CHAPTER 369: 214. THIS PROSPEROUS ERA, AS YOU, SHANGGUAN GENERAL, WISHED_2

He used the Nine Abyss True Fire from within the altar, refining the Sky-Eye Fiery Star, while at the same time retrieving the Broad Method Spirit Crystal that Ji Chuan of the Mount Shu Sect had gifted him back then.

Nine Abyss True Fire was advantageous for alchemy and artifact refining, offering added convenience.

By utilizing the Broad Method Spirit Crystal to create Broad Method Mist, it had the same effect, benefiting cultivators who were refining magical artifacts.

Combined together, that Sky-Eye Fiery Star once again shone and burned like a blazing star.

As spiritual power condensed, right there on the first layer of the True One Altar, a phantom sky eye reformed, gazing down on the world and surveying all directions.

Lei Jun closed his eyes in contemplation. The Sky-Eye Fiery Star was constantly refined by him, and he could feel his own vision becoming connected to that giant phantom sky eye, merging as one.

He then took out his Divine Eye Mirror Stone and pitched it straight into the blazing star.

The blazing star emitted a dazzling light, far brighter than before.

Lei Jun stood up, star-stepped, and circled around the star.

All the while chanting under his breath, his fingers traced through the air, crafting one glowing Spirit Talisman after another.

Then, these Spirit Talismans spun and whirled around the blazing star, in the end rhythmically and harmoniously entering it one by one.

Within the blazing star, Tao containment and runes flashed with radiant brilliance.

Lei Jun devoted himself to endlessly refining this magic artifact for days on end.

At last, while the brilliance of the blazing star never waned, it began to take on a gentle warmth.

The sky eye formed by its spiritual power, though previously able to observe all directions, was suspended high above, drawing attention and easy to detect by others.

But now, as Lei Jun kept refining and nurturing it, the phantom sky eye started to hide away within the air, seemingly vanishing altogether.

Yet Lei Jun’s vision connected with it, still capable of surveying a vast range of the world around him.

"Good, with this, the plan is at last taking shape." Ceaselessly pacing around, Lei Jun suddenly stopped.

Above his head, mana condensed and manifested an enormous Tao Seal.

The Tao Seal descended, stamping down onto the shining star below.

As the Tao Seal landed, the starlight below faded, transforming completely into the shape of an ancient mirror.

A Tao Seal imprint appeared on the ancient mirror, flashing and then vanishing, and the mirror’s brilliance further contracted inward as though it had finally been acknowledged and accepted.

The Tao Seal ascended back above Lei Jun, then dispersed into black and white Yin-Yang energy, returning to his body.

Lei Jun beckoned, and the ancient mirror dropped before him.

"Let’s call it the Heavenly Eye Mirror for now." Lei Jun gazed at the magic artifact forged from Divine Eye Mirror Stone and Sky-Eye Fiery Star, nodding slightly.

With the Heavenly Eye Mirror in hand, he left the True One Altar Cave Heaven and returned to the real world.

Standing among the mountains, Lei Jun glanced around before tapping his finger on the Heavenly Eye Mirror.

The mirror’s surface rippled softly like water, spreading out and quickly settling.

But the reflection in the mirror had changed.

The artifact’s spiritual nature surged, yet it was far more understated than the Sky-Eye Fiery Star before.

Up in the sky, it was as if a giant sky eye appeared and yet hid itself in the air.

*Within Lei Jun’s consciousness, his vision instantly linked to the sky eye, letting him see above and below, in every direction, almost without a blind spot—the range was incredibly far, vastly exceeding his current perception.*

*When Lei Jun focused, concentrating on a certain direction, region, or even a single point, his observation distance and clarity rose even higher.*

The image then formed plainly on the Treasure Mirror’s surface.

By range and clarity, it far surpassed the original Divine Eye Mirror Stone.

"Yeah, now that I’ve got the Magnetosword Pellet, locking onto a target is even easier."

Lei Jun nodded in satisfaction.

He had discussed and studied this with Master Yuan Moba before.

Purely in terms of eyesight, the observation range and accuracy of the Heavenly Eye Mirror could already rival some Seventh Layer of Heaven Realm cultivators.

After Lei Jun ran several tests, he put the Heavenly Eye Mirror away and returned to the True One Altar Cave Heaven.

Upon reaching the second layer of the altar, he observed the map like a star chart.

Just as before, most of the glowing dots on the map were gone, with less than half remaining.

Some light dots were still moving.

A few, however, had become stationary, merely trembling and shaking slightly in place.

Lei Jun recalled the general terrain map of the Southern Wildernes, compared notes, and confirmed that spot ought to be the Zhu An River basin.

So it seemed, there was a real chance of earth veins shifting there, likely with Sui Dynasty descendants trying to disrupt the earth veins and establish their own kingdom’s fate.

The Witchcraft Dance Sect’s Holy Land, Gepo Mountain, ruled here, and some people were tied to the Sui Dynasty’s heirs.

Or, perhaps, it was simply the Sui Dynasty bloodline, deployed by their clan to embed within Gepo Mountain’s ranks for a deeper operation?

