Chen Yi let out a muffled groan, his gaze sharp as he burned Zhang Jingzhen’s image into his mory.
He had interacted with this forr senior sister in the past—a royal descendant turned Tianshi Mansion direct disciple—but she had left no deep impression on him.
That changed today.
From now on, Zhang Jingzhen would be the Tianshi Mansion cultivator he rembered most vividly.
His blood and Qi were churning violently, but he said nothing. Without hesitation, he turned and left.
Today’s battle had been a disastrous loss.
Not only had he failed to obtain the ancient tablet’s missing half, but he had also exposed his deepest secret.
Though only Zhang Jingzhen had sensed the golden palace due to their clash of Qi resonance, once a secret was leaked, it was only a matter of ti before it spread.
And besides—Chen Yi didn’t completely trust Mo Chen and the others either.
Right now, his priority was leaving this place and figuring out his next move.
Zhang Jingzhen stood still, her body stiff for a mont.
Though she was in an uncharacteristically disheveled state, her cultivation was still superior.
The erald-green Nine Abyss True Fire dissipated briefly, then reconverged into the form of a massive, ferocious tiger.
The flaming tiger let out a roar toward the distance.
Far ahead, her half of the ancient tablet, which had been flung away in the explosion, halted in midair.
It wavered, flickering with brilliance, before slowly drifting back toward her.
Zhang Jingzhen let out a long breath and reclaid her half of the tablet.
But Chen Yi and the other half were gone.
Mo Chen and his group had retreated imdiately as well.
Zhang Jingzhen adjusted her breathing, circulating her energy several tis until her complexion returned to normal.
She wanted to pursue Chen Yi and retrieve the missing half, but the commotion just now had undoubtedly alerted Yue Xiling, Shangguan Sheng, and Liao Jie.
She focused her senses—and indeed, the spiritual energy within the Stone Forest had beco increasingly chaotic.
"This trip yielded no gains, and I even exposed my own secret… I need to think carefully about my next steps."
With a deep sigh, the purple-robed Daoist nun vanished from the scene.
Elsewhere in the Stone Forest
Hearing the roar of Zhang Jingzhen’s Infernal Tiger, Lei Jun moved in that direction.
The resounding explosion had thrown the area’s spiritual energy into complete disarray, disrupting so of the illusions originally present in the Stone Forest.
Suddenly, Lei Jun had a premonition.
Silently, he sent his Mysterious Illusory Mirror into the sky.
The mirror’s twin faces—one bright, one dark—began shifting, casting down a ray of light that pointed him in a specific direction.
Lei Jun followed its guidance, making his way into a deeper section of the Stone Forest.
His gaze swept the surroundings—until his eyes landed on a large stone pillar.
At its base, sothing faintly shimred.
Approaching, he saw an ancient tablet fragnt, its surface glowing with a mysterious brilliance.
But it was incomplete—a portion of it was missing.
Through the Mysterious Illusory Mirror, Lei Jun quickly discerned sothing peculiar—
While the tablet’s magical aura was aligned with the Talismanic Daoist lineage, there was sothing fundantally different about it.
It wasn’t from the modern-day Tianshi Mansion, but rather from the predecessor of the Talismanic Daoist Sect before Mount Longhu’s Daoist Reformation.
Lei Jun’s mind raced.
He recalled Zhang Jingzhen’s strange behavior when she had entered and exited Shangqing Thunder Altar Grotto-Heaven at Mount Longhu.
He also rembered Chen Yi’s clear obsession with that sa place.
Raising his hand, the tablet fragnt automatically lifted off the ground and landed in his palm.
At that mont, a na flashed through his mind:
[Heavenly Palace Tablet—Upper Fragnt]
Both halves of this na piqued his curiosity.
"Heavenly Palace…"
Lei Jun furrowed his brow.
This term wasn’t unfamiliar to him—the archives of Tianshi Mansion’s Decree Pavilion frequently referenced it.
