Cultivation: Fortune by Lots-Chapter 577 - 270. Under a Famous Name, the Reality Struggles to Match (Two Chapters Combined)_4

Chapter 577: 270. Under a Famous Name, the Reality Struggles to Match (Two Chapters Combined)_4

Amidst a deafening BOOM, a fist struck squarely at the Southern Ming Furnace.

The terrifying power, concentrated at one point, actually caused the Pill Furnace to shake and cracks to appear on its surface!

"Capture him alive!" Shangguan Sheng ordered.

The figure shrouded in white light slowed slightly, revealing his true appearance: a handsome, tall young man clad in the armor of a Divine Strategy Army general. White light darted all over his body like swift-moving white electric serpents.

It was none other than Shen Qubing, the youngest General Zhonglang of the sixteen Wei armies of the Great Tang Shenji Army.

Liao Jie, struck simultaneously with the Southern Ming Furnace, let out a pained grunt and hurriedly tried to flee.

Shangguan Sheng had been waiting for Shen Qubing to arrive and join forces. Now that Shen Qubing was here, after reminding him to take the captive alive, Shangguan Sheng leaped into the air and immediately intercepted the Southern Ming Furnace, where Liao Jie’s Spiritual Soul was lodged.

In close-quarters combat, the movements of Martial Arts Practitioners were extremely fast. Especially with two of them working together, Liao Jie had no chance to escape.

As for Mo Chen, seeing Shen Qubing and Shangguan Sheng focus all their attention on Liao Jie and ignore him, he was initially bewildered. After regaining his composure, he immediately prepared to leave.

Shen Qubing had reached the Seventh Heavenly Layer of Martial Arts Body Refining, and Shangguan Sheng was also a seasoned Seventh Heavenly Layer expert.

Faced with the predicament Liao Jie was in, Mo Chen could do nothing to help. His only option was to leave and try to contact the outside world.

But as Mo Chen made his move, a multitude of black thunderbolts emerged, enveloping him.

The silent, soundless Yin Thunder struck fear deep into Mo Chen’s soul, forcing him to immediately perform a Golden Core Externalization and defend with all his might.

Mo Chen looked up to see a tall, purple-robed young Taoist appear amidst the dark Mysterious Thunder.

It was Lei Jun of Dragon Tiger Mountain.

Mo Chen suddenly held his breath.

No matter how fast Shangguan Sheng and Shen Qubing had arrived, there had at least been some indication of their approach.

But Lei Jun... when did he arrive?

Having trapped Mo Chen with the Mysterious Thunder, Lei Jun made no further moves. He turned his gaze to Shen Qubing and Shangguan Sheng, who were assaulting Liao Jie, while remaining vigilant of other movements in the vicinity.

As expected, the successive changes drew the others in the Stone Forest over.

Yue Xiling appeared first.

Then, Zhang Jingzhen, who had returned to her normal state, also appeared.

Seeing Lei Jun, they both nodded in acknowledgment.

Observing Liao Jie being besieged by Shen Qubing and Shangguan Sheng, both Yue Xiling and Zhang Jingzhen were taken aback.

Although the battle itself created a great commotion, the situation quickly became clear.

Shen Qubing alone would have had no trouble capturing Liao Jie. With Shen Qubing so close, Liao Jie found it difficult even to think of escaping.

Shangguan Sheng intervened primarily to ensure Liao Jie could be captured alive.

In short order, many stone pillars in the Stone Forest toppled, stirring up dust and debris, yet the white, lightning-like flashes continued to dart about uninterrupted.

Such incredible speed... Lei Jun nodded in admiration.

Martial Arts Practitioners inherently excel in speed and explosive power. Shen Qubing, possessing the foundation of a most excellent Martial Artist, superior Martial Tao techniques, and the enhancement of the White Thunder from his Supreme Thunder Immortal Body, moved so fast it was somewhat difficult for Lei Jun even to track his figure.

Among cultivators of the same realm, Shen Qubing was one of the few individuals Lei Jun felt he might not be able to keep up with in terms of speed, even if Lei Jun were to unleash all his own techniques like the Heavenly Travel Talisman, Circle Stars Array Fight, and Destiny Star God at full power.

It wasn’t that he was considering this Mars Fire Radiance a hypothetical adversary, but Lei Jun couldn’t help but speculate on how he himself would respond if he encountered such an opponent.

Shen Qubing focused on martial training. The potential of his Supreme Thunder Immortal Body seemed, for now, only to provide speed-boosting benefits to his cultivation and had not yet been fully tapped into.

Of course, the one who currently needed to worry about this wasn’t him, Lei Jun, but Liao Jie.

The Southern Ming Furnace charged left and right, but it only accumulated more dents, damage, and cracks, accomplishing nothing useful.

Ultimately, Shen Qubing executed a move resembling a heavy plummet, landing atop the furnace from above. He stomped it directly into the rubble of the collapsed Stone Forest, pinning it so it could no longer move.

Shangguan Sheng turned, saw Mo Chen trapped by the vast expanse of Mysterious Thunder, and nodded repeatedly. He cupped his fist in salute to Lei Jun, saying, "Your assistance is much appreciated, Master Lei."

