Aside from occasionally murmuring a few things to herself in private, Qin Caiwei remained as calm and composed as ever.
The abundance of spiritual plants across Datong dazzled her.
So hidden realms and blessed lands among them were so extraordinary that even Elder Qin of the Heavenly Master Manor found herself unwilling to leave.
At the mont, Heavenly Master Lei was focused on the information being relayed from Han Dynasty’s Mortal Realm.
Ji Chuan, Wang Xuan, and the others hadn’t gone there as spies, but for various reasons, the major sects there—Shushan Sect, Pure Yang Palace, Xuanyan Temple, and Bodhi Temple—hadn’t completely shut their eyes and ears.
So Ji Chuan and Wang Xuan were able to pick up so of the public intel circulating within the Han Dynasty’s court and realm, and naturally, they passed it along back to Datong and the Tang Mortal Realm.
Overall, the current situation in the Han Mortal Realm was turbulent.
After the disappearance of Han’s Dragon and Tiger Mountain, the biggest visible beneficiary wasn’t the long-standing rival Great Void Temple of the Southern Wilds, but rather the Suru Treasure Division.
Without the checks and balances of Han’s Dragon and Tiger Mountain, Great Void Temple beca increasingly arrogant.
The Han imperial court brought in the Suru Treasure Division to counterbalance them.
The Suru Treasure Division’s position within the Han imperial sphere rapidly improved, and it was beginning to take on the air of the foremost sacred sect within the realm.
They and the Great Void Temple—well, it was a case of “narrow roads for bitter enemies.”
anwhile, Confucian aristocratic families were also rising.
On one hand, the imperial house of Han used these scholarly families to check the influence of the Suru Treasure Division.
Even though the latter was gaining ground, the noble houses and the Great Void Temple—one from inside, the other from outside—still pinned them down.
On the other hand, these Confucian families were now on much better terms with the Han court, largely thanks to the fallout from the Datong upheaval.
With the Five Pillars of Datong wiped out, Han’s native noble houses lost a major ally.
This gave the Han court more confidence in supporting them to counterbalance the Suru Treasure Division within its territory.
Of course, the Han court wasn’t just favoring the Suru group.
Other native sacred sects were also receiving support—like Shushan Sect, Pure Yang Palace, Bodhi Temple, and Xuanyan Temple.
However, these sects currently lacked a Ninth Heaven master to lead them.
Fortunately, the Han Mortal Realm was also undergoing a major surge in spiritual energy, ideal for cultivation.
According to the reports from Ji Chuan and Wang Xuan, the Han's Buddhist and Daoist sacred grounds were producing many outstanding young talents.
“Overall, the disappearance of Han’s Dragon and Tiger Mountain has allowed the Suru Treasure Division and the Twelve Great Confucian Clans to reap the greatest gains—for now at least,”
said an Elder of Dragon and Tiger Mountain, a high master at the Eighth Heaven, hailing from a noble clan in the Tang Dynasty, with an even, thoughtful tone.
While browsing the reports, Lei Jun casually remarked,
“That’s how things look on the surface. But what’s really going on underneath—we’ll have to wait and see.”
He handed the report to his junior brother Chu Kun.
Chu Kun focused on one particular piece of information:
“So, based on what Tan Mu revealed, the Han court’s search for the Great Shaman Long Feng turned up so clues... in the capital city of Chang’an?”
Lei Jun gave a slight nod.
Chu Kun read it over and over, then asked:
“Senior brother, do we know the current realm of the Han Emperor?”
Lei Jun replied,
“It’s been a long ti since he’s taken action. According to Han realm sources, no one knows for sure. There are rumors that he’s grown indulgent and his foundation has eroded—possibly destabilizing the Han dynasty’s fate. But in recent years, all internal and external affairs have been handled by the Crown Prince, Xiang Jing.”
“I recall seeing in earlier reports that the Crown Prince reached the Ninth Heaven so years ago.”
Lei Jun nodded again:
“Yes. He rose to fa early and is known as a capable leader. Though no one knows his exact talent, with the aid of imperial arts, his cultivation speed has been staggering.”
In the past, there were rumors that the Han Emperor’s declining foundation was shaking the nation.
