For the Li Family, the situation within the Celestial Master Mansion was quite delicate at present.

Speaking of power, after the former legitimate Celestial Master Li Qingfeng had fallen, Xu Yuanzhen could potentially remove the "Second" from her title as the Second Celestial Master.

The title "Second Celestial Master" was half-mockingly and half-provokingly coined by powers outside Dragon Tiger Mountain. However, most people actually acknowledged it, recognizing Xu Yuanzhen as the second strongest in the Celestial Master Mansion after Li Qingfeng.

In the last major battle, Xu Yuanzhen first engaged the mysterious attacker who launched the sneak attack. This created the space and opportunity for Celestial Master Li Qingfeng to fight to the death with the Lin Clan's Clan Chief.

Then, she drove away that mysterious attacker, preventing them from further meddling and taking advantage of the chaotic battlefield.

Finally, Xu Yuanzhen returned to Dragon Tiger Mountain and defeated Taoist Taiping, the Sect Leader of the Yellow Sky Sect, with a decisive blow, putting an end to the war.

If one were to delve into the details of the battle, aside from the special circumstances of the fallen Celestial Master Li Qingfeng, Xu Yuanzhen was undeniably the hero of the hour.

This point was even acknowledged by the top experts of the Li Clan.

However, overall, though the Li Clan was under considerable pressure, it was still within a manageable range.

The great-uncle Li Song and Xu Yuanzhen, both experts of the Taoist Talisman Sect with Eightfold Heaven Cultivation, were indeed aging but had yet to show significant decline.

Although less powerful than Xu Yuanzhen, he still had room to contend with her.

The Second Elder, Li Hongyu, was extremely proficient in Actual Combat Spellcasting among cultivators of the same realm, and her talent was exceptional.

If it were not so, how could she have rivaled Celestial Master Li Qingfeng in her early years?

It was only after Li Qingfeng ascended to the position of Celestial Master that the gap between them gradually widened.

Thus, Li Hongyu still did not acknowledge her direct elder brother, even to this day.

This Second Elder of the Celestial Master Mansion, wielding the Celestial Master Robe, had, with her Seventh Heavenly Layer cultivation, firmly pushed Taoist Taiping, the Eightfold Heaven Realm Sect Leader of the Yellow Sky Sect, out of Dragon Tiger Mountain.

She and Supreme Elder Li Song upheld the Li Clan's bottom line and foundation, ensuring a certain level of psychological security for the Li Clan members at present.

Although Li Zhengxuan was currently reflecting on his actions in confinement at the Rear Mountain Ancestral Tomb, his cultivation was solidly within the Upper Three Heavens.

In terms of age, he was younger than Ye Cheng of Qingzhou and Lin Zhen of Jiangzhou, and his potential for the future remained undiminished.

Together with Li Ziyang, also a High Merit Elder of the Upper Three Heavens, the Li Clan remained a force that could not be ignored as long as they stood united and avoided internal strife.

The Surge of Heavenly and Earthly Spiritual Qi is favorable to cultivation.

For the cultivators of the Li Clan, it was also a great opportunity for faster improvement of their cultivation.

However, some were progressing even faster.

Tang Xiaotang.

The youngest Upper Three Heavens cultivator on Dragon Tiger Mountain today.

She had not even turned twenty-five this year; she was still a few months shy of it.

Yet, a few years prior, she had already reached the Seventh Heavenly Layer Realm, to the envy and admiration of countless people.

No one knew when she would break through to the Eighth Heavenly Layer.

The catastrophic abyss between Great Realms is hard to cross and carries great risks; it is not uncommon for people to be trapped for a long time, or even for a lifetime.

But now, with everyone rushing forward in the surge, she was still the most likely to be at the forefront.

Once Tang Xiaotang's cultivation broke through to the Eighth Heavenly Layer, many people's psychological security would shatter...

The dynamics within the Celestial Master Mansion could change dramatically at any moment.

Just thinking about this, many found it difficult to maintain their composure.

Everyone needed a new opportunity to prevent the situation from sliding into the terrible scenario that many anticipated was likely to happen.

"Especially since Junior Sister is also searching for the Celestial Master's Sword," Lei Jun said.

