Chapter 720: 301. Dragon-Tiger Strike, I know a little (Two-in-One Chapter)_3

As the other party’s gaze remained fixed on the northwest for a long time, Lei Jun could roughly guess what was on his mind.

It certainly wasn’t about considering how to help Master Lei escape his trap.

If possible, Ye Ming hoped that Master Lei would be sealed away there forever.

This opportunity was extremely rare, to some extent even more so than the current chance to trap Fang Yue.

However, taking down Fang Yue was already quite difficult.

Lei Jun’s strength was even greater than Fang Yue’s.

Although currently sealed, taking advantage of this situation was not easy.

This young prodigy of the Taoist Sect possessed both talent and strength far surpassing his peers.

Even now, trapped, Ye Ming, with his cultivation at the Second Layer of the Eighth Heavenly Layer, was not sure he could completely eliminate Lei Jun.

The realm of ’governing the state’ within the Eighth Heavenly Layer of Confucian Classical Studies would also only see a significant improvement in Actual Combat Spellcasting at the Third Layer of the Eighth Heavenly Layer, after one possessed the ability to order Heaven and Earth.

Ye Ming’s current abilities were insufficient.

Having weathered many storms, he quickly regained his composure and withdrew his gaze from the northwest.

Ye Ming’s focus and attention returned to his own Vast Sea Map, focusing on Fang Yue who had been drawn into the painting.

It was essential to secure Fang Yue first; that was the priority.

As for Lei Jun’s situation, it could be considered later, left entirely to Ye Yan and Chu Xiuyuan to handle, or he, Ye Ming, could contact others to help out.

If he missed this rare chance...

A glimmer of light flashed in Ye Ming’s eyes.

If he truly missed this chance, it wasn’t entirely without gain.

At least, he had a firmer grasp on some innate characteristics of that young Elder from Dragon Tiger Mountain.

The man was courteous and composed, holding a high reputation both inside and outside the Celestial Master Mansion.

But ultimately, Lei Jun was not as gentle as his master, Yuan Mobai; comparatively, he was much colder and more indifferent.

During his trip to the East Sea, however, he had risked himself to sabotage the Scholarly Cultivators’ sacrifice, leading to his own sealing. This revealed the fervor and determination hidden beneath his detached demeanor.

Apart from defending the Dragon Tiger Mountain Ancestral Court against external enemies, who would have thought Taoist Xuanxiao Zi could display such selfless courage in other matters?

Of course, this was a commendable act.

In Ye Ming’s personal opinion, he never denied this.

He indeed valued and even admired the young prodigy of Dragon Tiger Mountain’s new generation.

But that did not affect the reality of their divergent paths.

Whether it was the conflict between Confucianism and Taoism, or the struggle for power and influence, it was the same.

The Longhu Mountain Celestial Master’s Mansion had grown too close to Empress Zhang Wantong.

It was true that families like the Qingzhou Ye Clan were improving relations with the Tang Imperial Court.

But the Empress was always a significant hurdle.

If the Scholarly Mansion, along with Buddhism and Taoism, continued to expand, they would become utterly unrestrainable.

What would become of renowned families like the Qingzhou Ye Clan and Great Tang Confucian Studies then?

Would they have to turn towards a fate like that of the so-called Great Ming Dynasty, where the Cultural Pulse was similarly dispersed throughout the world?

Ye Ming gently shook his head.

His Verdant Brush continued moving, reinforcing the Vast Sea Map with ink to trap and kill Fang Yue as quickly as possible.

As for Lei Jun, since he had such a hidden side to his personality, it was possible they would encounter similar situations in the future.

Even if I miss this chance today, future opportunities won’t be lacking. The key is to remain vigilant and seize them, or even seek out and create them... Ye Ming thought to himself.

Just as he was pondering such thoughts, his mind suddenly jolted.

By the time Ye Ming sensed the warning sign and discerned the looming crisis, a fist had already appeared out of nowhere behind him.

BANG!

The punch didn’t hit Ye Ming but instead struck a black inkstone.

The inkstone was an important treasure Ye Ming carried with him. It usually floated beside him, serving as a warning device.

Thus, at the critical moment, the inkstone managed to block the sudden punch before Ye Ming could even react.

The fist gleamed with starlight. Upon hitting the precious inkstone, the condensed power finally erupted, transforming into endless Talisman Scriptures flowing unceasingly like a Star River.

Ye Ming’s cherished, precious inkstone was shattered to pieces by that punch.

Ye Ming, who narrowly avoided disaster using the inkstone, was shocked and quickly dodged.

With a stroke of his Verdant Brush, it seemed as if a black ink Yangtze River appeared, spanning between him and the assailant.

However, the attacker, whose towering body was wreathed in flowing Star Rivers like a deity descending from the heavens, simply crushed the black ink Yangtze River.

Destiny Star God!

Ye Ming recognized it at a glance: the Doumu Star God Dharma, an authentic teaching of the Longhu Mountain Celestial Master’s Mansion.

But who was it?

Had Yuan Mobai also come to the East Sea?

While Ye Ming was astonished, he saw black thunder silently roaring. It then transformed into a vast sea of black thunder that spread out, enveloping the area from all sides and leaving him no chance to retreat or dodge.

"Mysterious Thunder... Xuanxiao Immortal Thunder?"

Seeing these black thunders, Ye Ming was startled again. "You... Lei Jun?!"

At this moment, the first thought in the mind of the Elder of the Qingzhou Ye Clan was that Lei Jun had just escaped from the sacrificial seal.

But this notion was immediately supplanted by a second thought in Ye Ming’s mind:

Could it be that Lei Jun was never trapped from the start?

Ye Ming’s heart sank suddenly.

He watched as, outside the Doumu Star God Dharma that Lei Jun had incarnated, a strange Straw Raincoat spread out, becoming immensely large. It resembled both a gale and auspicious Qingyun, covering all directions.

Within this wind and clouds, countless dragon shadows roamed, rising and falling.

The scene was magnificent, yet it gave off an elusive feeling, difficult to fathom, hard to touch.

It was under the cover of this Straw Raincoat that Lei Jun had managed to approach Ye Ming without detection.