Chapter 766: 311. The Four Directions Pay Respect to Xuanxiao Zi (Combined Chapter)_5

The former was the greatest treasure of the Mount Shu Sect, while the latter was nearly intertwined with the very foundation of the sect.

The two treasures were not necessarily symbols of the Mount Shu Sect Leader’s authority, but more often than not, seeing the treasure was like seeing its master.

But the awkward reality was, at the moment, both of these supreme magical treasures had vanished from Mount Shu.

*Hmm... Thank goodness the ancestral tombs remained in the mountains, untouched by the departure of Qingxiao Manor. Otherwise, who could say for certain which was the true lineage of Mount Shu?*

But as far as Lei Jun knew, even without the two treasures, Mount Shu still planned to appoint a new Sect Leader.

Sure enough, Mount Shu’s message made it clear, their real aim was to recover those two treasures, using them to fire up the drive of the disciples.

Up at the ceremony, Fang Huansheng swept his gaze over the crowd.

Suoyang’s talent and strength were solid, but he could not represent the elite of the young generation within the Sumi Vajra Sect.

Although he had quickly risen to the Seventh Heavenly Layer, thanks to secret empowering techniques, moving forward, his progress had begun to slow and would now depend more on himself.

Lei Jun, Zhang Taigang, and Jiang Yu, however, were different.

All three were among the brightest of the Great Tang Dao Sect’s rising stars.

But among these, Xuanxiaozi Lei Jun stood out the most.

Not to mention, Jiang Yu was still young. Were she the same age as Lei Jun, she would still struggle to match his radiance.

Even Yue Xiling, compared to Lei Jun, was not quite his equal.

As for Mount Shu’s Zhang Taigang, he was without doubt a child of destiny, inheriting the sect at such a young age, becoming yet another youthful leader of great power after Yuanmie, Tang Xiaotang, and Xiao Hang.

But in Fang Huansheng’s view, even Zhang Taigang, when compared with Lei Jun of the Celestial Master Mansion, would be overshadowed.

He was sure this was not just his own opinion.

Luckily, due to the recent turmoil in the Mortal Tao Country and other disruptions, the three Sacred Lands of the Taoist Sect were working much more closely together, and Lei Jun’s presence here was a show of support.

Otherwise, in earlier, more peaceful years, if Lei Jun garnered more attention at Zhang Taigang’s sect-inheriting ceremony, it would have seemed as though he stole the spotlight.

*Again, one had to marvel, Dragon Tiger Mountain had truly emerged from its downturn—Lei Jun was such a young and formidable prodigy, and the Celestial Master Mansion still had two more like him... Fang Huansheng kept his face impassive, but inside, he was sighing.*

At present, the Jingxiang Fang Clan, though on friendly terms with the Tang Imperial Court and its allies, found themselves sandwiched between Mount Shu and Dragon Tiger Mountain, up and down the Grand River.

As Fang Huansheng dwelled upon this, his attention suddenly shifted, glancing at several younger Fang Clan disciples who had accompanied him.

The intent in bringing them was to broaden their horizons and temper their character through this experience.

But now, it appeared that while they were surely witnessing something, their perspective was completely skewed.

The Fang Clan youths were all gazing at one rather peculiar figure among the guests.

He seemed short and stout, wearing a deep-red Taoist robe, but black-and-white fur poked out from the collar and sleeves, all topped by a very large head.

This was none other than Zhuo Baojie.

The young Fang Clan members looked at Zhuo Baojie, then at each other, exchanging a series of glances.

As the ceremony was underway, they did their best to keep their expressions solemn, but the amusement in their eyes could not be hidden.

Only when Fang Huansheng gave them a steady look did they hurriedly rein in their behavior.

When the ceremony ended and they’d left the scene, Fang Huansheng finally asked, "What was that all about just now?"

One of the youngsters replied at once, "Uncle, we didn’t say anything, but when we saw that Mountain Pi in a Taoist robe, it just struck us as so funny we almost couldn’t help ourselves."

Fang Huansheng kept a straight face, walking as he asked, "And what, exactly, was so amusing?"

The youth explained, "I’d read in books about the phrase ’a monkey wearing a hat’—just now, seeing that Mountain Pi, it was like the saying came to life before my eyes."

He glanced at the others, and clearly, they all had the same thought, nodding along and some even breaking into laughter.

"He’s stronger than quite a few of you in this group."

Fang Huansheng said coolly, "And let’s not forget, his Grandmaster is Yu Lizi Yuan Mobai."

The Fang Clan disciples exchanged looks at his words.

Fang Huansheng said, "Even putting Yu Lizi aside, so long as his master is Xuanxiao Zi Lei Chongyun, then..."

He stopped, turned about, and in an even tone said, "Even if you don’t care for him, you must show respect on the surface. You don’t have to honor him, but you must show proper respect for his master’s cultivation and abilities."

"You are right, Uncle." The young disciples all bowed their heads at once.

