Chapter 937: Chapter 348: Long-Absent Best Lot (Part 2)
Not mentioning Lei Jun’s various improvements to the Thousand-Mile Sound Transmission Talisman, just his current cultivation realm makes the talisman he painstakingly creates far surpass the Spirit Talismans circulating in the Mortal World made by others.
Lei Jun mused slightly: "Specialized pursuits, I heed the opinion of the Grand General."
He glanced around at the others present: "However, the risks involved, friends, laymen can anticipate."
Everyone present looked serious, nodding in succession: "Foreign tribes invade, harming living creatures, it is our unshirkable duty."
Lei Jun: "Then it’s settled, time is of the essence, let’s set off, we can discuss the Thousand-Mile Sound Transmission Talisman as we go."
His gaze moved over Vajra Temple Abbot Suoyang, Tianlong Temple Elder Miaoyi, Pure Yang Palace Wang Xuan, Lü Jinduan, and Xiao Chunhui:
"Myself and Grand General Shangguan are both heading into the Northern Desert this time; my friends, please remain in the Guanlong Region to prevent the interior of the Great Tang’s borders from being vulnerable, and please, Master Suoyang and Master Miaoyi, inform the Xumi Vajra Sect and Tianlong Temple, updating the Vajra Sect Leader and Abbot Miaoxin of the current situation here."
Suoyang and Elder Miaoyi both pressed their palms together: "Please rest assured, Celestial Master, I have already sent a message back to the temple."
Jiang Yu, together with Wang Xuan and Lü Jinduan, said: "Elder Wang, Elder Lü Ancestor, matters in the palace will require your effort to oversee."
Though she just assumed leadership of the Pure Yang Palace, situated on Zhongnan Mountain within the Guanlong Region, facing threats from outside, she naturally must participate in this battle.
Although Wang Xuan received the Blood Marrow Jade Body from Lei Jun, he still needs to warm and nurture it, to refine it as a new vessel, and currently, he is bodiless, only in the state of a Nascent Soul Yang God.
Lü Jinduan is quite advanced in age.
Therefore, both Lei Jun and the newly appointed Sect Leader of Pure Yang Palace, Jiang Yu, do not wish them to travel extensively.
Another high merit elder of the Eighth Heavenly Layer, Yue Xiling will coordinate with other palace elders to journey beyond the borders with Jiang Yu.
Similarly, King Zhang Zhen of Weiyang is also involved.
Among other guests at Pure Yang Palace for the ceremony are Mount Shu Sect Elder Ye Dongming, Fang Zhu from the Jingxiang Fang Clan, Ye Cheng from Qingzhou Ye Clan, and Xiao Hang, current master of the Xiao Family from outside Long region.
Xiao Hang and Xiao Chunhui are half-brothers, compared to Xiao Chunhui, a trusted confidant of the current Tang Empress with a position in the capital, Xiao Hang resides in the ancestral lands, with a less prominent presence.
This time, Xiao Chunhui remains in Guanlong to coordinate regions, while Xiao Hang sets off to the Northern Desert.
Steadfast and quiet, his presence brings comfort.
Regarding Fang Zhu from Jingxiang and Ye Cheng from Qingzhou, they are the brightest leading figures of the younger generation in their clans, almost being cultivated as future clan masters.
Despite their inner thoughts, both agree to follow Lei Jun, Shangguan Yunbo, and others to the Northern Desert.
Their followers also accompany them.
From Celestial Master Mansion, elders like Fang Jian, Ke Sicheng, and disciples do not shy away either, but follow their Celestial Master Lei Jun, heading north from Zhongnan Mountain.
"Our sect sister Tang is currently in the Northern Border; I have already managed to communicate with her." Lei Jun reassured the group.
Indeed, he has sent a message to Tang Xiaotang.
"I’m tracking that bloodhound, heading in that direction."
Tang Xiaotang replied: "Currently, I still want to first block that bloodhound; however, the martial artists of the Solitary Eagle Khanate, since returning from Great Black Mountain, I have wanted to see them, if there’s time during this trip, I’ll also meet them."
Lei Jun: "Oh? Long Sky Gray Wolf has crossed over?"
Tang Xiaotang: "And some demonic offspring accompanying it."
After moving north to the Northern Desert, the Great Tang cultivators surrounded the area where the foreign tribe experts were reported to be active.
Indeed, the opponents moved swiftly, already relocating.
High in the sky, the mirror light of the Great Celestial Mirror subtly rotated.
Lei Jun could vaguely capture the opponents’ whereabouts, already moved far ahead.
Those foreign tribes began to roam freely, their movements unpredictable.
Just as Shangguan Yunbo and others anticipated, the opponents also scattered into multiple groups, making it difficult for the Great Tang side to encircle them.
Normally, martial arts practitioners excel in speed and teleportation; generally, their average level is unmatched by other cultivation traditions.
Strong explosive force is opposite to relatively average endurance.
But these cultivators from the Solitary Eagle Khanate mostly tame Spirit Beasts and even Demon Beasts; combining the two, they move quickly and also endure long treks.
Dealing with such opponents, solely pursuing is not hopeless, but is highly inefficient.
