"We pray to all the ancestral masters, hoping that one day the Celestial Master Robe will return to Dragon Tiger Mountain soon," Lei Jun said calmly. He easily veered the conversation away from Celestial Master Tang, deflecting any seriousness.

Sure enough, upon mentioning this matter, Tang Xiaotang puffed up her cheeks. "Master and the others have prepared a replica of the Nine-Colored Pectoral, but how can a replica compare to the real Celestial Master Robe? Hmph, once I'm done with the pressing matters at hand, I'm definitely going to..." She stopped mid-sentence, suddenly flustered. Lei Jun quietly stood aside, eyes on his nose, nose on his heart.

"Who said Celestial Masters can no longer wander away from the mountain to roam the clouds?" Tang Xiaotang muttered, her voice growing softer and her momentum visibly weakening.

Celestial Masters can, of course, travel away from the mountain. Throughout history, no Celestial Master had abstained from similar ventures. However, even the ebullient Celestial Master Tang had to restrain herself at present. After a series of tumultuous events, the Celestial Master Mansion had its vitality severely damaged and could not afford any more significant mishaps for now. Tang Xiaotang had no choice but to stay atop the mountain alongside the Celestial Master Sword, holding down the fort.

"We must find the Celestial Master Robe," Tang Xiaotang snorted.

Lei Jun nodded. "That's true."

Tang Xiaotang's thoughts jumped erratically, and she quickly changed the subject. "I wonder if Eldest Senior Sister can make it back in time for July?"

This question made Lei Jun sigh as well. "There's no news for the time being."

"Hey, I'm going to meditate for a while as well." Tang Xiaotang clenched her fists, her eyes shining. "When Senior Sister returns, I'm going to give her a big surprise!"

Lei Jun watched her retreating figure with a smile.

The everyday affairs of the mountain were almost completely beyond Celestial Master Tang's concern. The bulk of the responsibilities were shouldered by Yuan Mobai, Yao Yuan, and Shangguan Ning, the three High Merit Elders. Everything seemed to have remained unchanged from before, much like the times when the former Celestial Master Li Qingfeng would spend years in secluded meditation. Fortunately, everyone was already used to it. For over twenty years, the Celestial Master had been largely absent from daily affairs.

Celestial Master Tang's daily routine could roughly be summarized in three words: Cultivation. Showing off. Play.

It was perhaps reassuring that she at least put cultivation first, fully embodying her personal creed: If I am the strongest person on Dragon Tiger Mountain, then I should be the Celestial Master. Conversely, since I am the Celestial Master, I must ensure I am the foremost cultivator on Dragon Tiger Mountain.

As for the surprise she had in store for Xu Yuanzhen, it naturally wasn't the fact that she had become the Celestial Master.

In her early years, the dominant Little Miss Tang among the Tao Boys had three great ambitions. Apart from becoming the Celestial Master, one was to be the foremost successor of the Celestial Master Mansion. Her aim was set squarely on Xu Yuanzhen. Within the Celestial Master Mansion, Tang Xiaotang had always been very close to Xu Yuanzhen, but this didn't conflict with her ambition to surpass her.

As for her other wish—to become the direct disciple of the Celestial Master—Tang Xiaotang had given up on it after the fall of the former Celestial Master Li Qingfeng.

Now that she was about to assume the position of Celestial Master, her steadfast refusal to undergo the Transcension Ritual and the Talisman-bestowed ceremony created quite a muddle. To lack a clear master-disciple lineage was too unconventional, especially as Tang Xiaotang was about to succeed as Celestial Master. Registering her under Li Qingfeng's name meant that others could finally accept disciples on behalf of the late Celestial Master. However, this decision was contentious. To avoid turmoil, the settling of accounts with the Li Clan did not extend to the previous generations of Li Celestial Masters, including Li Qingfeng. But now, amidst the ongoing purging of the sect, Tang Xiaotang being initiated into Li Qingfeng's lineage once more sparked controversy.

The final compromise was thus: if disciples could be accepted on behalf of the deceased former Celestial Master Li Qingfeng, then they could also be accepted on behalf of other deceased elders of different surnames who could no longer speak for themselves. Essentially, a prematurely deceased elder would be posthumously assigned as her master, symbolically passing on their mantle to the new Celestial Master.

Tang Xiaotang herself didn't fuss over this; what mattered more to her were the living.

"Speaking of which, that Fire Yao hasn't shown up again," Lei Jun remarked, closing the courtyard door after seeing Tang Xiaotang off.

In the starry space within the book, three newcomers had appeared. Lei Jun immediately sought confirmation from acquaintances in the know. Tang Xiaotang was quite curious but claimed she had been completely unaware of it. Upon hearing that the Seven Luminaries were now complete with no vacancies, Celestial Master Tang even felt a little regretful.

Afterward, Lei Jun and the others in the book's starry space gathered a few more times. However, that Mars Fire Radiance, the holder of Celestial Book Six, never appeared again. The star itself was obscured by flowing qi, not completely dim, indicating this page of the Celestial Book still had an owner. It was unknown whether its ownership could be transferred, or if the owner was simply busy with other matters.

Cultivators in this world sometimes immersed themselves in their own worlds of Taoist Laws for extended periods, cut off from the outside. Considering this, Lei Jun and the others weren't surprised by such occurrences.

「Days passed by, one after another.」

「Winter folded into spring, and life sprang anew.」

After the recent chaos, the Great Tang finally found some measure of peace.

Aside from visiting the High Merit Pavilion for training and assisting Master Yuan Mobai in managing sect affairs, Lei Jun continued to focus on his own cultivation. He constantly refined the Great Five Elements Creation Qi. The five elements, five viscera, and five qi within his body grew increasingly abundant. The Fifth Layer Heaven Tao Palace Realm was a stage where Taoist Talisman Sect cultivators further strengthened their physical bodies. Lei Jun consumed Blood-Vigorating Heaven Brew to boost his qi and blood, which in turn nourished his five viscera, five elements, and five qi.

As time went on, he finally reached the concluding phase of constructing his fourth Tao Palace.

「As the season shifted into summer.」

One evening, after practicing a new set of fist forms and then regulating his qi and blood for a while, Lei Jun returned to his quiet room. He sat cross-legged and practiced his Breathing Skills, focusing his spirit. A radiance shone above his head. Beyond the Central Three Pure Ones Palace, the Southern Dragon Tiger Palace, and the Northern Mysterious Underworld Taoist Palace, a fourth palace emerged: the Western Spiritual Officer Palace.

He had reached the Fourth Tao Palace Realm.

Lei Jun exhaled a long breath. "Phew… Good. Only the final Eastern Mysterious Platform Taoist Palace remains, and then it will be complete."

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