But the rapid rise of the Crown Prince Xiang Jing stabilized the Han’s fate once more.
So despite internal and external strife, the Han Dynasty had managed to sail relatively smoothly.
Still, as the Crown Prince’s power and popularity surged, a new concern erged among the court:
“Two suns in the sky, two dragons in conflict.”
And it wasn’t just paranoia.
In recent years, many internal and external matters had been accompanied by rumors of deepening conflict between father and son.
Their opposition had beco increasingly apparent.
“With the Confucian families, the Suru group, and the Great Void Temple all vying for dominance, the Han court remains aloof—deliberately. That sort of divide only reinforces the fear that the Emperor and Crown Prince can no longer see eye to eye. If they could unite, the Han Dynasty’s strength would be unquestionable.”
Chu Kun hesitated, then asked:
“Could it be a deliberate act? Like how our Tang Emperor and Crown Prince sotis coordinate from the shadows?”
Lei Jun simply said:
“Too early to draw conclusions. Let’s just wait and see.”
Chu Kun nodded.
He glanced at the report again and sighed:
“Things are way deeper behind the scenes than they look.”
Lei Jun:
“The Han court may have raised the Suru group and the noble families to fight the Great Void Temple, but none of those three are easy to deal with. Each must have its own sches.”
Chu Kun nodded quietly. Then he recalled sothing else:
“By the way, Senior Brother—did Master Liu really pass the Heavenly Rift and reach the Seventh Heaven?”
Lei Jun smiled.
“Yes. Right after Bao Bao and the others set out.”
Not long ago, Elder Liu Xiao, a Heavenly Master of the Talisman School, successfully crossed the heavenly rift between the Sixth and Seventh Heavens, becoming another Upper Third Heaven master in the Tang Dynasty’s Dragon and Tiger Mountain Heavenly Master Manor.
After consulting Lei Jun, the manor arranged for him to return later to personally grant Elder Liu his official ordination.
“Aside from Master Liu, Master Yao and yourself have both reached the Eighth Heaven—worthy of celebration,” Lei Jun added.
Chu Kun said with deep feeling:
“With Master Liu’s breakthrough, we now have ten Upper Third Heaven cultivators once more in our sect.”
After the Battle of Liwai, only Xu Yuanzhen, Tang Xiaotang, Yuan Mobai, Yao Yuan, and Shangguan Ning remained as Upper Third Heaven masters.
Now they had added five more: Lei Jun, Zhang Jingzhen, Chu Kun, Lin Shan, and Liu Xiao.
Among them, Xu Yuanzhen, Tang Xiaotang, and Lei Jun had reached the Ninth Heaven.
Yuan Mobai, Yao Yuan, and Chu Kun were at the Eighth Heaven.
Shangguan Ning, Zhang Jingzhen, Lin Shan, and Liu Xiao stood at the Seventh.
Though Yao Yuan had advanced, he still rarely erged from the back mountain.
anwhile, Ke Sicheng and Zhuo Baojie—Lei Jun’s disciple—were preparing to challenge the Seventh Heaven next.
Chu Kun:
“Any idea when Senior Brother Ke might succeed?”
Lei Jun:
“His mind is clear. At least he won’t take unnecessary risks.”
Chu Kun nodded slightly:
“Let’s hope he succeeds soon.”
However, one place remained rather unique.
The Tianshi Mansion of Mount Longhu in the Tang Dynasty.
For both the Shushan Sect of the Han Dynasty and the Pure Yang Palace of the Han Dynasty, their feelings toward the Tang Dynasty's Tianshi Mansion were especially complicated.
Ji Chuan and Wang Xuan openly acknowledged that within Tang's secular world, the Tianshi Mansion stood at the pinnacle of Daoism and was rightfully regarded as the leader of all Daoist sects.
The Tang Dynasty's Tianshi Mansion had, after all, decisively crushed the Five Great Noble Clans of Datong, and its awe-inspiring power drew attention from across the entire Han realm.
After much deliberation, the Shushan Sect and Pure Yang Palace of the Han Dynasty each sent delegates to visit the Tianshi Mansion, with Ji Chuan and Wang Xuan serving as interdiaries.
Naturally, their travel plans had been reported to the Han Imperial Court.