To deal with them, while the monk can run, the temple cannot escape, proving more effective.
At present, they have no "temple" in the Great Tang Realm.
But the Void Gateway connecting the Great Song Realm and the Great Tang Realm could potentially become their "temple."
Therefore, Lei Jun and others, as originally planned, divided their forces into three paths to find the initial appearance locations of these Solitary Eagle Khanate cultivators, which is also likely the location of the Void Gateway.
The eastern route is led by Grand General of the Divine Strategy Army Shangguan Yunbo, Mount Shu Sect Elder Ye Dongming, and Ye Cheng from the Qingzhou Ye Clan.
The western route is led by King Zhang Zhen of Weiyang, Sect Leader Jiang Yu of Pure Yang Palace, and Xiao Hang, Master of the Xiao Clan from outside Long (region).
Celestial Master Lei Jun, Fang Zhu from the Jingxiang Fang Clan, High Merit Elder Yue Xiling of Pure Yang Palace, and others are stationed in the central route, steadily advancing the search in the vast and desolate Northern Desert.
"That young Taoist, is he the direct disciple of Taoist Li Zhengxuan from back in the day?" Fang Zhu from the Jingxiang Fang Clan looked into the distance.
In places beyond ordinary sight, cultivators of the Great Tang from all over the country gathered together, then dispersed again to search the surrounding vast barren lands for the Void Gateway.
Fang Zhu’s gaze fell on Xu Rui, who came with Fang Jian to observe the ceremony at Pure Yang Palace.
"It’s him." Fang Jian’s tone was calm.
But unless told, those listening would find it difficult to know that the two talking now are actually blood brothers.
Fang Zhu looked at Xu Rui: "He has uncommon talent and hasn’t been neglected."
In the past, he and Celestial Master Mansion’s Li Zhengxuan were young geniuses favored by people from everywhere, expected to rise higher, and were even expected to take over the portals of Fang Clan and Celestial Master Mansion in the future.
Now Fang Zhu has reached the realm of Eightfold Heaven cultivation, not disappointing expectations, becoming a standout among the younger generation of the Fang Clan, without peers of similar age in Jingxiang except for an unexpected one who went to the Scholarly Mansion.
And Li Zhengxuan has long since fallen.
Once a direct disciple under the Celestial Master like Fang Jian, his advancement is actually very smooth currently.
But not to mention Xu Yuanzhen and Tang Xiaotang, a certain Celestial Master who joined after Fang Jian, is currently in the middle of the team.
Looking at that tall figure, not to mention Fang Jian, even Fang Zhu himself feels the pressure, with a faint sense of looking up at a high mountain.
"Your sect’s Celestial Master Lei, though cold-looking, is warm-hearted, and considers the difficulty of people’s livelihoods. However, he is decisive and does not fall short of the previous Celestial Master Tang." Fang Zhu said.
The Great Tang Dynasty, having weathered storms over the years, while not exactly prosperous and peaceful, has pacified the chaos brought by the Mortal Tao Country, Li Shushan in the Netherworld, and the Southern Wilderness Earth-sea Portal; the territories have become relatively stable in recent years.
In such a situation, it’s not impossible to concentrate forces to battle the Solitary Eagle Khanate again.
However, doing so would consume vast amounts of already heavily depleted court wealth in recent years, with uncertain results and possibly yielding no returns, potentially becoming a colossal bottomless pit.
Lei Jun, leading this battle, however, has no intention of expanding, which has raised some eyebrows.
"Our sect’s Celestial Master cherishes humanity. If more such people existed in the world, conflicts would be much less." Fang Jian said.
Fang Zhu, hearing this, looked far into the distance without speaking.
The conversation between the two Fang brothers, if Lei Jun wished, he could clearly hear everything.
However, at present, the Celestial Master Lei’s attention is focused more on the circulating information about the Solitary Eagle Khanate cultivators appearing.
The information is mixed, difficult to distinguish between true and false.
Lei Jun presumes that some locations have intentionally been obscured by the foreign tribes or a false impression has been created.
The Northern Desert outside the borders is vast, with the locations far apart, and even with Lei Jun having the Great Celestial Mirror, it’s impossible to observe all of them at once.
He roughly listed them: upstream Qingwo River, north of Hongjue Desert, Guyun Plains, Sanku Lake, and five or six places, where the chances were higher.
As Lei Jun pondered, suddenly a light orb flashed in his mind, displaying a message:
[On the day the solitary eagle flies far, a thought arises in the northern sky.]
This was followed by three lottery fortunes:
[The best lot: Go to Guyun Plains, there’s a chance of obtaining a Third-Rank Opportunity, with few disturbances but no danger, and no hidden issues afterwards, excellent luck!]
[Perfectly neutral lot: Go to any place other than Guyun Plains, upstream Qingwo River, Sanku Lake; there’s no risk but no additional gains, fair.]
[Perfectly neutral lot: Go to upstream Qingwo River, there’s a chance of obtaining a Fifth-Rank Opportunity, currently risk-free, but be cautious as cause and effect may entangle later, fair.]
Oh? A rare best lot... Lei Jun read the lottery fortune and compared it to the map, lost in thought.
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