This Fire Marrow Yangfish was a blend of illusion and reality. Not only did it nurture Lei Jun’s Dao Foundation and body, but it also influenced his soul.
He wondered—if a complementary Yin Fish truly existed, and if the Yin and Yang could be harmonized, would it be possible to genuinely enhance a cultivator's comprehension?
“I’ll need to keep an eye out for any related information...” Lei Jun became intrigued. Although there were no leads for now, he wasn't in a rush. For the time being, he would rely on the Fire Marrow Yangfish and Blue Stone Ink to continue his steady cultivation and improve himself.
But then, an external event suddenly interrupted him.
And it wasn’t just Lei Jun who was disturbed.
The entire Tianshi Mansion was in an uproar.
The reason? The contemporary Tianshi, who had been in seclusion for years, finally emerged.
That day, the skies were clear and boundless, yet around Mount Longhu, thunder boomed incessantly.
Above the mountaintop, a massive pillar of lightning shot straight into the heavens, illuminating the surroundings with dazzling light.
After some time, the thunder gradually subsided, but the lightning above the mountaintop lingered, undiminished.
“The Tianshi has finally emerged from seclusion,” someone exclaimed.
Lei Jun and his senior brother Wang Guiyuan both gazed toward the mountain summit.
The gentle voice of Yuan Mobai, their master, sounded beside them: “Come with me to the Tianshi Hall.”
Without delay, Lei Jun and Wang Guiyuan followed their master toward the hall.
Upon arrival, they found the elders leading the group, while nearly all the core disciples of the Tianshi Mansion who were currently at the mountain gate were also present.
Yuan Mobai nodded at his two disciples and stepped forward alone, joining several other elders dressed in purple robes at the forefront.
- The contemporary Tianshi’s uncle, the previous elder Li Song.
- The Tianshi’s younger sister, Second Martial Uncle Li Hongyu.
- The Tianshi’s younger brother, Third Martial Uncle Li Ziyang.
- Fourth Martial Uncle Yao Yuan.
- Fifth Martial Uncle Shangguan Ning.
Adding Yuan Mobai and the Young Tianshi, Li Zhengxuan, there were seven in total.
Except for Senior Sister Xu Yuanzhen, who was traveling far and wasn’t on the mountain, all the core leaders of the Tianshi Mansion were present. These seven, dressed in purple robes, were known as the "Presiding Masters" or "Elder Masters." Both in cultivation and status, they were above the other elders.
Behind them, the Talismanic Daoists clad in deep red robes and the Initiate Daoists, including Lei Jun, in apricot-yellow robes, stood in their respective formations.
After a moment, the contemporary Tianshi, Li Qingfeng, appeared, clad in a robe of nine colors. He ascended the altar and stood before everyone.
“Immersed in cultivation, I lost track of time. I thank my uncles and fellow disciples for their efforts during this period,” he said with a bright smile after the formal greetings.
The first to respond was Elder Li Song, who said, “Congratulations to the Sect Leader on achieving perfection in your seclusion.”
Elder Hongyu, after the initial courtesy, remained quiet, standing silently to the side.
Elder Ziyang lowered his head slightly and said, “Over these years, we have tread carefully, fearful of failing the tasks entrusted to us by you, Sect Leader, and tarnishing the sect’s reputation. Thankfully, despite some ups and downs, we’ve managed to avoid any major issues. Now that you’ve successfully emerged, our sect can move forward steadily, ushering in even greater prosperity.”
“The surge of energy between heaven and earth signals a golden age for cultivation. The younger generation will undoubtedly surpass us, bringing glory to the Daoist path and fortifying the Tianshi Mansion’s foundation,” the Tianshi said with a smile, his gaze sweeping across the disciples below the altar.
Elder Ziyang nodded and smiled. “During your seclusion, the sect indeed welcomed many promising new recruits.”
He gestured for Lei Jun and the other young disciples to step forward.