Lei Jun replied, "General, you’re too kind. I was merely in the right place at the right time to lend a hand."

Shen Qubing, standing atop the Southern Ming Furnace, smiled. "Master Lei, it’s been a while."

Lei Jun returned the smile. "General Shen, I trust you’ve been well."

Meanwhile, Shangguan Sheng briefly explained the situation to Yue Xiling and Zhang Jingzhen.

Yue Xiling, usually calm, dignified, and composed—like a steadfast mountain and a still abyss—showed a rare look of astonishment upon hearing Shangguan Sheng’s words. "A Mortal Tao Country?! How absurd! How utterly absurd..."

Zhang Jingzhen’s expression was as still as water, and she did not utter a word.

Although Shangguan Sheng knew, from the recording of Liao Jie and Mo Chen’s conversation sent by Lei Jun via the Thousand-Mile Sound Transmission Talisman, that Zhang Jingzhen also possessed an incomplete Heavenly Palace Chapter Tablet, he chose not to elaborate on this in Yue Xiling’s presence at that moment.

After regaining his composure, Yue Xiling said gravely, "I need to make immediate contact with Zhongnan Mountain."

Lei Jun and Zhang Jingzhen exchanged a glance. "We, too, must report back to Dragon Tiger Mountain," Lei Jun affirmed.

Shangguan Sheng replied, "Of course."

This matter was of great importance, and he, in particular, needed to report it to the Imperial Court at the first opportunity.

Lei Jun inquired, "What about the Mount Shu side?"

Shen Qubing smiled and said, "The Grand General came with me. He headed towards Snow Dragon Mountain to rendezvous with Chu Sheren and Elder Wei. We will inform the Grand General, and he, along with Chu Sheren and Elder Wei, will make a decision."

The so-called Grand General, currently the only one in the Imperial Court holding that title, was the Grand General of the Divine Strategy Army, Shangguan Yunbo.

This time, he was the one leading the team to the Southwest.

Based on the timing, it was likely after receiving news about Chen Donglou that the Tang Imperial Court assessed the situation as complex. They probably deduced that Chu Yu, Shangguan Sheng, and the others required stronger support, and that the Southwest also needed more powerful experts to take charge.

Lei Jun had only known Shen Qubing was nearby, which was why he had contacted both him and Shangguan Sheng with the Thousand-Mile Sound Transmission Talisman. He hadn’t been aware that Shangguan Yunbo had also come to the Southwest.

With Liao Jie and Mo Chen captured alive, Lei Jun and the others withdrew from the Stone Forest of Nanzhao. They began contacting their respective sects while heading towards Snow Dragon Mountain to rendezvous with Chu Yu and the others.

After concluding his communication with his master, Yuan Mobai, Lei Jun turned to look beside him.

Zhang Jingzhen was beside him.

Lei Jun asked, "Zhang?"

Zhang Jingzhen said, "Lei, I was emotionally unsettled earlier. My mind was clouded by external concerns, and I selfishly kept the Heavenly Palace Chapter Tablet to myself. It’s truly shameful."

Lei Jun responded, "How one handles personal fortune isn’t inherently wrong. However, such a treasure easily attracts the covetous eyes of others. You should be more vigilant, Zhang."

Zhang Jingzhen then asked, "I intend to hand over the Heavenly Palace Chapter Tablet to the Imperial Court. What are your thoughts on this?"

Lei Jun replied, "To thoroughly explore its mysteries, we would likely need to return to our Dragon Tiger Mountain. However, having it pass through the Imperial Court first is also a good idea."

He understood Zhang Jingzhen’s concerns.

It was true that Zhang Jingzhen was of Royal Family lineage, but with matters like the Mortal Tao Country involved, her identity became rather sensitive.

Her previous actions made it seem as if she had no connection to Liao Jie, Mo Chen, Zhou Peng, and the others.

But possessing the Heavenly Palace Chapter Tablet at such a time was indeed conspicuous.

While Zhang Jingzhen was preoccupied with her worries, Shen Qubing, on the other hand, was rather nonchalant.

He curiously asked Shangguan Sheng, "Chen Donglou, is he really that powerful?"

Shangguan Sheng replied, "Years ago, I had a brief encounter with him. He truly lived up to his reputation as Mount Shu’s foremost swordsman at the time."

Shen Qubing mused, "From this perspective, when it comes to Duels of Magic, the Mount Shu Sect still relies on its Sword Cultivators, huh?"

He glanced at the captive Liao Jie, lowering his voice slightly. "As for this fellow, he’s not up to par."

Shangguan Sheng explained, "Individuals whose Cultivation Realm advances quickly but who neglect actual combat experience certainly exist. It’s often a case of ’fame exceeding reality,’ where the reputation is undeserved. This is frequently such a situation."

Shen Qubing then glanced at Lei Jun, then back at Liao Jie, lowering his voice even further. "This Daoist Liao... his reputation isn’t that great either, is it?"

Shangguan Sheng murmured, "...That’s precisely the problem."