According to legend, in ancient tis, there existed a Heavenly Court, where the Celestial Administrators governed in perfect order.
Those who attained Daoist enlightennt could ascend to it, each assuming official divine roles, overseeing the Three Realms: Heaven, Earth, and Humanity.
The earliest form of talismanic initiation, still practiced by Tianshi Mansion today, was said to originate from this system.
"Ascend to the Celestial Bureaucracy, receive divine authority."
However, as centuries passed, the world changed.
To most modern cultivators, this was nothing more than a myth.
So claid that the separation between Heaven and Earth was a permanent rupture, severing the link between the Heavenly Palace and the mortal realm.
Others believed that the Three Realms fragnted, with Heaven splitting into Nine Heavens and Earth dividing into Ten Lands, giving rise to the concept of the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths.
According to these stories, the ancient celestial gods of the Heavenly Palace had long since vanished into history.
And so even argued that the entire idea of "ascending to the Celestial Bureaucracy" was rely a fabrication by the Talismanic Daoist Sect.
Speculation ran wild.
Even within Tianshi Mansion itself, due to the chaos caused by the Daoist Reformation, many of the ancient records had been lost, making it impossible to verify the truth.
As a result, later generations of Daoist cultivators had no choice but to continue their practice, following the laws of the heavens while groping forward in their own paths of cultivation.
"This tablet fragnt originates from the ancient past… perhaps it could serve as a clue."
Lei Jun mused.
On the other hand, if this was the Upper Fragnt, then there had to be a Lower Fragnt as well.
Connecting this to Zhang Jingzhen and Chen Yi’s prior interactions, Lei Jun guessed that each of them must have possessed one half.
"Did they cross paths in the Stone Forest?"
"Was Chen Yi also here?"
"But whose fragnt is this?"
Lei Jun was about to continue his investigation when—
Suddenly, his Mysterious Illusory Mirror flashed a warning signal.
"Hmm?"
Lei Jun’s spiritual intuition also tingled—soone was approaching this area.
After a brief mont of contemplation, he activated the Hidden Path Technique of the Heavenly Travel Talisman, concealing himself.
At the sa ti, the Mysterious Illusory Mirror descended, disappearing into his palm. Its radiance dimd, shifting from brilliant to shadowy.
With this, Lei Jun’s presence beca even more undetectable.
Given the possibility of Shushan Sect cultivators, he chose not to use the Breath-Taking Flag this ti.
But for now, his current level of concealnt was sufficient.
Monts later—
A young Daoist in plain robes and straw sandals arrived in the area.
He scanned his surroundings carefully, searching for sothing.
But found nothing.
A trace of doubt flashed across his face as he began inspecting the stone pillars one by one.
Then, he suddenly froze, quickly hiding himself.
The next mont, another person arrived—
A man in black-outer-white-inner robes—the uniform of a Pure Yang Palace True Disciple.
But in reality, this man was a renegade cultivator—Mo Chen.
The straw-sandaled Daoist, whose cultivation surpassed Mo Chen’s, was an expert in soul-sensing techniques and a rising talent of the Shushan Sect—Liao Jie.
"Where is Chen Yi?" Liao Jie asked.
Mo Chen remained calm, flicking his horsetail whisk before bowing slightly in Daoist courtesy:
"Daoist Liao."
As Lei Jun watched silently from the shadows, his mind pieced together the situation—
Liao Jie, one of Shushan Sect’s most promising new talents, had recently broken into the Seventh Heaven Realm.
And yet, he was now standing on the sa side as Mo Chen, Zhou Peng, Gu Han, and even Liu Dongzhuo, the supposedly dead Shushan elder.
"Why?"
"Why was the Shushan Sect involved in this conspiracy?"
The implications were far greater than he had initially expected.
Lei Jun quietly observed Liao Jie and Mo Chen.
In his hand, two Thousand-Mile Transmission Talismans flickered with light.
The mont he heard the phrase “Mortal Daoist Nation,” Lei Jun had already activated the talismans.
