CHAPTER 61: 59. EXTREMELY AUSPICIOUS THIRD STICK - 2

Adding in the influence of the first and second Celestial Masters Li, some of the elders from outside clans still supported the Li Clan.

So, the conflict kept intensifying, and the result was civil war.

The infighting inside the Celestial Master Mansion gave outside enemies a perfect chance, and with both internal and external threats, the vortex kept growing bigger and bigger. *In the end, it was no longer something either side could easily stop.*

Ultimately, the Mansion’s vitality was severely damaged.

Many elders from previous generations and outside clans fell.

The second Celestial Master Li himself also died.

Countless disciples were killed or wounded.

"At that time, Cangting was still young, lacking experience, and his cultivation was only at the Sixth Heavenly Layer,"

Yuan Mobai said, "So in the end, it was my Master who saved the situation, stood firm as a pillar, and ended the turmoil. He then became the new Celestial Master."

After the civil strife, in the end, the Li Clan still held control of the Celestial Master Mansion.

The anti-Li forces suffered devastating losses.

The survivors among them left the sect and went into hiding.

Later, they founded the Yellow Sky Sect, which the Mansion is always trying to cleanse from the portal.

Of course, from their point of view, the current Celestial Master Mansion is the real traitor, the one that must be purged.

Tang Xiaotang blinked, "So messy."

Lei Jun raised his eyebrows.

He finally sorted it out mentally,

using his own Master Yuan Mobai as the reference point.

Going back, including Yuan Mobai’s Grandmaster, none of the previous Celestial Masters were from the Li Clan.

Yuan Mobai’s Grandmaster was the first Celestial Master Li, who had three sons, including the next two Celestial Masters and the current Supreme Elder Li Song.

Yuan Mobai’s Master’s Elder Brother was the second Celestial Master Li, who had a son, Li Cangting.

Yuan Mobai’s Master was the third Celestial Master Li, the previous Celestial Master, who had three children: Li Qingfeng, Li Hongyu, and Li Ziyang.

Yuan Mobai’s senior fellow disciple Li Qingfeng is the fourth Celestial Master Li, the current Celestial Master, and the eldest son of the previous Celestial Master.

Li Cangting’s cousin.

Tang Xiaotang pieced it together, "So the previous Celestial Master wanted to pass the position to the current Celestial Master, and Cangting wanted to fight for it?"

*How dramatic, this really lowered my image of our sect in my heart...* Lei Jun complained inwardly.

Yuan Mobai’s voice drifted, "Although my Master became Celestial Master, because of the war, the Three Treasures were split up."

"My Master held the Celestial Master’s Sword and Robe, but the Seal, my uncle passed to Cangting before his death."

Then...

As Li Cangting grew in skill, the previous Celestial Master wanted his son Li Qingfeng to take over next, and so the Mansion erupted in civil war for the third time.

"Cangting’s wife was from the Southern Witch Clan."

Yuan Mobai sighed, "During that turmoil, the Southern Witch Clan sent experts to help Cangting fight for the Celestial Master seat."

"That time was just as bloody as before. Even though the chaos was eventually pacified, my Master died, and Cangting and his wife both lost their lives."

"Both the Southern Witch Sect and our own suffered heavy losses. Our sect’s vitality was again devastated, and almost all the elders died off. Now only Uncle Li Song remains."

Yuan Mobai paused here, then continued,

"In that battle, Senior Qingfeng was also injured. Thankfully in the end, he managed to hold things together and became the fourth Celestial Master."

Lei Jun frowned slightly.

*He wondered whether he was overthinking, but suddenly he connected it with the current Celestial Master Li Qingfeng’s weird cycles of seclusion and reopening over the years.*

Yuan Mobai said, "Senior Qingfeng has given his all in recent years. That’s the only reason our sect managed to recover a little. Outsiders could never understand how tough it’s been."

"Honestly, if we’re being fair, we also have to thank the two Emperors of the Great Tang, both the late Emperor and the current one, for their support."

*So much suffering, enemies inside and out, and after all that, the Mansion could still look like it does today...* Lei Jun had no words, massaging his forehead.

"So, Master, where’s the Celestial Master Seal?" Tang Xiaotang asked.

Yuan Mobai, "After Cangting died, the Seal went missing."

"At first, we thought it had ended up in the hands of the Southern Witch Clan, but after all these years of searching, there’s been no sign."

