With a surge from the Spiritual Qi River, the many clumps of Spirit Soil scattered at once.

Yet the Spirit Light from the Breathing Soil Banner flowed on and on, so the gathered Spirit Soil continued to form, stubbornly condensing into the shape of a whip-like rope.

Then, it wrapped up the Spirit Light about to be swept away by the Spiritual Qi River!

Lei Jun lifted his hand once more, and the Breathing Soil Banner brought the Spirit Light, retrieving it from the Spiritual Qi River and settling it securely before him.

"Damn, this is about the same as when I fished up that Huo Sui Yang Yu last time. Feels like fishing all over again."

Lei Jun smiled, "But at least I never walk away empty-handed."

Having used the Breathing Soil Banner to gather the Spirit Light, he did not approach it directly for the moment, instead observing it a while.

The Spirit Light flickered ceaselessly; unseen and untouched within the Spiritual Qi River before, it had seemed downright ordinary.

But now, having been 'fished up' by Lei Jun, its brilliance immediately became restless.

Even more so, a truly awe-inspiring Spiritual Nature emanated from within.

Lei Jun even felt a certain aggression and danger from it.

Not that the Spirit Light bore him any hostility.

It was simply that the principles and Artistic Conception contained within it were just like this.

It resembled the natural world—tranquil and serene on sunny days, but just as capable of flashing lightning and raging with thunder and winds.

Lei Jun grew all the more curious at the sight.

After a closer inspection, he finally tried to make direct contact with the treasure.

As soon as his own mana brushed it, that gleam of Spirit Light changed yet again.

Its brilliance flickered and, impossibly, began to coagulate into substance.

It took the shape of a single book page.

Thin as a cicada's wing, neat and nearly square, not transparent, with no writing on its face—just emitting a faint, gentle glow.

Yet as Lei Jun focused on this bizarre page, he could *feel it was filled with countless intricate and profound truths.*

"Is this a page from some Great Dao classic?" Lei Jun wondered, more intrigued than ever.

For the moment, there was only this one page.

The fortune alluded to by the best lot hinted that this opportunity might have further developments down the road.

Did "further developments" mean this page itself could change again?

Or were there more such pages elsewhere?

Lei Jun frowned in thought, and with a wave of the Breathing Soil Banner, wrapped up this mysterious page for the time being.

He himself then left the affected area of the Spiritual Qi River, rising up and away from the rift in the ground.

The scene here was a tangled mess.

*Was the earth vein disturbance caused by human hands?*

Best to leave first and consider things after.

The page could wait until the situation was calmer and he had leisure to study it.

Fortunately, according to the best lot's description, if this Third-Rank Opportunity was considered only in its present state and not whatever expansions could come later, then at least for now, it posed no hidden danger.

In other words, not only was it ownerless, it might very well be unknown to anyone else, too.

The ones who caused the earth vein anomaly probably didn't know about it, either.

The earth vein anomaly was really what they were after.

This wandering page, swept along with the chaotic Spiritual Qi currents underground, was just a chance outcome.

If not for the earth vein disturbance, this page would never have passed under Youpeng Mountain and Qiluo Valley below.

Yet as it was, Lei Jun had once again succeeded in waiting for opportunity, just like a rabbit ensnared by a watchful hunter.

Leaving the fissure in the valley, Lei Jun saw daylight again.

Outside, Youpeng Mountain had already calmed down; the appalling vision of the upheaval was nowhere to be seen.

But from the eruption of spiritual energy through the ground, the whole area of Youpeng Mountain now had Spiritual Qi swirling in disorder, faintly enshrouded by turbulent currents.

Lei Jun glanced about himself.

At the main peak of Youpeng Mountain, there was no longer any treasure light flaring up.

Perhaps the related treasures had already been taken by someone else.

Here in Qiluo Valley, the tranquil scenery of the past was gone, shattered by the fissure and the valley rift.

Lei Jun sighed softly, then took out three sticks of incense.

One he offered to the heavens above.

One, he offered to the earth veins below.

The last, he offered to the valley before him—now in ruins, but where he had obtained two opportunities.

Afterward, he checked his belongings to make sure he'd missed nothing, then prepared to leave Qiluo Valley, where he had lingered for several days.

But…

"Hm?"

Lei Jun's gaze narrowed abruptly.

*Any remaining sense of awe for the world was swept away, replaced only by vigilance.*

Someone else was entering Qiluo Valley.

*Given the present state of things, they were far more likely to be enemies than friends.*

Lei Jun's expression did not change, concealing himself skillfully amid the dense mountain woods.

Wind-Thunder Talisman, Night Wind.

Slip in with the wind at night, moisten things quietly with no trace.