How the Han court reacted was unknown to the Tang side.
But once spring arrived in the new year, the representatives from both sects ascended Mount Longhu together.
Upon returning to the Tang world, Ji Chuan and Wang Xuan introduced them to Lei Jun:
“Tianshi, this is Daoist He, from our sect’s Han lineage. And this is Elder Zhao, of the Pure Yang Palace’s Han lineage.”
The two Daoists stepped forward with their disciples and saluted Lei Jun:
“Master Lei, thank you for granting us this audience. If we’ve shown any discourtesy, we hope for your understanding.”
Lei Jun, through Ji Chuan and Wang Xuan's introductions, learned that the first was nad He Yuhang, and the other was Zhao Haoran.
He Yuhang was a senior elder of the Shushan Sect in the Han world, an Eighth Heaven Sword Cultivator, famous for his life-bound treasure, the Enlightening Sword.
Given the recent news that the Purple and Azure Twin Swords, two of the Six Founding Treasures of the Shushan Sect, were now in the Tang world's Shushan lineage, it was no surprise that He Yuhang had been chosen to lead this delegation.
Zhao Haoran, on the other hand, was an Eighth Heaven Alchemy Cultivator, a senior figure of the Pure Yang Palace, known for his expertise in pill arts.
Based on the intel Lei Jun had, the Pure Yang Palace of the Han Dynasty had close ties with the Han Imperial Family—arguably more so than the Han Dynasty’s version of Mount Longhu.
While Han Mount Longhu had long held the court’s respect, especially thanks to the presence of High Immortals like Ji Daocheng, the Pure Yang Palace maintained more regular and intimate contact.
Its sect master frequently resided in the Han capital Chang’an, with the sect gate located in Zhongnan Mountain, very near the city—thus enjoying special imperial attention and influence.
Privately, Wang Xuan had inford Lei Jun that Zhao Haoran even had a direct disciple of royal blood, but considering the sensitivity of this Tang visit, Zhao had not brought that disciple along.
Both delegations—one in coarse cloth and straw sandals, the other in black outer robes and white inner garnts—wore the most orthodox uniforms of the Shushan Sect and Pure Yang Palace, looking indistinguishable from the Tang cultivators around them.
However, just like Ouyang Jingyuan before, He Yuhang and Zhao Haoran addressed Lei Jun with subtle formality.
Though the Han version of Mount Longhu had gone quiet and relationships between the sects were complex, their first visit to the Tang world was one they approached with caution.
Lei Jun, however, didn’t mind, receiving the visitors with composure.
This first eting involved little deep discussion.
In particular, neither He Yuhang nor Zhao Haoran volunteered any details regarding Han Mount Longhu, and Lei Jun didn’t press them.
Throughout the conversation, this Tianshi of the Tang remained calm—and sowhat distant.
Yet, He and Zhao didn’t feel slighted.
Not because of Lei Jun’s strength, but because it was well known that this Great Ascension High Immortal treated even fellow Tang cultivators the sa way.
He was like a bottomless ocean—serene on the surface, yet impossible to fathom.
It was hard to imagine that this was the man, alongside two other High Immortals of the Tang Tianshi Mansion, who had crushed the Five Great Noble Clans of Datong.
The rough outline of the Battle of Datong was no longer secret, though many details remained unknown.
From the Han side, what was relatively confird was that Tang Xiaotang, National Preceptor of the Tang, had single-handedly breached the Lin Clan's ancestral ground, defeating Lin Zheng, a peak Ninth Heaven Confucian scholar.
That feat alone was shocking.
Afterward ca Xu Yuanzhen, another Tang High Immortal, who directly forced Han Mount Longhu into retreat.
By contrast, Lei Jun’s role remained murky. The most known was that he had captured Yin Ming, Tan Muwei, Ma Zongxiang, and others—without mass slaughter.
He had killed a few mbers of the Ye Clan of Qingzhou, but otherwise seed to show restraint.
In the Tang realm, though, rumors painted him differently.
The contrast between versions made it hard to read his character.
He Yuhang and Zhao Haoran had approached cautiously, but were surprised by how easygoing the eting was—though this only deepened the mystery surrounding Lei Jun.