At such close range, using the Thousand-Mile Transmission Talismans risked alerting Liao Jie, who specialized in spiritual perception.
But Lei Jun masked the transmission with his own mana, making it undetectable to Liao Jie and Mo Chen. anwhile, their conversation was clearly relayed into the distance.
For long-range communication, the Tang Imperial Court often used Thousand-Mile Transmission Talismans in addition to the Confucian “Letters as Face” technique.
Lei Jun ensured the transmission was stable.
Soon, soone rushed toward their location.
Liao Jie’s eyes flashed with caution.
He swiftly turned his gaze into the distance.
There, amidst the stone forest, a figure moved at an incredible speed, weaving through the stone pillars like a flickering shadow.
In the blink of an eye, the newcor arrived—none other than the Tang Divine Strategy Army’s great general, Shangguan Sheng.
His expression was unreadable as his gaze shifted between Liao Jie and Mo Chen.
Liao Jie quickly composed himself, glancing at Mo Chen before looking at Shangguan Sheng.
“General Shangguan, perfect timing. I have discovered a Pure Yang Palace traitor, Mo Chen, who may be connected to Zhou Peng and the others. I was just about to capture him for questioning.”
Mo Chen remained silent, his expression wary.
Shangguan Sheng nodded. “Indeed, he should be interrogated thoroughly… But first, tell —what is this ‘Mortal Daoist Nation’ you were talking about?”
Liao Jie’s heart skipped a beat before he forced himself to remain calm. Did they hear that from sowhere else?
“Mortal Daoist Nation? That’s sothing Mo Chen and Zhou Peng have been scheming, isn’t it?” he said, feigning ignorance.
A young voice suddenly rang out from the distance:
“It’s your plan—stop pretending to be clueless.”
Before the voice even finished speaking, a burst of white light surged forward.
A towering figure charged in, wasting no ti with words—he struck at Liao Jie with a single punch!
The attack was so swift that even Liao Jie, a Seventh Heaven cultivator, barely had ti to react.
Fortunately, he had already been on high alert since Shangguan Sheng’s sudden arrival. Blue flas erupted from his body, forming a protective barrier against the attack.
At the sa ti, a pill furnace appeared above his head—his life-bound artifact, the Southern Bright Furnace.
This artifact was forged by following the path of the Southern Bright Departure Furnace, one of the Six Great Treasures of the Shushan Sect. Using a vast array of celestial materials, Liao Jie fused the furnace with his spirit, refining it into his personal life-bound artifact.
Within it burned Southern Bright Departure Fire, a rare and powerful fla known to rival Mount Longhu’s Nine Abyss True Fla.
Unlike the Nine Abyss True Fla, which was purely destructive, the Southern Bright Departure Fire excelled in alchemy and artifact refinent. It possessed a balanced force—neither purely Yin nor Yang, but harmonizing both.
As the Southern Bright Furnace manifested, Liao Jie rged into it, becoming one with his artifact.
In the Seventh Heaven of the Artifact Refining Branch, this state was called “Pill Dissolution.”
At this level, an Artifact Refining cultivator completely shed their mortal body, allowing their spirit to take any form at will.
When they later reconstructed their human form, it was simply a manifestation of their spirit.
Now fused with his furnace, Liao Jie’s mana surged dramatically.
The already fierce blue flas erupted into a sea of fire.
But the incoming attacker—shrouded in white light—was too fast and too ferocious.
They tore through the Southern Bright Departure Fire, closing in on the Southern Bright Furnace with unstoppable force!
BOOM!
With a thunderous impact, a single punch slamd into the furnace.
The sheer force concentrated into one spot, causing the furnace to shudder violently—cracks began forming on its surface!
“Take him alive!” Shangguan Sheng commanded.
The figure enveloped in white light slowed slightly, revealing his identity—
A tall, sharp-featured young general, clad in the armor of the Divine Strategy Army, his entire body flickering with white lightning, like countless electric serpents racing across his form.
