Hearing it concerned Tang Xiaotang, Xu Yuanzhen finally stopped ignoring him.

But the dark thunderclouds didn't stop, nor did their speed slow; they kept flying forward.

Xu Yuanzhen's voice floated down from the sky: "Just let her be."

On the cloud vessel, Ye Cheng watched the dark thunderclouds moving further away and finally spoke again, "When I encountered Tang Xianzi, there also happened to be a Taoist from Pure Yang Palace present."

The speed of the dark thunderclouds slowed, eventually stopping in mid-air.

Xu Yuanzhen, who was sitting atop the clouds, now stood, turned, and looked down at the cloud vessel below.

Ye Cheng stood with his hands behind his back. As his retainers signaled, amidst the surging sea of clouds, the huge cloud vessel ascended, reaching the same height as the dark thunderclouds.

He stood at the bow, looking at Xu Yuanzhen and Lei Jun on the thunderclouds, and smiled as he greeted them with a cupped fist,

"Xu Xianzi, it's been a long time. How have you been? And this must be the esteemed Master Lei Chongyun of your sect, I presume? I've long admired your name."

One of the few Direct Disciples of Yuan Mobai.

Within just a few years, his Cultivation had improved to the Fourfold Heaven Realm.

After more than a decade, the Celestial Master Mansion finally held the Talisman-bestowed ceremony again, and he was the only top talent to be successfully initiated.

With all these achievements centered on one person, it was difficult for Lei Jun not to attract attention. The fame from the Qingxiao Lake incident seemed trivial in comparison.

Now, not only in the region around Dragon Tiger Mountain in Xinzhou but also on the lists held by the major powers South and North of the Great River, Lei Jun's name was registered.

Although his ranking wasn't as high as Xu Yuanzhen, Li Zhengxuan, or Tang Xiaotang, his name was at least placed alongside those of the Celestial Master Mansion's most outstanding younger generation, such as Li Xuan, Lin Shan, Li Kong, and Xia Xiushan.

His portrait had long been circulated, so his appearance was no secret to the direct heir of the Qingzhou Ye Clan.

"I am merely a junior disciple who started late. Young Master Ye, you are too kind," Lei Jun replied calmly.

Xu Yuanzhen, however, looked at Ye Cheng with interest. "And the people from Pure Yang Palace? Where and when was this?"

Ye Cheng replied, "About a month ago, on the East Sea Ocean, we happened to meet by the wayside. Tang Xianzi and Elder Hua of Pure Yang Palace, both esteemed Taoists, exchanged pointers on Taoist Laws, and I was fortunate enough to observe. Afterward, Elder Hua departed, and it seemed Tang Xianzi also had matters to attend to, so we parted ways."

Lei Jun listened quietly to the side without interjecting. Although Ye Cheng described it casually, Lei Jun could almost envision a giant tiger made of flames roaring over the ocean, incinerating the heavens and boiling the seas.

'Both esteemed Taoists, they merely exchanged pointers...' Lei Jun thought. To put it bluntly, they fought! That's truly typical of Tang Xiaotang.

Fortunately, according to Ye Cheng's description, the Elder from Pure Yang Palace retreated first, which most likely meant Tang Xiaotang had won. But why? Lei Jun mused.

Xu Yuanzhen nodded slightly. "The East Sea, hmm..." She looked at Ye Cheng and said straightforwardly, "I asked you 'where and when.' Those are two questions. I can give you two answers in return. Choose wisely."

Ye Cheng smiled. "Xu Xianzi, you're too kind. I only wish to inquire about one thing." He looked towards the far north. "His Majesty is forming the Suppressing Demon Guards, and I heard that Master Li Chongxuan of your sect has also joined to serve His Majesty. I am just a bit curious... Xu Xianzi, would you, or the other Taoists of your sect, consider joining?"

"Not interested," Xu Yuanzhen replied. "As for the others, you'll have to ask them yourselves."

She had offered two answers in return; since Ye Cheng only wanted one, she didn't waste words.

After answering that one question, Xu Yuanzhen said no more, turned around, and sat back down on the dark thunderclouds.

