Zhong Yunfei perished deep within the mountain. The collapse of Qiántiān Peak buried not only him but also nearby Yellow Heaven Sect disciples. For miles around, not a single soul survived.
Hearing his disciples’ report, the Tianxu Sect Leader Tu Guangyu nodded silently. By now, his composure had returned. He waved a hand, and the disciple withdrew.
Although they had repelled the Yellow Heaven Sect’s assault, the Tianxu Sect had suffered heavy losses. Following Tu Guangyu’s orders, the disciples gathered their fallen comrades’ bodies and tended to the wounded.
Lei Jun assisted for a few days until the sect’s morale stabilized and it seemed the Yellow Heaven Sect would not launch another attack. Then, he bid farewell to Tu Guangyu and the other high-ranking members of the Tianxu Sect.
The news was that aside from the Yellow Heaven Sect, no other enemies were targeting the Tianshi Mansion. Most attention was now focused on the Lin Clan of Jiangzhou.
The Lin Clan’s temporary silence did not mean the matter was settled. On the contrary, Jiangzhou was in a state of upheaval. Meanwhile, though the battles around Mount Longhu continued, the situation had reached a stalemate and was no longer as dire.
Lei Jun took his leave, deciding to return to Mount Longhu.
Xia Qing, still recovering from Zhong Yunfei’s treachery, was physically and mentally weak. Given the shortage of manpower in the Tianxu Sect, she chose to remain and recuperate rather than travel with Lei Jun.
After leaving the Tianxu Mountain, Lei Jun oriented himself and set out. He did not head directly for Mount Longhu but visited another place first—the site where he had first arrived in this world.
Once, the area was covered with green mountains, lush forests visible across the river. Now, all that remained was desolation.
Lei Jun wasn’t disappointed. On the contrary, this proved that the green mountain had been extraordinary. His encounter with Senior Sister Xu Yuanzhen likely happened because she, too, had been searching for the lost Tianshi Seal.
For some reason, she had left empty-handed. Perhaps the Tianshi Seal, sensing her presence, had shifted away on its own. In hindsight, that purifying breeze he had felt back then was probably a sign of the Tianshi Seal’s departure.
Lei Jun smirked at the irony. Had he not interfered, Xu Yuanzhen might have found the seal.
Now, his eyes narrowed sharply as he gazed at the distant mountains. Someone else had beaten him here. People in deep-red and apricot-yellow robes were excavating the mountain, clearly searching for something.
“Yellow Heaven Sect disciples?” Lei Jun murmured.
The timing was too perfect. Such coincidences often hid deeper causes.
Concealing himself, Lei Jun prepared to observe. But before he could act, the distant peak trembled violently.
Suddenly, a blue flame shot skyward, piercing the clouds.
Along with the flame came a tiger’s roar, shaking the heavens. Though not particularly loud, the roar jolted Lei Jun’s soul as if trying to tear it from his body.
The Yellow Heaven Sect disciples were even worse off, their hearts pounding in terror.
A blazing, blue-fire tiger emerged from the earth, leaping to the mountain’s summit.
“...The Yin Fire Tiger?!” the leading Yellow Heaven Sect Elder muttered, stunned.
The fiery tiger roared, flames sweeping out and incinerating the disciples before they could move. They were reduced to ashes, not even bones remaining.
Lei Jun watched the tiger’s fury and nearly burst out laughing.
“This is Xu Yuanzhen’s handiwork!”
Even though she had left empty-handed, his Senior Sister had thoughtfully left a parting “gift.”
The Yin Fire Tiger—formally known as the Nine Abyss Flame Ancestor Manifestation—was one of the Tianshi Mansion’s three supreme mystical abilities.
The Daoist Talismanic Branch divided its highest-level spells into three:
These were the pinnacle of Tianshi Mansion’s power, symbolizing the union of yin and yang, of thunder and fire.
“Buried for nearly seven years, and it still packs such a punch,” Lei Jun marveled.
As the blue flames subsided, Lei Jun approached, collecting the traces left behind by the Yellow Heaven Sect disciples. Comparing these to the markings on the Tianshi Seal he obtained from Qiántiān Peak, Lei Jun began to understand.
Some things were no coincidence.
The Yellow Heaven Sect shared origins with the Tianshi Mansion. Since the death of Li Cangting and the disappearance of the Tianshi Seal, they had been hunting for it relentlessly.
Recently, the Tianshi Seal had become more active. The current crisis facing the Tianshi Mansion had awakened its latent spirit, drawing it back toward Mount Longhu.
“So, the Tianshi Seal is returning to the Tianshi Mansion... That’s some dark humor right there,” Lei Jun muttered, unable to suppress a grin.