"So the Three Treasures are still incomplete."

Lei Jun was deep in thought.

Tang Xiaotang puffed out her cheeks, "Should’ve told me earlier! Last time I went to the Southern Wastes and ran into a few Witch Clan bugmasters. If I’d known, I wouldn’t have killed them all right away. I could’ve gotten some info first."

Yuan Mobai smiled, "The infighting and killing within the Southern Witch Clan are even fiercer than ours."

"The banners and kings change at the city walls; the heroes of yesterday are in graves today. It’s already a completely different group from back then."

Lei Jun and Tang Xiaotang had only heard bits and pieces before; today was the first time they saw the whole picture from Yuan Mobai.

*Even though it was about his own beloved master and senior fellow apprentice, Yuan Mobai’s account stayed pretty objective.*

"Great! I’m definitely going to find the Celestial Master Seal!"

Tang Xiaotang jumped up, face full of anticipation, "How can you become Celestial Master when the Three Treasures aren’t whole?"

Lei Jun applauded her twice, "Great ambition, little elder sister."

Unlike Tang Xiaotang’s excitement, Lei Jun was rather calm.

*Like the old saying goes, have big dreams but keep your feet on the ground.*

"So, how’s your research going on that thing you’re busy with?" Yuan Mobai asked with a smile.

"Made some new progress."

Lei Jun sought his Master’s guidance, "Master, do you have any spiritual objects that are rich in Spiritual Energy of earth and stone elements?"

Yuan Mobai didn’t ask what he wanted them for, "Nothing really special on hand right now, but I can tell you a few places to look, see if you find what you need."

Mount Tianxu, Tianxu Sect.

Kunyuan Palace, Yuanrong Valley.

North River Dingjiang Platform.

The first two places Yuan Mobai mentioned, like the Purple Cloud Sect at Yunxiao Mountain, were sect offshoots of Daoist Talisman tradition from the Dragon Tiger Mountain Celestial Master Mansion, not too far away.

The last, Dingjiang Platform, was north of the Grand River. It wasn’t Taoist, but the person in charge was an old friend of Yuan Mobai’s.

After his Master’s tips, Lei Jun started thinking carefully about which place to try.

Dingjiang Platform was the farthest, north of the river.

Right now, the Mansion and the Jiangzhou Lin Clan were at sword’s edge, ready to fight at any moment.

Lei Jun figured he wasn’t a major focus in this whole mess, but he’d single-handedly wrecked Dong Yang and crew at Qingxiao Lake last time.

*Would it really be wise to go wandering off alone right now?* He felt uneasy.

So he put Dingjiang Platform last on his list, and focused on either going to Mount Tianxu or Kunyuan Palace first.

But then, something unexpected happened that interrupted Lei Jun’s plans.

Even Tang Xiaotang—who was all set on the quest for the seal—paused her steps.

At the Celestial Master Mansion on Dragon Tiger Mountain, the current Celestial Master Li Qingfeng finally emerged from seclusion again.

Tang Xiaotang got the news and dropped everything, rushing straight back home to Dragon Tiger Mountain.

Yuan Mobai also prepared to return to meet with the Sect Leader and exchange views.

But he didn’t take Lei Jun straight back, instead he asked Lei Jun,

"Chongyun, what do you want to do next, keep traveling, return home, or stay here at Qingxiao Mountain in the Yunxiao Range?"

Lei Jun didn’t answer right away.

Because in his mind, the light sphere started flashing again, showing text,

[Great chaos approaches, upheaval sweeps the world, the boat floats on water, find a place to land.]

Following this were four lots,

[Best lot: Go to Jiuzhou Ridge at Mount Tianxu, wait for the right moment, gain a third-rank opportunity with no trouble ahead, supremely auspicious!]

[Neutral lot: Find shelter outside Tianxu Mountain, Dragon Tiger Mountain, and Yunxiao Mountain, stay low-key, go unscathed but achieve nothing, safe.]

[Moderately unlucky lot: Return to the Mansion at Dragon Tiger Mountain, step into the storm’s eye, masters battle while the rest suffer, chaos unmeasurable, every step perilous, ominous.]

[Moderately unlucky lot: Stay at Yunxiao Mountain, the storm will reach here, powerful enemies will come, danger everywhere, ominous.]