During the Tianshi’s decade-long seclusion, four Initiation Ceremonies had been held. The disciples from these four groups who were still on the mountain now stepped forward to pay their respects to the Tianshi.
Lei Jun had never seen Li Qingfeng, the contemporary Tianshi, in person before—only in portraits.
Now that he was here, the Tianshi looked no different from the paintings. Despite the passage of over a decade, time had left no visible marks on him.
The Tianshi appeared just as he had before entering seclusion, around forty years old, with three strands of long beard. His features were refined, exuding an air of immortality and dignity.
He offered kind words of encouragement to the disciples, stirring their hearts with excitement.
Afterward, Lei Jun and the other Initiate Daoists were dismissed, leaving only the seven Presiding Elders and the Talismanic Daoists behind.
“Did you see Senior Sister?” Lei Jun asked Wang Guiyuan as they left.
Wang Guiyuan replied, “Though Senior Sister Tang can seem a bit carefree normally, she’s incredibly focused on cultivation when she sets her mind to it. If the commotion caused by the Sect Leader’s emergence didn’t wake her, it must mean she’s at a critical juncture in her seclusion.”
He glanced back. “Don’t worry. Not just Master, but the other elders and the Senior Brother will report her situation to the Sect Leader.”
For Tang Xiaotang, the Tianshi Mansion had bent many rules before. With her unique qualifications, it was unlikely the Tianshi would mind bypassing the fixed Initiation Ceremony date to directly accept her as a disciple.
“The Sect Leader believes there’s no rush. Coincidentally, the next Initiation Ceremony is scheduled for January 15th next year,” Yuan Mobai said, surprising Lei Jun and Wang Guiyuan. “Since Senior Niece Tang is currently in seclusion, we’ll arrange for her to participate in the ceremony then.”
“Even if it’s just a formality, it feels... unusual,” Lei Jun remarked. He didn’t know much about the Sect Leader’s personality, so he refrained from commenting further and instead asked, “What about Senior Sister’s situation?”
Yuan Mobai replied, “Since the Sect Leader has made arrangements and Tang is at a crucial stage in her cultivation, we’ll let things take their course and not disturb her.”
Lei Jun and Wang Guiyuan both nodded.
The Sect Leader’s emergence didn’t result in any drastic changes. For Lei Jun and the younger disciples, life in the mansion seemed as usual.
If there was a significant change, it was the return of Senior Sister Xu Yuanzhen, who had been traveling abroad and came back after hearing the news of the Sect Leader’s emergence.
“Senior Sister, you don’t seem particularly pleased about the Sect Leader’s return,” Lei Jun observed, noticing the pale complexion of the young woman before him.
Xu Yuanzhen didn’t answer. She left to meet the Sect Leader. Afterward, she sat in silent contemplation for a while before suddenly saying, “It was normal for Master to remain in seclusion as long as he wished. But setting a schedule to emerge two years ago and then delaying it was strange.”
Lei Jun glanced at Yuan Mobai, who still wore his usual warm smile. “The Sect Leader must have his reasons,” Yuan Mobai said.
Xu Yuanzhen sighed. “That’s precisely what I’m worried about—he might be overthinking things.”
Shaking her head, she turned back to Lei Jun and changed the topic. “You seem... different compared to before.”
She wasn’t referring to his cultivation progress since she left.
Lei Jun nodded. “Thanks to Master, I obtained a Fire Marrow Yangfish. It’s currently nurturing my Dao Foundation Altar, enhancing my mana and soul.”
“What does the Junior Uncle think?” Xu Yuanzhen asked Yuan Mobai.
“There’s potential for further improvement, but it depends on opportunities,” Yuan Mobai replied.
Xu Yuanzhen nodded and said, “Throughout history, enhancing comprehension has always been harder and rarer than improving bone structure. If you want to leverage the Fire Marrow Yangfish, you’ll need at least a complementary Water Marrow Yin Fish and an item to harmonize Yin and Yang. Only then will you have a chance.”