It was none other than Shen Qubing—the youngest Commander of the Sixteen Guards of the Divine Strategy Army in the Tang Empire.
Liao Jie groaned in pain, his spirit and life-bound artifact suffering from the impact. He imdiately tried to flee.
Shangguan Sheng had been waiting for Shen Qubing to arrive. Now that he was here, the general swiftly blocked Liao Jie’s soul-bound furnace, cutting off his escape route.
At such close range, martial cultivators had the advantage of incredible speed.
And against two of them working together, Liao Jie had no hope of breaking free.
On the other side, Mo Chen noticed that Shen Qubing and Shangguan Sheng were both focused on Liao Jie, seemingly ignoring him.
For a brief mont, he was confused.
Then he snapped back to reality—this was his chance to escape!
But just as he moved—
Black lightning erupted around him, sealing him in.
The silent, eerie Yin Lightning sent a deep fear into Mo Chen’s very soul, forcing him to instinctively activate his Golden Core for full defense.
Looking up, he saw a tall, purple-robed Daoist standing in the center of the black thunderstorm.
Lei Jun of Mount Longhu.
Mo Chen held his breath.
Shangguan Sheng and Shen Qubing had arrived with so signs of movent.
But Lei Jun—when had he gotten here?
Having trapped Mo Chen with Profound Thunder, Lei Jun made no further moves. Instead, his attention shifted toward Shen Qubing and Shangguan Sheng, who were closing in on Liao Jie, while also keeping watch for any other disturbances.
Sure enough, the commotion had drawn others to the scene.
Yue Xiling arrived first.
Shortly after, Zhang Jingzhen, now fully recovered, also appeared.
Both nodded in acknowledgnt toward Lei Jun.
Then their gazes shifted to Liao Jie, now surrounded by Shen Qubing and Shangguan Sheng—a surprising developnt.
Though the battle was intense, the outco quickly beca clear.
Even Shen Qubing alone would have had no trouble capturing Liao Jie.
With his sheer speed, Liao Jie couldn’t even attempt to escape.
Shangguan Sheng’s involvent ensured that Liao Jie would be taken alive.
In the stone forest, pillars collapsed, dust filled the air—
But through the chaos, the flashes of white lightning never stopped streaking across the battlefield.
So fast… Lei Jun nodded in admiration.
Martial cultivators were already known for their speed and explosive power.
Shen Qubing, however, had exceptional talent, mastered high-level martial arts, and wielded his Tai Ting Celestial Physique, which generated White Thunder.
Even Lei Jun struggled to keep up with his movents.
At the sa cultivation level, very few could match his speed—even with Lei Jun’s Heavenly Travel Talisman, Star Formation, and Fate Star Avatar fully activated, he wasn’t confident he could catch up.
But this wasn’t Lei Jun’s problem.
It was Liao Jie’s.
The Southern Bright Furnace tried to break free, but it only sustained more cracks, dents, and damage.
Finally, Shen Qubing executed a Thousand-Pound Drop, stomping the furnace into the rubble—sealing Liao Jie’s fate.
Shangguan Sheng glanced at Lei Jun’s side and, seeing Mo Chen still trapped, gave a satisfied nod.
He cupped his fists. “Much appreciated, Daoist Lei.”
Lei Jun replied calmly, “No need for formalities, General. I rely offered a helping hand.”
Shen Qubing stood atop the furnace, smiling. “Daoist Lei, it’s been a while.”
Lei Jun smiled back. “General Shen, I trust you’ve been well.”
anwhile, Shangguan Sheng briefly explained the situation to Yue Xiling and Zhang Jingzhen.
Upon hearing the term "Mortal Daoist Nation," Yue Xiling, who was always composed and dignified, rarely showed such visible shock.
"How utterly absurd… truly absurd…"
Zhang Jingzhen, however, remained silent, her expression unreadable.