*Lei Jun mulled this over as he exited the True One Altar Cave Heaven, setting off for the Zhu An River basin.*

On the journey, the glowing sphere in his mind didn’t pop up again with any omens of fortune or danger.

Just like always, Lei Jun habitually hid his tracks while traveling, feeling a curiosity in his heart.

*If he awakened the Celestial Master Seal, he could fully retreat into the True One Altar Cave Heaven, making his travels outside vastly safer.*

*Still, nothing was absolutely worry-free.*

The previous "seek fortune, avoid disaster" lots had already made that clear.

But, when facing Eighth Heavenly Layer cultivators, Blood River Sect Elder Xiong Gang drew a perfectly neutral lot twice, while Crown Prince Sheng Kang Yang Yuqi and Golden City Stronghold Elder Gao Pu both got moderately unlucky lots.

*Was the disparity because Yang Yuqi and Gao Pu, two Eighth Heavenly Layer experts, were traveling together?*

*Lei Jun wasn’t entirely convinced.*

*He still couldn’t completely refine or command the Celestial Master Seal, so rather than wielding it for battle, he used the True One Altar Cave Heaven to evade, masking his presence from powerful foes.*

*So far, opponents at the Seventh Layer of Heaven Realm couldn’t begin to comprehend the mystery of the technique.*

*But masters at the Eighth Heavenly Layer could pose a risk.*

*Given that the priority was stealth over confrontation, the risk didn’t just scale with the number of Eighth Layer experts—Lei Jun suspected it had more to do with their Taoist sect.*

The Blood River Sect cultivated sensitivity to living beings’ energy and Bloody Evil Qi, but with Lei Jun hiding directly in the True One Altar Cave Heaven, they would have to sense shifts in the void and the Celestial Master Seal itself, which wasn’t the Blood River Sect’s specialty.

Meanwhile, Crown Prince Sheng Kang Yang Yuqi, an Eighth Layer Confucian expert, was even better at detecting such phenomena compared to Xiong Gang, the Blood River elder at the same realm.

Thus, in the same situation, the threat from Yang Yuqi, who could spot or lie in wait for the True One Altar Cave Heaven, was that much greater.

Additionally, unlike the Sixth and Seventh Layers, which had no internal divisions, the Eighth Heavenly Layer often contained subtle tiered variations between minor realms.

*So even among Eighth Heavenly Layer cultivators, perhaps Yang Yuqi’s attainment was higher than Xiong Gang’s... Lei Jun pondered.*

*Too bad, specifics were unclear—so far, from the Great Tang side, only Shangguan Peng had dealt with the Crown Prince Sheng Kang personally.*

Several days later, Lei Jun reached the vicinity of the Zhu An River basin.

It looked peaceful for now.

The Witchcraft Dance Sect’s Holy Land, Gepo Mountain, had always been the most tranquil region in the Southern Wildernes—it had earned its reputation.

Even though Gepo Mountain had joined the war, clashing with the Blood River Sect and Golden City Stronghold, the rear Zhu An River area remained calm for now.

But beneath this peace and harmony, undercurrents were already stirring.

"Loose outside, tight within—clearly out of the ordinary." Yuan Mobai, who arrived first, had been observing quietly for some time. He too had taken no rash action, simply waiting with patient discipline.

After rejoining with Lei Jun, he glanced at his own disciple and smiled, "Latest news, the Great General himself left the capital and is heading south, coming to the Southern Wildernes."

The Great General was none other than current Shangguan Clan Chief, Shangguan Yunbo, and simultaneously Grand General of the Great Tang Shenji Army—one of the few martial arts experts of renown.

As an Eighth Heavenly Layer master of the martial path, he could travel anywhere under heaven; in these lands, only Blood River Sect Leader Wei Ancheng threatened him.

Therefore—

"The Great General brought the Expelling Invaders Halberd out of the capital as well," Yuan Mobai remarked.

Lei Jun said from the heart, "General Shangguan Peng can rest in peace now, such a flourishing age is what he longed for!"

If something befell Lei Jun or Yuan Mobai, Tang Xiaotang would never sit still.

*She was incredibly gifted, but had only just broken into the Eighth Heavenly Layer—for a fight against Wei Ancheng of the Ninth Heavenly Layer, she at least needed the Celestial Master’s Sword for aid.*

*The same logic now applied to Shangguan Yunbo and the Expelling Invaders Halberd.*

*An Eighth Heavenly Layer martial expert paired with a legendary Martial God Weapon—that was precisely Shangguan Peng’s hope, even if the lineup was a bit different; still, with General Shangguan Peng’s dedication, he wouldn’t sweat the details...*

"There’s also not-so-good news." Yuan Mobai glanced at his disciple, his smile fading, and a solemn look coming over him, "Word from the sect—just a few days ago, Lin Che returned to the Jiangzhou Lin Clan’s ancestral lands."

On hearing this, Lei Jun slightly raised his brows.

Lin Che was the current chief of the Jiangzhou Lin Clan. Six years ago, at the end of the battle at Poyang Lake, he vanished in the void along with Xu Yuanzhen—missing ever since, a complete mystery.