CHAPTER 42: 42. TANG XIAOTANG HAS BEEN BREACHED

After hearing Xu Yuanzhen’s words, Lei Jun asked, "Spiritual Objects that harmonize Yin and Yang... Our Sect should have quite a few, right?"

The Taoist Sect has always placed great importance on the harmony between Yin and Yang, and the Longhu Mountain Celestial Master’s Mansion emphasizes it even more, stressing the mutual support of water and fire and the convergence of the dragon and tiger.

"Indeed, there are quite a few, but those suitable for you might not be," Xu Yuanzhen shook her head.

Yuan Mobai then explained with a smile, "The great Tao is boundless. Even among objects that harmonize Yin and Yang, there are often subtle differences. Your Huo Sui Yang Yu is itself special, so you cannot be hasty. That is why, as your master, I have stated that it depends on fate and opportunity."

Lei Jun nodded, "Thank you, Master and Senior Sister, for the guidance. I will start by inquiring about the whereabouts of the Water Marrow Yin Fish and other Yin Yang Spiritual Objects."

Yuan Mobai said, "When Xuanyang Cave Heaven was initially established, I also gave it some thought. As for the Water Marrow Yin Fish, it’s hard to find within the Cave Heavens and Blessed Lands controlled by Our Sect; you’ll need to look elsewhere. I’ve heard that going north from the Xinjiang River, there are often Cold Springs in the mountains; you might want to pay attention to any news from there."

Lei Jun acknowledged the instruction.

In the following days, he cultivated in quiet contemplation, undisturbed by changes in the outside world.

After a few more months of cultivation, Lei Jun introspected and realized that, in addition to the original eight gates and six curtains and the initial virtual Songjing Hall on his Tao Foundation Altar, he had successfully added two more halls: one was the Liandu Hall, and the other was the Pudu Hall.

In the real world of this era, the Taoist Talisman Sect builds Altar Fields. The Liandu Hall’s purpose is to transform lost souls and corpses, overseeing their ascension to the Netherworld. Meanwhile, the Pudu Hall establishes the six paths and four forms of life, defines the Jiu Zhou, sets up the sacrificial Altar Field, and nurtures ten types of stranded souls.

For a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, constructing a virtual Liandu Hall on one’s own Tao Foundation Altar serves to refine one’s Spiritual Nature and strengthen the Spiritual Soul. As for the virtual Pudu Hall, it aims to nourish the Spiritual Nature. Both emphasize the cultivation and nurturing of the Spiritual Soul.

Although the legacy of the Celestial Master Mansion initially highlights the Life Skill, the overall approach remains a combined cultivation of both life and spirit.

With the virtual Liandu Hall and virtual Pudu Hall established on Lei Jun’s Tao Foundation Altar, there was no need to keep the Huo Sui Yang Yu cramped in the virtual Songjing Hall. This allowed the "fish" to thrive more comfortably, like a fish in water. Consequently, Lei Jun’s Spiritual Soul received further feedback and Warming and Nurturing from the Spiritual Nature of the Huo Sui Yang Yu, making his Spiritual Soul’s thoughts and ideas even more agile and lively.

Lei Jun cultivated at ease, but others were not so content.

At the end of September this year, the Current Celestial Master, who had not long emerged from seclusion, entered closed-door cultivation again. The entire mansion fell silent for a moment. While life could still go on, everyone’s mood had greatly declined compared to half a year ago when they eagerly awaited the Celestial Master’s exit from seclusion.

The most disappointed person was undoubtedly Tang Xiaotang, who finally emerged from seclusion in high spirits at the beginning of November. When she heard that the Celestial Master had left seclusion only to re-enter it, still unable to preside over the New Year’s Transmission Ceremony, her entire being was devastated.

In terms of the expressions Lei Jun used back on Blue Star before his transmigration... She was gutted. She really was gutted, although not exceptionally so.

"I, just, don’t, believe, this!" Tang Xiaotang clenched her teeth, pausing after each word, determined to miss the fifth Transmission Ceremony since she had come to Dragon Tiger Mountain.

Before entering seclusion again, the Celestial Master had already instructed others that the duration of his seclusion was, as before, uncertain. Therefore, he would not participate in the next year’s New Year Transmission Ceremony.

Tang Xiaotang no longer felt like staying on the mountain. In a fit of frustration, she left to wander again.

"Could it be even more tumultuous than her last departure?" Lei Jun posed the question, but his tone was one of certainty.

Xu Yuanzhen, looking out the window, remarked nonchalantly, "Going out for a walk isn’t necessarily a bad thing."

Lei Jun asked, "Before Sect Leader Master re-entered seclusion, he didn’t leave any specific instructions for Junior Sister Xiaotang?"

Xu Yuanzhen shook her head.