Leaving the huge cloud vessel behind, the dark clouds flew forward once again.

Lei Jun smiled as he bid farewell to Ye Cheng.

Ye Cheng also smiled, his expression composed. "If Xu Xianzi and Master Lei have leisure time in the future, you are welcome to visit Qingzhou. I will sweep the house and prepare a warm welcome."

As the dark clouds were about to vanish once more, Ye Cheng suddenly raised his voice again, "There's news from the capital: His Majesty will soon set out for a northern hunt!"

The dark thunderclouds didn't slow down and continued flying forward, quickly disappearing.

On the cloud vessel, Ye Cheng stood with his hands behind his back, watching the dark clouds depart, his smile undiminished.

"The conflict involving the Celestial Master Mansion's Li members and external parties will happen sooner than expected."

His retainers stood quietly by his side.

Others from his clan also stayed quiet behind Ye Cheng.

Even though they were dissatisfied with Xu Yuanzhen's incivility, since Ye Cheng himself showed no sign of this, everyone remained silent.

It wasn't until the dark clouds had disappeared that a young man quietly asked, "Big Brother, what shall we do next?"

Ye Cheng turned and headed back into the cabin of the vessel. "We continue with our own affairs."

「...」

Aboard the dark thundercloud, Lei Jun looked back one last time.

The cloud vessel and the surrounding sea of clouds had gradually become invisible.

"The Tang Emperor is really planning some big moves?" asked Lei Jun.

"It's not impossible. Let him be," replied Xu Yuanzhen.

Suddenly recalling something, Lei Jun said, "Back on Mount Tianxu, I noticed major shifts in the Mountain and River Ley Lines, something beyond the capabilities of ordinary people. Looking at it now, it seems that wasn't an isolated incident?"

At the source of the Tianxu River in Jiuzhou Ridge on Mount Tianxu, Lei Jun had obtained the Magical Treasure, the Breathing Soil Banner. The Breathing Soil Banner had previously been unobtainable, but he could now retrieve it without adverse effects precisely because the mountain and river earth veins had shifted, meaning the banner no longer needed to suppress the Tianxu River's source.

Such situations were relatively rare, typically only occurring during massive changes in a nation's destiny and fortune.

Although the world is far from peaceful and prosperous, it's not so chaotic as to signal the end of a dynasty. The nation's destiny shouldn't be undergoing such drastic changes. Unless... it's man-made. And the one capable of such a feat... it's hard to say there's only one, but the most likely candidate is the current Great Tang Emperor.

In this world, the Cultivation world has several Taoist Inheritances, numerous lineages. What caught Lei Jun's attention was that the position of Emperor, strictly speaking, was also a Taoist Inheritance. And a very powerful one at that. In some respects, it could even be called the most powerful Taoist Inheritance of the current age. Other Cultivators commonly referred to it as the Way of the Son of Heaven or the Imperial Way.

Empowered by the nation's destiny and the reverence of millions, as long as the national destiny thrives and the people's hearts are aligned with him, an Emperor upholds the Mandate of Heaven above and suppresses the Nine Provinces below, becoming invincible. At the same Cultivation Realm, the Imperial Way can even suppress Cultivators of other Taoist Inheritances. An Emperor who has unified the land is often the foremost individual at his current Cultivation Realm.

Only when the national destiny wanes and the land falls into disarray does this power begin to decline. In times of chaos, when heroes rise from all corners, the qi becomes unstable. The Imperial Way is then open to anyone who can bear the weight of such destiny; whoever can restore order to the land may ascend to the great treasure and become the supreme ruler of the Mortal World.

But it is not so in times of peace. When the land is stable, the Imperial Way is also stable, and at most, only two individuals can cultivate it: the reigning Emperor and his designated Crown Prince. Beyond these two, no one else may touch it, not even other members of the imperial family. For instance, in the current Great Tang imperial family, apart from the Emperor and the Crown Prince, other members of the Zhang Family cultivate different Taoist Inheritances or pursue literary or Martial paths.