Shangguan Sheng, despite knowing from Lei Jun’s Thousand-Mile Transmission Talisman that Zhang Jingzhen possessed a half-fragnt of the Heavenly Palace Chapter Tablet, chose not to ntion it at this mont in front of Yue Xiling.
Yue Xiling quickly regained his composure. “I need to contact Mount Zhongnan imdiately.”
Lei Jun and Zhang Jingzhen exchanged glances.
Lei Jun said, “We must also report back to Mount Longhu.”
Shangguan Sheng nodded. “Naturally.”
This was a major issue—he had to report it to the Imperial Court imdiately.
Lei Jun then asked, “What about Shushan?”
Shen Qubing smiled. “The Grand General ca with . He went toward Snow Dragon Mountain to rendezvous with Chu Yu and Elder Wei. Once we notify him, he will handle it with them.”
The Grand General—there was only one person in the Tang Court with that title:
Shangguan Yunbo, Supre Commander of the Divine Strategy Army.
So he had personally co to the Southwest.
Judging by the tiline, this must have happened after they received information about Chen Donglou, prompting the Imperial Court to conclude that the situation was too complicated.
Thus, Chu Yu, Shangguan Sheng, and the others required stronger reinforcents, and the Southwest region needed top-tier martial experts to oversee the situation.
Lei Jun had only been aware that Shen Qubing was in the vicinity, so when he activated the Thousand-Mile Transmission Talismans, he had reached out to both Shen Qubing and Shangguan Sheng.
But he had not realized that Shangguan Yunbo himself had also co.
Now, with Liao Jie and Mo Chen captured alive, Lei Jun and his group left the Stone Forest of Nanzhao, contacting their respective sects while heading toward Snow Dragon Mountain to regroup with Chu Yu and the others.
After concluding his ssage to his master, Yuan Mobai, Lei Jun turned his gaze to the side.
Zhang Jingzhen was standing next to him.
Lei Jun called out, “Senior Sister Zhang?”
Zhang Jingzhen hesitated before sighing softly.
“Junior Brother Lei… Earlier, my mind was clouded, blinded by external matters. Keeping the Heavenly Palace Chapter Tablet hidden was a shaful decision on my part.”
Lei Jun replied calmly, “It was your own opportunity, and your own decision to handle it as you saw fit. There was nothing inherently wrong with that. However, this artifact is sothing others will undoubtedly covet—Senior Sister must exercise caution.”
Zhang Jingzhen took a deep breath. “I intend to hand over the tablet to the Imperial Court. What do you think?”
Lei Jun paused briefly before responding,
“To truly uncover its mysteries, we will likely need to return to Mount Longhu. However, sending it through the Imperial Court first is not a bad idea either.”
He understood Zhang Jingzhen’s concerns.
Though she was born of royal blood, a matter as sensitive as the Mortal Daoist Nation made her position even more precarious.
Given everything that had happened, she appeared to have no connection to Liao Jie, Mo Chen, or Zhou Peng’s faction.
However, the fact that she possessed the Heavenly Palace Chapter Tablet made her suspicious in the eyes of many.
As Zhang Jingzhen grappled with her thoughts, Shen Qubing—always straightforward—was busy interrogating Shangguan Sheng.
“So, Chen Donglou—is he really that powerful?”
Shangguan Sheng responded, “I t him once in my early years. He was worthy of being called Shushan’s strongest sword cultivator at the ti.”
Shen Qubing raised an eyebrow. “So Shushan really is all about sword cultivation when it cos to combat prowess.”
His gaze shifted toward Liao Jie, then he lowered his voice slightly and muttered,
"Unlike this guy—he’s useless."
Shangguan Sheng chuckled, “There are plenty of cultivators who advance quickly but lack real combat experience… A reputation that exceeds one’s abilities—this happens more often than not.”
Shen Qubing glanced between Liao Jie and Lei Jun, then leaned closer to Shangguan Sheng, lowering his voice even further.
"But this Liao Daoist… doesn’t seem that famous to begin with."
Shangguan Sheng sighed.
"That’s exactly the problem."
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