Wang Guiyuan sighed, "Junior Sister Tang's Heavenly Talent is undeniable, but her actions are too rash. We must be careful, especially given the current environment..."

He shook his head repeatedly, then looked at Lei Jun, his expression turning serious. "Junior Brother, the Surge of Heavenly and Earthly Spiritual Qi indeed brings about a widespread revival of Spiritual Energy, but along with increased opportunities, the dangers have also increased."

A flicker of awareness crossed Lei Jun's mind as he recalled the ancient texts he had read in his Sect. "Are you referring to demoniac creatures, Senior Brother?"

The demoniac creatures he mentioned were not the so-called heretical enemies sometimes referred to as such, but actual demoniac creatures.

In the world, there is Spiritual Energy as well as brutal and vicious energy, called Demon Qi or Evil Aura.

Human Cultivators, the vast majority, cultivate with Spiritual Energy.

Only a very small number of cultivators come into contact with Demon Qi or Evil Aura. Even then, Spiritual Energy is their primary focus for cultivation, while Demon Qi or Evil Aura is secondary.

Other creatures, those who cultivate by absorbing Spiritual Energy, are commonly referred to as Spirit Beasts or Immortal Spirits.

Those who absorb Demon Qi or Evil Aura are known as demoniac creatures.

In these times of peace under the Great Tang, with national fortunes suppressing them, there were few cases of large-scale demoniac disturbances.

Outside the Great Tang, however, there were many places where humans and demons dwelt together. In places where Demon Qi outweighed Spiritual Energy, Great Demons were commonly encountered.

Demoniac creatures do not fear Spiritual Energy. However, Demon Qi generally causes discomfort to Human Cultivators and can even suppress their cultivation and Mana.

According to ancient records, in historical eras when Spiritual Energy flourished, it was not a zero-sum game; rather, Demonic Qi Evil Miasma soared simultaneously with Spiritual Energy.

Therefore, whenever Human Race cultivation thrived, it inevitably faced the simultaneous threat of more Great Demons rising.

In recent years, with the Surge of Heavenly and Earthly Spiritual Qi, Human Cultivators have indeed advanced at an accelerated pace, entering a golden era.

But at the same time, reports of Great Demons have also become increasingly frequent.

"Junior Sister Tang, on her journey out to sea, has already sent word back more than once about encountering Great Demons in the overseas oceans," Wang Guiyuan said with a wry smile.

"So, Junior Brother, we need to be cautious. The world is becoming more dangerous!" he exclaimed.

Lei Jun replied, "Senior Brother is right. I'll be extra vigilant."

In some ways, it was the best of times and the worst of times.

The two martial brothers continued their conversation as they made their way to see their Master Yuan Mobai.

Yuan Mobai was instructing his youngest disciple, Chu Kun, in Cultivation.

Seeing that Chu Kun had already achieved Foundation Establishment, Lei Jun congratulated him. This junior brother doesn't seem simple, he thought.

He had been away from the mountain for only about two months, and Chu Kun had already successfully established his foundation.

If I remember correctly, he thought, I heard Chu Kun was assessed to have high-quality Root Bone and high-quality Comprehension.

This talent was certainly not bad, but to so quickly and stably traverse the catastrophic abyss between the First Heavenly Layer and the Second Heavenly Layer without the blessing of a Spiritual Body or exceptional Comprehension was truly rare.

Lei Jun himself had quickly established his foundation shortly after his official Transcension Ritual into the mansion, bolstered by his Hidden Dragon Spirit Body.

In fact, among the disciples who were initiated into the mansion with him more than six years ago, those few who were able to establish their foundations quickly all had outstanding talents.

Chen Yi's Spiritual Body, Li Ying's Spiritual Body, Guo Yan's Spiritual Body, Shangguan Hong's exceptional Comprehension.

Not one of them was to be underestimated.

"After a period of Warming and Nurturing, Chongyun, you may go to condense the Qingxiao Divine Thunder Evil," Yuan Mobai said with a smile.

Lei Jun replied, "Yes, Master."

After returning to his residence and settling down, Lei Jun first took out the treasures he had obtained on the way back from Red Mountain Manor.

One was a rock with a surface covered in azure-green stripes, its body pale white.