However, should the position of Emperor or Crown Prince change hands, the successor, regardless of their original Taoist Inheritance, can smoothly transition to the Imperial Way by inheriting the national destiny. This is currently the only known exception in the Cultivation world to the principle that one's fundamental cultivation method cannot be changed.

Although the current Emperor has appointed a Crown Prince, the Crown Prince is still young, and his Cultivation is not yet apparent. Therefore, if one wished to shift or alter the course of the Mountain and River Ley Lines, the Tang Emperor is in the most capable position to do so. It's just unclear what his motive is.

What is His Majesty planning to overturn? Considering he had established the Suppressing Demon Guards and was now preparing for a northern hunt out of the capital—one major action after another—Lei Jun immediately recalled the changes in the earth veins on Mount Tianxu. It seems His Majesty Emperor Tang truly intends to make some significant moves. Could this be a chain reaction from the great battle between the Jiangzhou Lin Clan and Dragon Tiger Mountain in Xinzhou?

After Lei Jun told Xu Yuanzhen about the events on Mount Tianxu, she nodded noncommittally. "We'll just observe what happens."

She doesn't seem very interested in this matter.

Lei Jun then changed the subject. "Little Junior Sister confronted Pure Yang Palace. Is she alright?"

Xu Yuanzhen replied, "That day was bound to come. It's already late that it's only happening now."

"Oh?" Lei Jun was curious.

Xu Yuanzhen gave him a look. "Are you still unclear about Xiaotang's Root Bone Talent?"

Lei Jun said, "I only know Little Junior Sister has an Immortal Root Bone. As for the specifics, she never mentioned them, so I didn't press further."

Speaking of this, he recalled how, when Tang Xiaotang became emotionally agitated, her jet-black hair and eyebrows had all turned a pale gold. At that moment, the Yin Fire Tiger, originally formed from blue flames, had also transformed into a Yang Fire Tiger, roaring with blazing golden flames...

"Xiaotang doesn't mind others knowing. It's just that the ditz only goes around proclaiming she has an Immortal Body, but is too careless to specify what kind of Immortal Body it is." Xu Yuanzhen stated, "Xiaotang's Immortal Body is called 'Pure Yang.'"

Pure Yang Immortal Physique... Lei Jun's mouth twitched; he almost felt the urge to cover his face.

The world is vast, full of bizarre and wondrous things. It's not unheard of for a woman to be born with a Pure Yang Immortal Physique. However, in this world, there's another Taoist Holy Land called the Pure Yang Palace. That makes things a bit... delicate.

No wonder the Celestial Master Mansion made so many exceptions for Tang Xiaotang, practically breaking every rule they could.

"Eldest Senior Sister, you truly had a keen eye for talent back then." In the end, Lei Jun said nothing more, simply giving Xu Yuanzhen a thumbs-up. "Such talent!"

It was unclear if he was praising Tang Xiaotang or Xu Yuanzhen...

After hearing this, Xu Yuanzhen showed no pleasure. Instead, she turned and looked Lei Jun up and down again, her gaze filled with unconcealed disdain.

...You were also brought back to the mountain by me. Who exactly are you praising with that remark?

Lei Jun, appearing unfazed, pointed ahead. "Eldest Senior Sister, have we arrived?"

Before they came, Xu Yuanzhen had described the general landscape of Youpeng Mountain. What now appeared in Lei Jun's sight was a continuous mountain range, verdant on its upper slopes and dark on its middle and lower sections, matching Xu Yuanzhen's earlier description.

"Let's go."

Xu Yuanzhen, who had been seated on the cloud, stood up, and the dark thundercloud began to descend. The dark cloud wove through the mountains and soon arrived at a relatively secluded valley. Though it was winter, amidst some somber, dusky rocks, there surprisingly lay a small valley, vibrant and full of spring, truly worthy of its gorgeous name.

Lei Jun turned to look at Xu Yuanzhen. They had arrived, but how should they begin to search for the Heartburn Chi?

Xu Yuanzhen took out the Shadow Rabbit Vine. The plant's stem twined around her fingertips, and then...

"Come out," she ordered.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.