Chapter 754: 309. Elder Lei Inspects the World

The next step is the External Scenery of the Divine Court... Lei Jun thought.

For cultivators of the Talisman Sect, reaching the Eightfold Heaven Realm marked a significant transition: from the second layer’s Divine Court Intermediate Scene to the third layer’s Outer Scenery Realm of Divine Court. This advancement brought not only an increase in mana but also a substantial improvement in Duels of Magic. It would be a major threshold in strength, second only to crossing into a new Great Realm.

The key lay in the continued growth of the Divine Court, eventually transforming it from an Inner Cosmos to an Outer Cosmos that existed independently of the real world.

Of course, this barrier was not easy to cross.

For Lei Jun, the good news was that the Brahman Qi Immortal Gourd truly was exceptional.

After refining it and integrating it with his soul, its effects would last for a long time.

It was not just to push him from the Divine Court Inner Scene to the Divine Court Intermediate Scene.

As the Divine Court developed from the Divine Court Intermediate Scene to the External Scenery of the Divine Court, the refined Spiritual Power would continue to aid Lei Jun’s cultivation, allowing him to climb to the next level faster than expected.

However, under such circumstances, it was even more important to avoid haste and impatience.

An imbalanced state of mind, while not as risky as when storming the barriers of a Great Realm, could still cause a cultivator’s progress to stagnate.

Lei Jun quietly watched the morning sun rise between the distant mountains, then returned to the Celestial Master Mansion halfway up the main peak.

After meeting with Yuan Mobai, Shangguan Ning, Zhang Jingzhen, and others, Lei Jun formally ended his reclusive cultivation and began to help Yuan Mobai and others with the daily affairs of the mansion once again.

By that winter, the triennial Transmission Ceremony had once again arrived.

A certain Celestial Master surnamed Tang did not return to the mountain but sent a message back instructing that the ceremony should proceed as scheduled and be presided over by a High Merit Elder from the mansion.

Many people both within and outside the mansion speculated that Lei Jun, being of the same generation as Tang Xiaotang, might succeed to the position of Celestial Master. However, neither Lei Jun himself nor Yuan Mobai and the others wished for him to preside over every significant ceremony during Tang Xiaotang’s absence.

Therefore, this Transmission Ceremony was presided over by Shangguan Ning, with assistance from Lei Jun and Yuan Mobai.

Zhang Jingzhen participated in the ceremony in another capacity, as she was to take on a disciple.

Four years ago, when she left Chang’an to return to the mountain, she had brought back a young boy, led him on the path, and he began his cultivation at the Tao Boy Court.

According to the customs of Dragon Tiger Mountain, unless there were special circumstances, this boy was virtually deemed to be under the tutelage of Zhang Jingzhen.

Once he qualified for the Transcension Ritual and succeeded in entering the mansion during the Transmission Ceremony, he would officially become Zhang Jingzhen’s disciple.

The boy’s name was Zhang Xiongtai.

He was born into the imperial family, just like Zhang Jingzhen.

Zhang Jingzhen was very open about all this, showing no intention of avoiding the appearance of impropriety.

"Jingzhen, you don’t need to make your intentions so clear," Shangguan Ning sighed lightly during a private conversation with Zhang Jingzhen.

Zhang Jingzhen herself came from the imperial family of the Tang Court, and her direct disciple was not like Shangguan Ning’s own senior disciple, Lin Shan, who came from an ordinary family.

Zhang Xiongtai, too, was from the imperial family.

Such circumstances indicated two things. Firstly, Zhang Jingzhen herself had no intentions for the Celestial Master position. Secondly, it implied that her lineage also held no such ambitions for the future.

"Elder Shangguan misunderstands," Zhang Jingzhen smiled. "I have no such intentions, nor am I trying to make a statement. Xiongtai and I are simply bound by fate, and as cultivators, we naturally follow the flow of fate and act according to heaven’s will."

She paced two steps in the quiet room. "I did have some aspirations before, thinking that if one thing doesn’t work out, another might. But now, I’ve let go of such thoughts.

"If the Sect Leader resigns, amongst our peers, it will definitely be Lei who takes over.

"Although Hua Jie is not a human disciple, Lei may still have other disciples in the future.

"I see that Lei is not someone who clings to power. Even if the next Celestial Master is still one of his disciples, as long as the person is talented and virtuous, there’s nothing wrong with that, is there?"

Zhang Jingzhen laughed. "Besides, didn’t the Sect Leader, before leaving the mountain, say that he, too, wanted to try his luck with fate and take on a personal disciple?"

Shangguan Ning looked at her and said softly, "I know your ambition since you were young. Now that you speak like this, it’s clear you have no attachments in your heart. This indeed benefits your cultivation on the path."

Zhang and Shangguan shared each other’s fortunes and misfortunes.

To some extent, Shangguan Ning was also part of the Great Tang imperial family. She knew Zhang Jingzhen very well, knowing that under her noble and composed temperament, there was another side that was quite competitive.

It was just a pity that there is always someone better.

The disciples of this generation at the Celestial Master Mansion were simply too exceptional.

If Zhang Jingzhen could not reconcile with herself, she would suffer.

Fortunately, she had overcome it.

As a result, this offered her more possibilities for the future.

"Zhang Xiongtai, he’s from the line of the Weiyang King, isn’t he?" Shangguan Ning no longer worried about Zhang Jingzhen, but frowned slightly. "Such a name?"

Zhang Jingzhen nodded lightly. "Xiongtai is of a distant line and actually quite at odds with the Weiyang King’s family. I once asked if he wanted to change his name, but he refused. I can see that it’s not out of indifference; on the contrary, he cares deeply..."

Hearing this, Shangguan Ning did not inquire further into the potential worries and troubles that might arise from Zhang Jingzhen bringing Zhang Xiongtai back to the mountain. She merely shook her head slightly.

"A heavy state of mind is not conducive to cultivation, especially when facing the Heavenly Moat Tribulation between Great Realms.

"In this regard, you should pay extra attention to him."

Zhang Jingzhen replied, "Yes, Elder."

She shared the same thoughts.

However, she would not show this in front of her disciple.

At the Transmission Ceremony, the Transcension Master and the disciple stood on opposite sides, performing the ceremony of breaking and distributing the talismans.