The other was an object that seemed like neither stone nor jade, a Stone Mirror with a flat surface.

The former was Pure Spirit Rock, and Lei Jun had already roughly understood its function, so he set it aside for now.

His current focus was on that Stone Mirror. Divine Eye Mirror Stone, the name flashed through his mind.

Previously, he had seen a Lin Clan member named Lin Liao use this treasure.

It seemed that the item's function was to expand a person's field of vision, including the ability to detect and sense.

Lei Jun stood in the courtyard, holding the Stone Mirror.

When he infused it with his Mana, a beam of mirror light shone out far from its surface.

As Lei Jun circulated his Mana throughout his body, focusing intently, he suddenly felt as if his field of vision had extended with it.

At his current Fourfold Heaven Realm, his Eyesight was already far beyond that of an ordinary person.

Apart from the Confucian Divine Archery Lineage, cultivators in the Lower Three Heavens from other traditions could hardly compare with Lei Jun at the Fourfold Heaven Realm in this respect.

Now, with the assistance of the Divine Eye Mirror Stone, Lei Jun discovered his Eyesight extended even further.

He could even vaguely perceive the changes in Spiritual Energy in the distance and respond to them.

With this, even his detection ability was improved.

If someone were to use secret arts to conceal their movements, Lei Jun might still discern the clues.

Lei Jun stood still and changed the direction of the Stone Mirror slightly.

As the mirror light flowed, the viewpoint indeed shifted at will.

"This thing is pretty good," Lei Jun nodded slightly.

Of course, it was not without its issues.

The light emitted by the Stone Mirror itself was quite noticeable.

When trying to detect others, it would often be noticed by the target as well.

Lei Jun ceased his Mana flow, and the light on the mirror's surface disappeared.

He looked down at the Stone Mirror. Could it be improved in the future? he pondered.

After thinking it over for a moment, Lei Jun stored the treasure carefully, reined in his scattered thoughts, and returned his attention to his own cultivation.

He prepared for a few days and then went to the location of the Qingxiao Divine Thunder Evil to refine his second type of baleful energy.

Compared to the Yin nature of the Nine Earth Yin Wind Evil, the Yang nature of the Qingxiao Divine Thunder Evil was more violent and even harder to refine.

Luckily, Lei Jun had a foundation laid by the Shadow Rabbit Vine and the Heartburn Chi. After over a month of effort, he successfully stored a great amount of Qingxiao Divine Thunder Evil.

The Yin Nine Earth Yin Wind Evil and the Yang Qingxiao Divine Thunder Evil, under the influence of two streams of Yin and Yang Spiritual Power, slowly intertwined and merged.

Originally, the fierce conflict between the two types of baleful energy would have made it difficult for cultivators to control, leading to slow progress in cultivation or even succumbing to cultivation deviation.

But now, black intertwined with white, blue mixed with red, circulating in a harmonious ring.

With each rotation, Lei Jun felt his Mana become more substantial and more nimble.

He then took out his Pure Spirit Rock.

His Mana passed through the Pure Spirit Rock, undergoing a second refinement.

Lei Jun's Mana was now circulating in two cycles.

One was on his Original Talisman, driven by the Yin Yang Two Evil.

The other was on the Pure Spirit Rock, erasing a green stripe from the pale rock with each pass.

As both circulated continuously, day and night, Lei Jun's Mana became even more purified.

As he devoted himself to cultivation, time passed unnoticed, and Lei Jun focused solely on his practice.

Until spring gave way to summer, and the baking heat of summer approached.

Lei Jun calculated the days and observed the Vermilion Sun Blossom he had cultivated. He began to contemplate whether he should set out on a long journey.

According to what Eldest Senior Sister Xu Yuanzhen had said, at the bottom of the Cold Yin Lake beyond the Northern Border desert, there existed True Yin Stones, which would only appear during the summer days.

It seemed the time had come.

However, the desert beyond the Northern Border was exceedingly remote. As Wang Guiyuan had mentioned, it was now a time when both Spiritual Energy and Demon Qi were increasing, with Great Demons appearing more frequently.

There, beyond the desert of the Northern Border, lay the domain of the Great Demons.

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