Cultivation: Fortune by Lots-Chapter 542 - 262. Wang Guiyuan Bestows a Talisman (One Chapter Combined)_5

Lei Jun said, "Vajra Division... Although I’ve read few Buddhist scriptures, when I cross-reference with certain ancient texts, this title does grab one’s attention."

Wang Guiyuan nodded. "The scriptures passed down from Vajra Temple mention that within the Vajra Realm, there are five directions and five departments, named Lotus Division, Vajra Division, Buddha Department, Treasure Department, and Jiamu Department. For so many years, people have only regarded it as legend, and since Vajra Temple has always guarded the Western Regions and surrounded itself with mystery, no one really took it seriously. But who knows what Sumeru has turned into over the years?"

Chu Kun clicked his tongue in amazement. "According to Sect Leader and Zhang, the monks who came to the Mortal World from just the Vajra Division this time have already surpassed the Vajra Temple, and it’s still uncertain whether it’s the complete Vajra Division. If it’s all five departments... Wait, something’s not right."

He frowned. "The cultivation environment in Sumeru may be excellent, and there may be many Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures, but firstly, it surely can’t be rich in all things, and secondly, there shouldn’t be such a huge population, right?"

The average standard of individuals living and reproducing in Sumeru might be far higher than in the Mortal World. However, a sufficient population base would still be needed to produce enough top-tier cultivators. Moreover, if one truly wants to cultivate an exaggerated number of top-notch experts, the spiritual objects and resources required would be an even more astonishing figure.

Wang Guiyuan spoke solemnly, "Your words hold merit, junior brother, but I think we should still err on the side of caution."

Chu Kun gave a bitter smile. If Sumeru really had so many top-tier experts, and they all poured out at once, it would likely be a completely different situation. Or perhaps... there are other circumstances there?

"So after I finish handling the matters at hand, I’ll go west to take a look," Xu Yuanzhen said.

She had never been interested in various ceremonies. Therefore, not waiting for the New Year’s Lecture Ceremony to commence, Xu Yuanzhen left the mountain to venture abroad, which made Tang Xiaotang somewhat envious.

Xu Yuanzhen didn’t head straight to Guanzhong or the Western Regions. She followed the Grand River upstream to the area around Wushan. The mysterious person who had attacked Li Qingfeng and Li Hongyu in the past had hidden their identity well and was very secretive in their movements. This individual had connections with the Thousand Leaves Butterfly King. Regrettably, she didn’t manage to capture the Butterfly King, who escaped. Consequently, Xu Yuanzhen couldn’t obtain valuable information from him in time. Fortunately, after refining those "withered leaves," she made some different gains through reverse research.

Xu Yuanzhen, Tang Xiaotang, and Yuan Mobai, who had directly confronted that mysterious person, hadn’t detected any Demonic Qi Evil Miasma emanating from the person. Thus, before utilizing the power of these "withered leaves," the person must have refined them with their own mana and the Global Spiritual Qi. Xu Yuanzhen made her way to Wushan to search for the cave mansion where that person had refined the "withered leaves."

「As winter set in, a new year arrived.」

On the fifteenth day of the first month of the new year, Longhu Mountain Celestial Master’s Mansion hosted its once-every-six-years Lecture Ceremony once again. Lei Jun was also participating for the first time as a High Merit Elder in the Lecture Ceremony.

Currently on the mountain, Xu Yuanzhen was traveling to Wushan, Zhang Jingzhen was still in Guanzhong, and Yao Yuan was in seclusion on the back mountain for reflection. Consequently, among the High Merit Masters, only Lei Jun, Yuan Mobai, and Shangguan Ning attended the ceremony.

The three main masters presiding over the Lecture Ceremony were the Transcension Ritual Master, Supervisory Master, and Endorsement Master. Generally speaking, the current Celestial Master himself would serve as the Transcension Ritual Master, mainly overseeing the ceremony. There were also precedents of the Celestial Master serving as the Supervisory Master. In the last Lecture Ceremony, the Celestial Master Tang Xiaotang served as the Transcension Ritual Master, presiding over the entire event. Therefore, this time she specifically chose to perform the duties of the Supervisory Master.

Aside from Tang Xiaotang, there was another High Merit Master in the Ancestral Court who had attained the Eighth Heavenly Layer: Yuan Mobai. He once again served as the Transcension Ritual Master of this Lecture Ceremony. Shangguan Ning, of the same generation, was appointed as the Endorsement Master among the three main masters.

Beyond the three main masters, the Lecture Ceremony also featured the Six Dharma Protector Masters, including the Talisman Protector Master, Dharma Protector Master, Scripture Protector Master, Altar Protector Master, Precept Protector Master, and Tao Protector Master. Lei Jun assumed the role of the Talisman Protector Master among the Six Dharma Protector Masters, assisting Yuan Mobai and the others from the sidelines.

「Recently, in a time fraught with turmoil, changes brewed both inside and outside the Great Tang.」However, this did not affect the current Lecture Ceremony. Guests gathered in large numbers, even more so than in previous years. While many came to congratulate Dragon Tiger Mountain, even more took this opportunity to engage in face-to-face discussions and negotiations. As the host, Dragon Tiger Mountain naturally had to mediate.

Following the great calamity that befell Pure Yang Palace, the demonic disturbances had finally calmed down. However, Zhongnan Mountain had been damaged beyond recognition. Its situation was not much better than that of the North and South Lin Clans in Youzhou or their ancestral lands in Jiangzhou. It was only slightly preferable to the completely destroyed Jinzhou Ye Clan Ancestral Land, though that wasn’t saying much. Especially since the old Sect Leader Huang Xuanpu’s injuries had compounded. He was now in seclusion recuperating, so the task of reconstructing Pure Yang Palace fell to others in the palace.

The only somewhat good news for Pure Yang Palace was the emergence of a new High Merit Master who had reached the Eightfold Heaven Realm amidst their great setback. It was none other than Huang Xuanpu’s closed-door disciple, Yue Xiling. During the time of the Guanlong demon disturbances, Yue Xiling was in closed-door cultivation within a separate residence, cut off from external communication, focusing on his practice. Now having successfully reached Perfection and emerging from seclusion, he became the youngest practitioner of the Eightfold Heaven Realm in Pure Yang Palace. Unfortunately, a string of bad news was awaiting him before he could even celebrate.

However, Yue Xiling, who had come to Dragon Tiger Mountain for the ceremony, showed no signs of emotional change. He remained as composed and steady as ever, towering and majestic like a mountain. With a notable absence of personnel in Pure Yang Palace, he had taken over the role of the Black Tortoise Elder, becoming one of the new four Elders of Pure Yang Palace. Besides observing the ceremony at Dragon Tiger Mountain, he was also representing Pure Yang Palace to further engage and communicate with the other major Sacred Lands.

As for Dragon Tiger Mountain’s own disciples participating in this year’s Lecture Ceremony, they appeared fairly standard without any particularly eye-catching superstar candidates.

If one had to mention someone who caught attention...

It would be Wang Guiyuan, one of Yuan Mobai’s three disciples and the last disciple in an apricot-yellow Taoist robe, participating in this year’s Lecture Ceremony.