...* Lei Jun suddenly smiled.
He gathered in his wandering thoughts and withdrew his consciousness from inside the cosmic book, instead pondering the nature of the Dark Side itself.
Feeling the mysterious, shadowy book showing hints of fission, Lei Jun could not help but grow interested.
The main Chapter of the Celestial Book gave rise to the Seven True Luminaries.
*Yet I wondered—could this Dark Side also birth a kind of dark or hidden radiance of its own?*
Time was short now; such mysteries would have to wait for slow study later.
What might quickly be of use now was another function altogether... Lei Jun mused.
Compared to the main Chapter that explained all cosmic matters, the Dark Side presented a distinctly negative power.
It could dissolve and even return many things to their original state.
Master Lei compared his own assets, and instantly some crooked ideas sprouted in his mind, *What if I could use this to unmake obstacles in my path?*
"Splash!"
In the far-off direction of Zhu’an Mountain, sudden change erupted.
Lei Jun frowned faintly and summoned the Heavenly Eye Mirror.
The celestial eye flashed and vanished in an instant.
On the ancient mirror’s polished face, the distant scene appeared. Lei Jun noticed that another wave of blood light flared, not entering the battle but sinking straight into the surging, reverse-flowing Zhu An River.
Yin vein shifts had just given Yang Tai the perfect chance to execute his plan, so when he saw this, his expression changed in an instant.
"Tu Dong!" Xiong Gang snorted coldly. 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺
The blood light dropping into the Zhu An River turned out to be none other than another Seventh Layer of Heaven Realm Elder of the Blood River Sect—Tu Dong.
"Uncle Xiong, allow me to see what you two are up to behind the sect leader’s back," Tu Dong chuckled darkly.
He did not aid Xiong Gang of the same Blood River Lineage, but instead moved beneath the Zhu An River’s waters, probing the earth vein’s changes and the ritual instrument Yang Tai was using.
Yuan Shanji and Xiong Gang were facing pressure from Sang Lu and Li Tianqing, too occupied to care about other matters.
But Tu Dong did not get to act freely for long; soon, he began cursing angrily underwater.
The Zhu An River immediately took on a crimson hue, as if stained completely red.
The floodwaters, already cut off and distorted by the rampant Xuantian surge, scattered further, twisting and spurting in every direction.
As the waters flew apart, the ritual instrument’s Confucian light shone forth from the cracked river valley, Wenhua Qi shooting to the heavens.
Yet streaks of strange black smoke entangled with that Wenhua Qi, rising together from underground.
Thanks to the struggle of four masters and the chaos in the earth vein’s spiritual energy, the terrain had already turned to wreckage, and now the ground began collapsing in swathes—a scene out of apocalypse.
Tu Dong, surrounded by the blood sea, escaped in disarray.
Even an Upper Three Heavens Elder of the Blood River Sect fleeing so, made all onlookers’ faces change color.
Yang Tai stared at the black smoke twisting with Wenhua Qi, his face turning iron-gray.
Behind him, his follower exclaimed in terror, "Is that... isn’t that the Decapitation Arts from the Samsara Abyss?!"
Yang Tai and Yuan Shanji, Elder of Gepo Mountain, said in unison through gritted teeth, "...Sun Li!"
The one who ruined Yang Tai’s plan was, unexpectedly, the very same important ally he’d called in with Yuan Shanji, Elder Sun Li of the Samsara Abyss!
Sun Li was a long-established Elder of the Samsara Abyss, one of the few Eighth Heaven Great Witches of the Southern Witch Sect’s Curse-Zhu Lineage—always a lone wolf, even their current Holy Master could rarely command this veteran powerhouse.
At this moment, the Samsara Abyss and Gepo Mountain had joined to aid Yintuo Mountain against the Blood River Sect and Golden City Stronghold, but Sun Li could not be reached.
Yuan Shanji, Xiong Gang, Yang Tai, after much effort, had managed to win him over—but today, Sun Li stood them up, leaving Yuan Shanji’s ambush on Sang Lu in vain.
Worse still, the Elder from the Samsara Abyss had in fact arrived.
But he had his own agenda.
Now he had gone deep into the earth vein, snatching the advantage from Yang Tai!
*How could Yang Tai and Yuan Shanji not be absolutely furious?*
Standing atop Qianxin Mountain with the Heavenly Eye Mirror, Lei Jun watched the scene by Zhu’an Mountain, and although he did not know all details of their schemes, he could mostly guess what was going on.
Especially now, with his outstanding comprehension, most cosmic principles could be inferred from clues easily missed by others.
From afar, seeing the Wenhua Qi blazing skyward and the style of the ritual instrument, Lei Jun could already discern its purpose.
"Confucian cultivators at the Eightfold Heaven, when preparing to ascend to the Nine Heavens Realm, not only use mountain and river ley lines to gather spiritual energy, but also involve some mysteries of space—that’s why they exploit the battles between great witches of Gepo Mountain, distorting the void through the Ghost God Sacrificial Array." Lei Jun understood.
*What Sun Li, the Elder of the Witch Sect’s Curse-Proclaiming Lineage from the Samsara Abyss, now meant to do by intervening—who knew?*
Right now, this person seemed precisely to match the risk noted in the lot of perfectly neutral fate.
And Tu Dong had crashed right into him.
Judging by Xiong Gang and Tu Dong’s reactions, it looked as if the two were not truly of one mind.
This suggested that although Wei Ancheng stood at the Nine Heavens Realm, awe-inspiring, the Blood River Sect itself was far from united.
Xiong Gang, for example, was closer to the direct descendants of the Sui Dynasty—Yang Yuqi and Yang Tai.
Tu Dong, on the other hand, seemed fiercely loyal to Wei Ancheng.
Too bad; now both sides were losing out together.
The ritual instrument was in disarray, the situation worse than ever, and Yuan Shanji and Xiong Gang took their chance amid the chaos to break away from Sang Lu and Li Tianqing, fleeing into the distance. As for the Elder Sun Li who had stood them up, he would have to wait for a reckoning later.
Sang Lu and Li Tianqing gave relentless chase.
Yang Tai had no time to settle scores with Sun Li—they had failed, and although he felt indignant, he did not linger, instead seizing the moment to retreat as well.
Lei Jun finally moved.
The internal strife in Gepo Mountain had never interested him.
But now Yang Tai had come knocking—Lei Jun would not let him off.
Yet even as he pursued his target, Lei Jun remained quietly wary.
The fortune sign revealed earlier by the flashing orbs had made no mention of Yang Tai.
Was it because his opponent had no clues about the Celestial Master Robe in hand, or was there some deeper secret involved?
Lei Jun’s eyes grew deep and unreadable, with no hint of panic, as he silently followed after.