Lei Jun was speechless.

The Celestial Master doesn’t actually want Tang Xiaotang to remain a Tao Boy forever, does he? Even if he had some perverse desire to create the strongest Tao Boy in history, Tang Xiaotang had already achieved that... COUGH, COUGH!

No matter the speculation, the matter was already settled. Tang Xiaotang was stood up by the Celestial Master once again.

Fortunately, regardless of their relationship with her, core high-ranking members of the Celestial Master Mansion like Yuan Mobai, Li Hongyu, and Li Ziyang all tacitly agreed not to treat Tang Xiaotang as an ordinary Tao Boy. On the contrary, her treatment had improved.

「The old year passed amidst this strange hustle and bustle.」

「The new year arrived.」

It had been about five years since Lei Jun came to Dragon Tiger Mountain to join the Taoist Sect, counting from his time at the Tao Boy Court.

On the fifteenth day of the first month of the new year, three years after officially joining the mansion and becoming an apprentice, the twenty-three-year-old Lei Jun welcomed his second Transmission Ceremony on the mountain. This time, he was no longer the main focus of the ceremony.

A new phase of Transcension, a new batch of disciples.

Lei Jun was participating in the ceremony this time as an assistant to his master, Yuan Mobai. This year, it was Yuan Mobai who would act as the High Merit Master presiding over the ceremony.

Fellow sect brother Wang Guiyuan had reached a critical moment in his cultivation a few months prior, thus he chose to enter seclusion for quiet meditation. As a result, Lei Jun was currently the only disciple under Yuan Mobai.

Fortunately, not all the work would fall on him, as the Sect would naturally assign others to help.

"Brother Luo, I lack experience, so please look out for me," Lei Jun greeted Luo Haoran, with whom he was familiar.

Luo Haoran smiled and said, "Don’t worry, we just need to follow Master Yuan and proceed with the ceremonial procedures."

The protocol of the ceremony was no different from that of Lei Jun’s cohort. As a transmission disciple who had just entered the sect three years prior, Lei Jun didn’t have any particularly difficult tasks. His main job was to stay by his master, Yuan Mobai, and maintain the incense. According to Taoist Sect ritual rules, the incense must never cease throughout the entire process.

Due to his position in the ritual, Lei Jun stood not in front of the lines of Tao Boys but guarded the incense burner beside the ritual altar.

Glancing over, the faces of this year’s new cohort of Tao Boys were mostly familiar. He had only left the Tao Boy Court three years ago. Most of the Tao Boys qualified to participate in this Transmission Ceremony were individuals he had at least seen before, even if he hadn’t interacted with them.

For example, Zhang Yuan, who had finally achieved the twelfth level of Qi Refinement, was recommended by his tutors. He was granted permission by the overseeing and Transcension Masters together to participate in this year’s Transmission Ceremony and officially enter the mansion as a True Inheritance Disciple.

However, there were a few exceptions. A youth who appeared to be just eleven or twelve was also standing in line, and Lei Jun found him unfamiliar.

"He is a Tao Boy who was brought back to the mountain by Eldest Brother more than two years ago to be guided into the sect." Before the official ceremony, Luo Haoran had introduced him briefly, "I heard that in just two years, he went from a new entrant to achieving Perfection in Qi Refinement. Hence, he was able to take part in this year’s Transcension."

Lei Jun said, "Does that mean he will be Eldest Brother’s first disciple?"

The Yong Celestial Master, Li Zhengxuan, had not taken any disciples before this. According to rumors, his first disciple was supposed to be his own nephew—the direct grandson of Elder Ziyang, Li Xuan’s son. But it now seemed that the Yong Celestial Master’s first disciple would be someone with a different surname.

More than two years ago was when the Cloud Sea Immortal Pond incident took place, during which Li Ming’s actions undermined the reputation of the Li Family. Now that the storm had passed, the Li Family’s reputation remained unaffected, but Li Ming had still managed to ruin his own nephew’s chance of becoming the Yong Celestial Master’s first disciple.

What thoughts Li Ming might harbor from beyond the grave, Lei Jun didn’t care to speculate. He followed the established procedures, participating in the ceremony with his master, Yuan Mobai.

Just like three years ago, after the evening of the fourteenth and the daytime of the fifteenth, the formal Transcension Ritual ceremony finally began on the evening of the fifteenth.

Around the perimeter of the ritual altar, distinguished guests from the outside world gradually took their seats to observe the ceremony. Everyone’s attention was focused on the new generation of promising talents from the Celestial Master Mansion participating in today’s Transcension.

However, Lei Jun couldn’t tell if he was being overly sensitive. Among the observing guests, one particular gaze seemed to be fixed not on the Tao Boys participating in the Transcension, but on him.