CHAPTER 29: 29. GOING THROUGH TROUBLES UNSCATHED, NOT A SPECK OF DUST ON A SINGLE LEAF.

Xu Yuanzhen waved her hand, clearing the ink drawing on the paper once again, then turned to look at Lei Jun.

Lei Jun asked slowly, "Senior sister, what if—I’m just saying, what if—I don’t want to live that kind of good life?"

Xu Yuanzhen’s eyes shone brightly as she sized Lei Jun up once more, "Other than gaining the nourishment of the Immortal Pond’s water during your trip to the Cloud Sea Immortal Pond, did you obtain any other opportunities?"

Lei Jun took out his Soul Containing Talisman without hesitation, "By chance, I happened to get this item."

"Misty Cloud Crystals?"

Xu Yuanzhen nodded, "Then you should go see Master."

Lei Jun, "Master?"

When he met Yuan Mobai, the latter also didn’t ask about the specific details of how Lei Jun obtained the Misty Cloud Crystals, merely nodded slightly, "Yuan Zhen sent you over? Misty Cloud Crystals, hmm, they truly are rare."

Lei Jun said, "Back when I was reading our sect’s archives, I found references to this treasure, noting it helps cultivators at Foundation Establishment Perfection in the Second Heavenly Layer break through to the Third Heavenly Layer."

Yuan Mobai replied, "That’s correct, that is indeed its effect."

He looked at Lei Jun, pondering a moment before continuing,

"Chongyun, you possess the Hidden Dragon Spirit Body and your cultivation progresses quickly. However, as your cultivation realm steadily improves, the time and effort required will only increase. A lot of painstaking work simply can’t be skipped."

Lei Jun replied, "I understand, Master. I wouldn’t dare to be careless."

Yuan Mobai said, "I possess a cultivation practice that can help you improve in the Foundation Establishment realm even faster, letting you reach the high stages and Foundation Establishment Perfection more quickly."

Lei Jun was curious, "What do you mean?"

Yuan Mobai explained, "There’s a material called Green Stone Ink, which is premium talisman ink. At the same time, it can rapidly help Foundation Establishment cultivators reach Perfection in that realm."

Lei Jun listened quietly, knowing that Yuan Mobai wasn’t finished speaking.

"However, prolonged exposure to Green Stone Ink can harm low-realm cultivators’ bodies and severely impact a Perfected Foundation Establishment cultivator’s breakthrough through the Heavenly Chasm to the Third Heavenly Layer. It carries significant risks, so I haven’t mentioned it to all of you before."

Yuan Mobai said, "But if you also have Misty Cloud Crystals, they can offset the dangers brought by the Green Stone Ink. Unfortunately, Misty Cloud Crystals have been hard to find until now."

He looked at Lei Jun, speaking gently, "Previously, I could only speculate. Now that I’ve seen the Misty Cloud Crystals you brought back, I feel more confident that my prior thinking was correct.

And the power of the Misty Cloud Crystals should completely negate the hazards of Green Stone Ink without harming you.

In other words, you can use the Misty Cloud Crystals to break through the Heavenly Chasm before the Third Heavenly Layer and resist disaster."

In Lei Jun’s mind, a ball of light suddenly flickered, then words appeared,

*[Xiang Zhuang brandished his sword, but his real target was Liu Bang; when a host of dragons vied, someone would have to pick a side; fortune and misfortune are intertwined.]*

Next, two lots appeared in front of Lei Jun,

*[Moderately good lot: Enter secluded cultivation in the Green Stone Ink mine, gain a Fifth Grade Opportunity, step outside the storm, watch the dragons play from afar, avoid chaos—auspicious.]*

*[Moderately unlucky lot: Stay in the mansion for cultivation, gain one Seventh Grade and one Eighth Grade Opportunity, but get caught up in whirlpools of conflict, draw attention from all sides, hidden dangers everywhere, constant strife—inauspicious.]*

*Who wielded the sword, at whom was it pointed—this didn’t mean Yuan Mobai’s arrangement was inappropriate.*

*On the contrary, even if Yuan Mobai had hidden motives, it wasn’t to Lei Jun’s detriment, but rather guiding him to stay out of the whirlpool.*

*When dragons fight, every move picks a side...*

*Stepping outside the storm, watching the drama...*

*If you’re caught in the whirlpool, dangers everywhere...*

*Earlier, even though Xu Yuanzhen hadn’t said anything, Lei Jun already had a hunch.*

*Senior sister got a lot of glory this time.*

*But those who lost face to her wouldn’t be able to retaliate for now, so they might shift their attention to those related to her.*

*Being one of only two disciples Xu Yuanzhen personally brought back to the mountain, even if Lei Jun had kept a low profile before, it’d be hard to stay hidden any longer.*

*Not that Elder Ziyang and the others would immediately seek equal revenge and come after Master Lei Chongyun right away.*