And sure enough, shortly some people arrived at Qiluo Valley.

Lei Jun further noticed the newcomers didn't charge straight in from the mouth of the valley.

Several of them took detours over mountains, skillfully concealing themselves as they approached Qiluo Valley through the ridges.

They spread out in the woods, each picking a place that allowed concealment but also a wide view, surrounding the valley from many high positions and keeping it under sharp watch.

Only then did a few people begin filtering in through the entrance to the valley one after another.

As they moved through the mountains, most were dressed in fitted traveling garb. Judging by their style, they all looked like Confucian Cultivators.

The leader, a middle-aged Confucian Scholar, glanced sharply about the valley, his eyes like lightning.

At first, he could not find the one he sought. Ultimately, his gaze landed on the huge split rift at the valley's base.

"Where is he?" The middle-aged Confucian Scholar turned to look behind him.

Behind him, a few others who were also dressed as Confucian students guarded a young Tao Boy in a gray robe.

Lei Jun recognized him as He Bin, the Tao Boy from Yuhang School he'd seen before.

"We split up here earlier this morning. Back then, Master Lei was still around. Now—now..." He Bin hesitated.

His gaze also fell to the giant rift at the valley bottom, hope mixed with uncertainty, "Maybe he's down there?"

A young Confucian student next to him snapped, "That's not a real answer! Watch your life!"

He Bin replied ingratiatingly, "In front of gentlemen from Zezhou Gao Family, how would a nobody like me dare deceive?"

Zezhou Gao Family…

Lei Jun had seen this name before, flipping through tomes on Dragon Tiger Mountain. Known as the ground tiger of Zezhou in the North.

In terms of influence and strength, they didn't match the Five Clans and Seven Families.

But they were still considered second-tier prestigious families within the Great Tang.

And in fact, the Zezhou Gao Family was closely linked to the Jinzhou Ye Clan—their staunch ally…

At this time, the leading Confucian Scholar frowned, glancing back at that young student,

"If you hadn't acted rashly and killed that other Yuhang School Taoist earlier, we could have gotten even more from him."

The young student bowed his head, "Your son knows he was wrong."

The middle-aged Confucian Scholar was chastising his own son, but this just made He Bin all the more terrified on the side.

*He deeply regretted ever deciding to go with Chen Xi to the main peak of Youpeng Mountain.*

*Trying in vain for a chance to stand out, and instead nearly lost his life.*

Chen Xi had been killed resisting capture.

He Bin had begged for mercy and divulged everything he knew, barely saving his own life.

Their true interest, clearly, was in Lei Jun.

A representative among the new generation of disciples at the Celestial Master Mansion, blessed with rare talent and rapid progress—limitless future ahead of him.

Yet here he was, alone in this desolate mountain wild.

Though his potential was great, just now his current strength was only at the Fourth Layer of Heaven…

The lead Confucian Scholar made a snap decision, forcing He Bin to guide them as they hurried to Qiluo Valley to take their chances.

Someone beside him said, "Third Uncle, maybe that Lei kid is right down there beneath the rift? Should we go down and look for him?"

The leader shook his head, "Even if he's young, he's still a Fourth Layer of Heaven Authenticated Talisman-bestowed Successor from the Celestial Master Mansion. Leave nothing to chance; let's wait above for now. If he comes out from below, that's our chance."

He looked all around the valley, "This big mess has made the whole area's Spiritual Qi a chaos, which interferes with communication between the Talisman-Instructed Disciples and their Dragon Tiger Mountain Ancestral Court—handy for us to make a move.

But it also means it's hard for us to reach the outside, otherwise we could call more reinforcements over."

Still, it was fortunate there was other backup…

"Those Taoists, and that group of…monks, shouldn't even exist in this world!"

A member of the Gao Family said in a slow, measured tone, "If not for their lies misleading the people, everyone would stick to their station, and there wouldn't be so much chaos."

The lead Confucian Scholar gave orders, "Enough with the talking. Spread out and get ready, keep your eyes on every direction!"

Everyone voiced assent and scattered out, keeping watch around the great fissure at the valley floor.

In the woods, Gao Family students in hunting garb nocked their bows and held key positions, closely surveilling the valley below.

Time dragged on with not a sign of movement.

*Could that Taoist named Lei have already slipped away?*

The Gao Family archer wondered silently, though his arms stayed as steady as stone, keeping the arrowhead unwavering.

Except…

A short club, thick at one end and thin at the other, was gripped in one man's hand and raised silently high above—drifting up right behind the Gao Family's Divine Archery cultivator.

Lei Jun kept his composure; with a calm swing, he brought the short club crashing down squarely on the back of his target's head.

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