CHAPTER 235: 168. ONE PERSON’S MISFORTUNE IS EVERYONE’S BLESSING.

Lei Jun chatted with Li Xuan and Li Kong for a few more moments before bidding farewell and departing.

He returned to his residence.

Upon entering, he spotted a small, black-and-white furball in the courtyard, its two little eyes darting around restlessly.

It was, remarkably, the Gungun he had originally brought back to the mountain.

When Lei Jun previously went to Xianliu Palace to assume his duties, he had considered the complex external situation. Furthermore, Gungun was at a critical juncture in its cultivation, so he hadn’t brought it along.

Reunited now, Gungun’s physique had shrunk considerably; it was no longer as massive as a small elephant.

When it stood upright, it was now no more than a meter tall.

But its Spiritual Nature far surpassed what it had been before Lei Jun left the mountain.

Its eyes, in particular, had become as expressive and intelligent as a human’s, full of shrewdness and cunning.

Seeing Lei Jun appear at the doorway, Gungun put down the bamboo branch it was bringing to its mouth, rose to its feet with a HUFF-PUFF, and ambled over to greet him.

"Your cultivation has been remarkably effective, hasn’t it?"

Lei Jun smiled and picked up the now much smaller Gungun.

Hmm...

The sensation in his hands was markedly different.

Lei Jun carefully petted it again.

Its fur was clearly much smoother and softer, no longer coarse and prickly as it had been.

Now, its texture was closer to a cat’s than a bear’s.

As Lei Jun held Gungun and petted it repeatedly, it didn’t struggle to get away.

But its bear-like face showed a remarkably human expression, as if to say:

I really don’t know what to do with you...

"Yes, your cultivation has indeed yielded great results." Lei Jun nodded repeatedly. "Keep at it, and don’t slack off."

Gungun, having transformed from a large creature into a small one, turned its head aside, as if too shy to look at Lei Jun.

"It’s good that you’re back, Senior Brother. You can urge this little slacker more often."

Just then, someone else approached from outside the courtyard; it was Lei Jun’s junior brother, Chu Kun.

Smiling, he said, "This little fellow is a true genius, but he does love to slack off."

In Lei Jun’s arms, Gungun guiltily twisted its head away.

"Speaking of geniuses, Junior Brother, your cultivation progress is delightful." Lei Jun turned to Chu Kun. "Although I was away from the mountain for some time, I heard from other sect members that you’ve successfully passed the Heavenly Moat Tribulation between the Second Heavenly Layer and the Third Heavenly Layer."

Previously, when Zhou Zihang and others traveled between Dragon Tiger Mountain and Xianliu Mountain, they had shared related news with Lei Jun.

Lei Jun had also heard Master Yuan Mobai mention it during their communications.

Not long ago, Chu Kun successfully traversed the Heavenly Moat Tribulation between the Second Heavenly Layer and the Third Heavenly Layer, reaching the Altar Stage of the Third Heavenly Layer in the Taoist Talisman Sect.

Counting the years, it would be nearly six years since Chu Kun was formally initiated into the Celestial Master Mansion through the Transcension Ritual and accepted as a disciple under Master Yuan Mobai.

He had successively overcome two Heavenly Moat Tribulations, successfully achieved Foundation Establishment, and then reached the Altar Stage.

Such speed was rare even among top-tier major powers like the Celestial Master Mansion and the Chu Clan.

Among the True Inheritance disciples newly admitted to the Celestial Master Mansion in recent years, only Lei Jun’s pace was faster; Chen Yi’s was comparable.

The rest were all somewhat behind.

Even Chen Yi, in roughly the same timeframe, was still lingering at the Foundation Establishment Perfection level, preparing to face the Heavenly Moat Tribulation.

Nowadays, with the resurgence of Global Spiritual Qi, young Cultivators indeed benefit, and their cultivation progresses more quickly.

However, Chu Kun’s advancement was still remarkably rare.

"It was just luck, pure luck," Chu Kun said modestly. "There was some good fortune involved, which isn’t reliable. I might not be so lucky in the future."

He looked at Lei Jun, his expression turning more serious. "Speaking of which, I must thank you profoundly for the Lingji Vine, and also for allowing me to observe your Heavenly Moat Tribulation."

Although everyone faces different trials, being present to witness the event was immensely beneficial for Chu Kun.

"There are two old sayings in the Cultivation World."

Lei Jun gestured for Chu Kun to sit. "The first is, ’Consistent good fortune is often not accidental.’ The second is, ’Even if it’s all accidental, profound luck and opportunities are themselves a great asset to a Cultivator.’"

He glanced at Chu Kun.

Even with various fortuitous encounters, for his junior brother to improve his cultivation so rapidly, his inherent talent and aptitude must be outstanding.

According to the summarized experiences of predecessors, he likely possessed at least a Spiritual Body combined with exceptional Comprehension.

Moreover, it wasn’t impossible that he possessed a Sacred Body or had Clear Insight.

Of course, now that Spiritual Energy is becoming more conducive to a Cultivator’s practice, the experiences of predecessors are no longer as precise and can only serve as a reference.

"Has Eldest Senior Brother also come out of seclusion?" Lei Jun inquired.

Typically, within the Celestial Master Mansion, the term "Eldest Senior Brother" had, for many years, been an exclusive title referring specifically to Li Zhengxuan.

However, in recent years, when Lei Jun and Chu Kun conversed among themselves, they had increasingly begun to call Wang Guiyuan ’Eldest Senior Brother’.

Chu Kun nodded. "He mentioned earlier that he wanted to come see you with me, but he was suddenly called away for some matter."

He explained, "An envoy from Prince Wu visited Our Sect to meet with Master, and also invited Eldest Senior Brother over for a discussion."

Just as they were talking, Wang Guiyuan arrived at the door.

However, his expression was somewhat troubled.

"What’s Prince Wu stirring up this time?" Lei Jun and Chu Kun rose to greet him.

Wang Guiyuan gave a wry smile. "He wants to recruit me to serve in the Prince’s Mansion as a retainer."

Lei Jun and Chu Kun exchanged glances.

Of course, Wang Guiyuan could refuse.

Prince Wu’s special envoy couldn’t possibly abduct him from Dragon Tiger Mountain.

But it was likely the envoy would proactively spread the news.

His Highness Prince Wu was known for respecting virtuous and capable individuals, showing particular favor to Elder Yuan of Dragon Tiger Mountain and his disciples.

Although he had repeatedly been rebuffed by Master Yuan Mobai and his disciples, it was enough for Prince Wu to maintain this posture and generate buzz about it.

"His situation is becoming increasingly difficult," Lei Jun commented. "It’s no longer a problem that can be solved by simply biding his time and keeping a low profile again."