Fang Huansheng said, "Everyone’s getting assigned copying duties."

"Yes, Uncle." they replied in unison.

After the ceremony, as the Fang Clan disciples toiled away at their punishment, Lei Jun and his disciples bid farewell to Summit and set off to tour the Land of Bashu.

Ji Chuan once more acted as their guide for Lei Jun’s journey.

On the road, Zhuo Baojie finally understood why his master had been so benevolent that day at Summit.

No matter where, above or below the mountain, Lei Jun sang his eldest disciple’s praises in front of Ji Chuan, making him out to be peerless—mature beyond his years, hardworking, upright and disciplined, a model of virtue.

The consequence was, before Ji Chuan, this little bear could only stare longingly at the Southern Shu Bamboo Sea, covertly drooling.

But his master gave him no chance for a snack.

*To be fair, this Gungun really lived up to most of his master’s flattery.*

*Only when it came to his craving for food, he fell short.*

And so, having traversed Bashu, a diet of plain tea and simple meals nearly drove little Taoist Zhuo to the verge of losing his Dao heart.

"Do you know what you did wrong?" Lei Jun toyed with the two furry tufts on his disciple’s head.

The disciple replied, "Because Master is petty... No, because I failed my duties as a disciple and disrespected my elders. Please punish me, Master."

Lei Jun said, "Repenting is the greatest virtue. Fine, go find your own food. If Brother Jidao catches you, it’s your own fault. Don’t forget to manage your public image."

"Yes, Master!" Zhuo Baojie cheered.

With Lei Jun no longer watching, he slipped away into the bamboo sea the very next instant.

He didn’t care a whit for ’returning home in glory’—what he cared about was his hometown’s flavors.

Lei Jun witnessed his roly-poly disciple launch himself into the bamboo forest with a dive that was almost textbook.

He couldn’t help but smile.

"Where’s little Hua Jie?"

Later that day, Ji Chuan came from another path, curious to ask.

Lei Jun, unaffected, answered, "The little fellow’s come back to his roots, feeling sentimental. I told him to enter the bamboo forest and meditate, purifying himself by breathing in the global spiritual energy."

Ji Chuan glanced into the depths of the bamboo forest.

Lei Jun continued, "Later, my disciple and I plan to leave Bashu and head north. We’ve really troubled you this time."

Ji Chuan said, "Oh come now, you’re always welcome at our sect.

If you’re heading north, is your sect sending you as its representative to Pure Yang Palace at Zhongnan Mountain for the ceremony?"

Lei Jun nodded, "That’s right."

Earlier, when contacting Yuan Mobai and the others, Yuan Mobai asked Lei Jun for his plans. Now that Lei Jun’s cultivation was much higher, he figured it was time to begin seeking the marvels of the realm he’d once hoped to see, exploring the world and its cultivation practices.

He was already out and about, and the timing worked, so he might as well take on the Pure Yang Palace trip himself.

"When do you plan to set out?" Ji Chuan followed up, "I’ll see you off as you depart Mount Shu."

Lei Jun smiled, "You’re too kind, Brother Jidao, there’s no need for such trouble."

As for the exact time...

Lei Jun was just about to reply, but unexpectedly, a glowing sphere appeared in his mind, within which words began to manifest,

[Earth shifts, heavens turn, Wangchuan surges, dragons and snakes rise upon the land, north and south join in dance.]

Following that, three lots appeared,

[Moderately good lot: On June tenth, at noon, head to Egret Peak at Jian Pavilion, north of Summit. There, you may obtain a third-rank opportunity. Some storms, but caution will see you through; karmic entanglements may follow, so proceed with care. Auspicious.]

[Perfectly neutral lot: On June tenth, at noon, head to the main Summit. There, you may obtain a fifth-grade opportunity. Some storms, but caution will see you through; karmic entanglements may follow, so proceed with care. Neutral.]

[Perfectly neutral lot: On June tenth, at noon, visit somewhere other than Summit or Egret Peak—gain nothing extra, but lose nothing either. Neutral.]

The very first thing Lei Jun noticed was the phrase "Wangchuan surges."

*The Netherworld of the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, huh...* he mused inwardly.

*No wonder, when arriving at Summit earlier, he’d vaguely sensed something odd in the underground energy flow.*

*At the time, with so many experts from Mount Shu repeatedly sealing and suppressing things below, he hadn’t bothered to check, so he was left in the dark.*

*Now, matching the lots, the answer landed right here.*

Luckily, from the lots, and considering Mount Shu currently had three or four Eighth Heavenly Layer experts, plus the North Abyss Divine Spear, South Bright Separation Fire Cauldron, and Blue Abyss Sword, in their hands, this situation should pose no real threat—the sect would manage just fine.

On the other hand, at Jian Pavilion’s Egret Peak... Lei Jun recalled the map he’d seen.

*Would Wangchuan, the Netherworld, surge at two places simultaneously?*