After receiving the two sects, Lei Jun left further arrangents to the Tang elders.
“Did you see the Nine Heavens Sun-Yang Ruler?” Lei Jun asked Ji Chuan and Wang Xuan.
Ji Chuan replied, “Indeed, that relic is held by the Han lineage of our sect.”
Lei Jun nodded slightly.
The Six Founding Treasures of the Shushan Sect had been created by the sect’s founders, with the Purple and Azure Twin Swords long held by the Tang Shushan Sect.
But the other four had gone missing thousands of years ago.
It now appeared that after the great divergence of tilines, the treasures had ended up in various human realms.
Xu Yuanzhen had once told him that the Ming Shushan Sect possessed the Sun-Moon Universe Gourd, one of the six.
The Netherworld Shushan Sect had the Great Decay Bell.
The Han Shushan Sect had preserved the Nine Heavens Sun-Yang Ruler.
Over the millennia, both the Han and Ming branches had also accumulated other treasures equal to the founding ones.
Yet for a sword cultivator like He Yuhang, the Twin Swords would naturally matter most.
Though Ji Chuan was now the Master of the Azure Sword, he hadn’t taken it with him to the Han realm.
“In any case, it’s good to know that the Nine Heavens Ruler and Sun-Moon Gourd remain in proper hands,” Ji Chuan said wistfully.
There might be disputes, but it was better than having the treasures lost—or worse, falling into Netherworld hands.
From Ji Chuan’s expression, Lei Jun could tell he was thinking of the still-lost Innate Primordial Tower.
So Lei Jun shifted the topic:
“By the way, I noticed the na Wang Jianan among the Han disciples. Soone with the Wang surna?”
The surna Wang was common across all realms. Even Wang Xuan beside him bore it.
Lei Jun typically didn’t associate everyone surnad Li with the Li Clan of Xinzou, unless context required it.
But the Langya Wang Clan of the Han world had a faint connection to the Tang.
Seeing Wang Jianan’s na had sparked a thought.
Ji Chuan nodded, “Indeed. And your guess was right—this Wang cultivator is from the Langya Wang Clan, one of the Twelve Great Families of the Han.”
Lei Jun nodded again.
There had once been a brief, little-known interlink between the Han and Tang worlds.
It was through this route that Kang Ming of the Yellow Heaven Sect had reached the Han world.
Its origin traced back to Wang Xu, the Eastern Mountain Hermit.
The Langya Wang Clan clearly cared deeply about the matter.
Lei Jun, however, remained indifferent.
Since Wang Jianan was part of the Han Shushan Sect, he left it to Ji Chuan to handle.
Following a brief visit, He Yuhang and Zhao Haoran descended the mountain after a few days and traveled separately to the Tang Shushan Sect and Zhongnan Mountain.
Lei Jun stayed behind in the Tianshi Mansion, continuing his cultivation.
Ti passed.
As sumr arrived, Lei Jun celebrated his seventy-third birthday.
His cultivation deepened even further.
Unfolding his Great Ascension Domain, the Xuanhuang Universe appeared as usual.
But as he focused his mana, large amounts of Profound Primordial Qi ford—thick and black like fog.
As he further refined it, the black mist condensed into a heavy dark earth, dividing heaven and earth in his cosmic domain.
Dust floated over the black land.
Below, thunder rumbled endlessly.
What should have been thunder from the Ninth Heaven, now seed sealed underground.
Lei Jun sat cross-legged on this dark earth, a quiet void stretching above him.
The originally black void now shimred in bright yellow light, with countless trajectories floating through it.
He silently visualized his Daoist techniques and channeled his spiritual energy.
His Great Ascension Domain now resembled a massive alchemical furnace.
Different from traditional Alchemy Sect practice—where the body was the furnace and the world the dicine—Lei Jun’s domain beca a cosmic furnace of creation, refining all things within.
Including his own soul.
Within the Xuanhuang Universe, though there was no heat, everything continued to transform.
Around his body, a new type of energy erged beyond the Profound Primordial Qi.
Wondrous and refined—like the essence of elixirs.
It was called Threefold Elixir Qi.
Refining it marked Lei Jun’s advancent to the Second Stage of the Ninth Heaven Realm.
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