“Shushan’s Ye Dongming, apologies for the abrupt visit. Lei, I hope you won’t take offense.” The middle-aged Daoist smiled warmly, his deanor courteous.
Lei Jun’s expression remained calm as he returned the greeting, “Senior is too polite.”
Hearing Ye Dongming announce his na and clearly seeing his features, Lei Jun imdiately understood.
Among the Shushan elders of the sa generation as He Dongxing and Ji Dongquan, there was one surnad Ye, who hailed from the Ye Clan of Jinzhou.
This was precisely the Ye Dongming before him.
In comparison, Lin Xinran of the Lin Clan in Jiangzhou was a junior figure.
However, Yuan Mobai’s assessnt of Ye Dongming was positive, indicating a long-standing mutual respect.
Ye Dongming said, “Apologies again for visiting during the New Year. I have sothing to discuss.”
Lei Jun replied, “I’m just a junior with limited talent and knowledge. I’m afraid I can’t shoulder any major responsibilities.”
Ye Dongming shook his head, “You’re too modest. I’ve co across news about your sect’s treasured Tianshi Sword. I couldn’t intervene directly, so I wanted to let you know and ask you to verify it.”
Lei Jun looked at the elder from the Ye Clan of Jinzhou, thoughts racing through his mind. Outwardly, he appeared slightly moved and respectfully bowed in the Daoist manner. “Thank you, Senior. This news is of great importance to my sect. I truly don’t know how to express my gratitude.”
Ye Dongming smiled and shook his head. “Though our sects are separate, we both belong to the Daoist lineage. Mutual support is only right.”
After speaking, he handed Lei Jun a jade slip.
After a few more polite exchanges, Elder Ye from Shushan took his leave.
The Rain Mountain Temple’s head observed the entire conversation without stepping away, as if oblivious to etiquette. He stayed silent, rely watching Lei Jun and Ye Dongming talk.
Once Ye Dongming left, the old temple master escorted the elder out.
Returning to Lei Jun’s residence, the temple master found him waiting.
“Though I’m unsure of the authenticity of Elder Ye’s information, anything involving our sect’s Tianshi Sword cannot be taken lightly.”
Lei Jun raised the jade slip. “Do you have any advice for , Senior?”
The old Daoist sighed, “I have no advice for you. But Elder Ye’s visit during the New Year unsettles .”
He shook his head and left.
Lei Jun quietly watched the elder’s figure disappear, recalling so of Yuan Mobai’s warnings before this trip.
In terms of Lei Jun’s previous-world understanding from Blue Star, Shushan’s current sect leader was a reformist eager for innovation, recruiting talent from outside and strengthening ties with external powers.
However, the conservative faction within Shushan was strong. The reformists, led by the current sect leader, were far from having dominant authority.
Most Shushan mbers, like He Dongxing and Ji Dongquan, were neutral. This large group was notable for its size and its susceptibility to influence.
Both reformists and conservatives were vying for more supporters.
This struggle made Shushan increasingly turbulent, with conflicts intensifying. More neutrals were choosing sides, escalating the clash between reformists and conservatives.
Given Ji Chuan’s concerns, it was clear the situation hadn’t cald over the past year but was verging on chaos.
In such tis, Ye Dongming’s invitation to Ba Dong under the pretext of the Tianshi Sword seed enigmatic.
The issue wasn’t just whether the news was true.
Why would Ye Dongming want to draw Lei Jun into Shushan’s turmoil? If that were the case, he should have invited him to Qingcheng Summit, Shushan’s main gate.
Could Ba Dong hold another secret?
Lei Jun frowned and waited patiently.
But the light sphere in his mind remained still.
Did this an traveling to Ba Dong posed no danger? Or that going or not going made no difference?
Why, then, did Ye Dongming invite him?
After pondering, Lei Jun chose not to go to Ba Dong, staying at Rain Mountain instead.
Yet afterward, Ye Dongming made no further moves.
It seed his visit was purely a friendly gesture to share information.
Seeing this, Lei Jun let it go and resud his cultivation.
So ti passed without incident.
He began to suspect that Ye Dongming didn’t care where he went. What the elder wanted was for Lei Jun not to go sowhere else.
If that were the case, where didn’t Ye Dongming want him to go?
Shushan’s Qingcheng Summit?
Though Lei Jun speculated, he didn’t feel the need to investigate.
This trip’s goal was the Bamboo Sea in southern Shu. As long as nothing interfered with that, everything else was secondary.
Thus, Lei Jun continued cultivating at Rain Mountain.
Over ti, he made new progress.
Under the convergence of the Azure Sky Divine Thunder and the Nine Nether Yin Wind Qi, his cultivation advanced rapidly.
The third Primal Talisman was fully ford.
Like the first two, it was nine feet high and four feet wide, standing alongside them.
Three Primal Talismans marked his advancent to the high stage of the Primal Talisman realm.
Next, he needed to form a fourth to reach the perfection stage of this realm.
But before that, another matter awaited…
It began simply:
A Shushan disciple, on behalf of his master, invited Lei Jun to visit Qingcheng Summit.
This ti, when Qingcheng Summit was ntioned, the light sphere in his mind flashed and displayed a ssage:
“Internal strife brews disaster, the winds are fierce and the waves high. Stay away from dangerous walls, and remain safe beyond the clouded mountains.”
Four fortunes also appeared in his mind:
Upper-Moderate On: Stay at Rain Mountain. In three days, a Fourth-Grade Opportunity will co. Calm and safe, no troubles, auspicious.
Moderate On: Leave Rain Mountain and travel through Shu. No dangers, no gains, no losses. Neutral.
Lower-Bad On: Leave Rain Mountain and head north to Mount Huanglong. Uncover hidden truths, attract calamity, and face inescapable danger. Extrely inauspicious!
Lower-Bad On: Leave Rain Mountain and go west to Qingcheng Summit. Gain a Seventh-Grade Opportunity, but enter a deadly situation with no way out. Certain death!
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