*On the contrary, it was more likely they’d show goodwill and try to win him over or sound him out.*

*The Li Family now had to work hard to improve their image, make up for the reputational losses caused by Li Ming, repair relations between the Li and outsiders, and bring the hearts of the Celestial Master Mansion’s members back together.*

*If Lei Jun guessed right, the others might even play the tragedy card next; after all, Elder Ziyang was a white-haired man who’d outlived his own child, and Li Ming’s death was just that—his father would just have to appear pitiful.*

*Besides that, they’d want to unite a group of outsiders, cultivate them as examples.*

*Xu Yuanzhen and Yuan Mobai were the Celestial Master Mansion’s top echelon among non-Li members.*

*Lei Jun, being close to both, was a natural choice for the Li Family to show goodwill to.*

*And so, sugar-coated bullets would come his way—testing Taoist Lei in every way possible.*

*The Seventh and Eighth Grade Opportunities mentioned in the moderately unlucky lot were likely just a beginning.*

*But after so many years standing tall, the Celestial Master Mansion hid deep waters...*

*Of course, Lei Jun could seize the chance to reap benefits from both sides and hedge his bets. He could pocket rewards from everyone.*

*Even if things went south, with Xu Yuanzhen and Yuan Mobai backing him, nothing too dangerous would happen.*

*If he had the cultivation strength of Xu Yuanzhen, Yuan Mobai, or Tang Xiaotang, he’d have time to enjoy seeing what others might try against him.*

*But for now, Lei Jun just wanted a quiet place to focus on raising his own cultivation.*

*Arriving in this world, he found an authentic realm of cultivation and mystical techniques far beyond what he’d ever had on Blue Star. That was what interested him, not playing mind games with people.*

*Otherwise, how could anything here compare to scrolling his phone and fooling around with dumb netizens back on Blue Star...*

*Besides, picking the moderately good lot meant getting a Fifth Grade Opportunity, a higher tier than the Seventh and Eighth Grade Opportunities from the moderately unlucky lot.*

"Master, Green Stone Ink is a rare, high-quality talisman ink. If I use a lot for personal cultivation, wouldn’t that be improper?" Lei Jun asked.

Yuan Mobai smiled and shook his head, "It’s no problem. Though we are on Dragon Tiger Mountain, there’s a vein of it beneath my own private mansion. Whatever is mined and used is for my own private purposes."

Lei Jun said, "Then I earnestly ask Master to allow me to enter the Green Stone Ink mine for cultivation next.

Being in that environment should help me focus on pure cultivation with no outside distractions."

"All right."

Yuan Mobai smiled, his tone as gentle as ever, "In that case, I’ll move my classes to my private mansion as well. If you need anything else, contact your senior brother Chonggui."

His smile grew even more pronounced, "Of course, I’m not punishing you with seclusion. You can come and go as you please from there—just be low key. I’ll let Yuan Zhen know as well."

Lei Jun smiled too, "I understand, thank you for your guidance, Master."

......

Outside the small courtyard where Lei Jun lived, a teenage Taoist stopped by the doorway.

It was Shangguan Hong, who had entered the sect with Lei Jun during the recent Transcension Ritual.

Shangguan Hong looked over the courtyard, "He’s out?"

He pinched the brocade box hidden in his robe sleeve, recalling what someone had instructed him earlier,

"It’s just normal visits between fellow disciples, no pressure at all. If you two get along, feel free to pass this gift on to Junior Lei.

When the time is right, invite Junior Lei along—I’d like us all to sit together. Disciples should keep up their friendships."

Shangguan Hong was debating whether to leave a note for Lei Jun when he saw someone else approaching.

The newcomer was a young Taoist, refined and handsome, whom he’d only seen a few times—Fang Jian, fourth direct disciple of the Celestial Master himself.

"Junior Shangguan?" Fang Jian smiled, "Here to see Junior Lei?"

Shangguan Hong returned his greeting, "I had a very pleasant talk with Lei during the Cloud Sea Immortal Pond incident."

Fang Jian smiled, "The Immortal Pond disturbance was a sudden affair. I was sent to check on all of you as a courtesy. Since you’re here, that saves me a trip—maybe I can see you and Lei both at once."

Shangguan Hong thanked Fang Jian, then looked over at Lei Jun’s residence, "It seems Lei is out right now."

Fang Jian walked a few more steps and arrived at the neighboring courtyard, where Wang Guiyuan happened to be present.

"Too bad for you both, Junior Lei really isn’t here right now," Wang Guiyuan told them.

Fang Jian responded politely, "Sorry to bother you, Senior Wang. We’ll come visit you and Junior Lei another time."

Wang Guiyuan sighed, "The two of you are just a bit late. The other day, my master arranged for Junior Lei to start secluded cultivation in the Green Stone Ink mine. Unless something truly urgent comes up, he probably won’t be out for a year or two."

Fang Jian, "?"

Shangguan Hong, "?"