Whether the Crown Prince himself was willing or not... that was hard to say...

"The Qingzhou Ye Clan, which previously kept aloof because of the Empress Dowager and the Crown Prince, is now rolling up their sleeves and joining the fray."

Lei Jun suddenly remembered something and said, "The Jinzhou Ye Clan has been quiet lately."

During the internal strife on Dragon Tiger Mountain, disciples of the Jinzhou Ye Clan had been present, and Lei Jun had killed several of them, including Ye Qi, Ye Chifeng, and others.

Afterward, when the Empress personally arrived, both sides ceased hostilities, and everything returned to calm.

But now, through the Qingzhou Ye, Lei Jun suddenly remembered the Jinzhou Ye.

"The Xiao Clan from outside Long (region) will ultimately induce changes," Yuan Mobai said.

Lei Jun nodded in agreement.

Tang Xiaotang reached out and rubbed Gungun's head twice. "What are you here for?" she asked. "Just to show off this little guy?"

Lei Jun replied, "That's only one reason. The other is that the formula for the Heavenly Primordial Qingjing Pill has finally been completed."

As he spoke, he handed the formula to Tang Xiaotang and Yuan Mobai.

Tang Xiaotang looked curious. "It's truly remarkable for the Heavenly Primordial Qingjing Pill to reappear after being lost for so long."

After a quick glance, she passed it to Yuan Mobai beside her.

Although Tang Xiaotang cultivated the Fire Dharma Earth Script Talisman and was knowledgeable about the Nine Abyss Earth Fire, which could assist in Alchemy and Artifact Refining, she seldom crafted Dan Medicines or Magic Artifacts herself.

Conversely, Yuan Mobai, despite cultivating Life Skill Human Script Talismans, was renowned as a saintly alchemist on Dragon Tiger Mountain.

He looked at the formula, filled with emotion. "The Heavenly Primordial Qingjing Pill's return to Our Sect is a consolation to our ancestors of all generations!"

Yuan Mobai then smiled at Tang Xiaotang and said, "Sect Leader, you've only just taken office, and a lost pill formula has reappeared. This truly is an auspicious sign."

Tang Xiaotang waved her hands with a grin. "I dare not take credit for this; it's all thanks to Lei Jun."

Lei Jun also laughed. "Is Master preparing to begin Alchemy?"

Yuan Mobai said, "You can join me when you're free."

Lei Jun understood. "Master, are you planning to travel far from the mountain?"

"There's no rush for the next two years," Yuan Mobai said, "We must wait until the situation stabilizes further and there are no major issues on the mountain. Then, I can leave in search of the Celestial Master Robe."

「In the Northern Lands, Jinzhou.」

In the main house of the Ye Clan Ancestral Land, an old man sat beneath a lamp, reading a letter by its light. Several people stood before him.

Leading them were four individuals: two men and two women, each pair consisting of one middle-aged person and one youth.

The middle-aged man was the elder's first son, Ye Wei, who had assisted his father in managing the Ye Clan's daily affairs for many years.

The middle-aged woman was the elder's daughter, Ye Han.

The young man was Ye Wei's son, the eldest legitimate grandson of the Jinzhou Ye Clan and the leader among the younger generation, Ye Feishan. He was known, along with Ye Cheng of the Qingzhou Ye, as the East and West Liang Ye.

The young woman was Ye Han's daughter, Ye Lingxi, who took her mother's surname because her father had married into the family. She was the most promising young talent of the Jinzhou Ye Clan, second only to Ye Feishan, with her reputation known throughout the Northern Lands.

In a world dominated by cultivators, being referred to as a talented young man or woman meant they possessed exceptional innate talent in the Confucian Sect's path of cultivation. Their Literary Splendor Talent soared to the heavens.

"Regarding the Xiao Clan from outside Long (region), let Qingzhou, Jingxiang, Youzhou, and other areas handle them; we will not participate," the elder said slowly.

All present responded in unison.

The elder continued, "What's the current situation on Dragon Tiger Mountain?"

His eldest son, Ye Wei, answered, "Father, aside from sending disciples to the capital to participate in the Scholarly Mansion's lectures, Dragon Tiger Mountain has otherwise remained low-key and cautious."

"From the New Heavenly Master Tang Xiaotang down to the High Merit Elders Yuan Mobai, Yao Yuan, and Shangguan Ning, all remain on the mountain and have not left."

"Except for Lin Shan, younger disciples like Lei Jun and Zhang Jingzhen also mostly stay within the sect's boundaries and rarely venture out."

"No hurry; they will eventually make a move," the elder said. Then he inquired, "Is there any news on the Celestial Master Seal and the Celestial Master Robe?"

Ye Wei replied, "There's no news on the Celestial Master Seal. However, there are some rumors about the Celestial Master Robe in the south that require further confirmation."

The elder nodded. "Proceed as soon as possible."

Once more, everyone in front of him responded in unison.

Despite issues with the Scholarly Mansion and the Xiao Clan from outside Long (region), the Jinzhou Ye Clan did not change their course.

It was just as the elder had previously decided.

Their primary target remained the Longhu Mountain Celestial Master's Mansion.

Although they were not in a rush, their objective would not waver easily.

「On Dragon Tiger Mountain.」

Lei Jun continued his regular pace of life, managing affairs of the Hall of Steward and focusing on his own cultivation.

Time passed swiftly.

In January of that year, a new Transmission Ceremony had been held.

And now, on the fifteenth day of the first month of the new year, as per custom, the Celestial Master Mansion was to hold a new Lecture Ceremony.

This would be the first Lecture Ceremony since Tang Xiaotang became Celestial Master.

Exactly six years had passed since the last one.

Besides the disciples from the Ancestral Courtyard of the Sect, qualifying disciples from various branches outside the mountain would also converge on Dragon Tiger Mountain for the Lecture Ceremony.

The Celestial Master Mansion, having endured successive great calamities, could only recover its Primordial Qi with a continuous influx of new blood.

As an Elder of the Hall of Steward on duty, Lei Jun naturally played a pivotal role in preparing for the grand ceremony.

It was worth mentioning that his junior martial brother Chu Kun, from the same lineage, was also permitted to participate in the Lecture Ceremony this year.

"Although Our Sect needs new blood, isn't it possible..." Chu Kun seemed apprehensive.

Yuan Mobai shook his head with a smile. "Setting aside other factors, under normal circumstances, Zhong Guang, you would also be eligible."

It had been eight years since Chu Kun had formally undergone the Transcension Ritual and become a disciple of the Celestial Master Mansion.

Two years ago, he had achieved the Three-layered Heaven Dharma Platform Realm.

The minimum cultivation level required for the Lecture Ceremony was achieving the Altar.

However, this was merely the basic requirement and did not guarantee eligibility; other aspects also had to be considered.

Yet, Chu Kun's current cultivation progress far outpaced the other transmission disciples from the same year.

Though his rise was not as meteoric as Lei Jun's had been, he was already considered another noteworthy young prospect after Lei Jun.

The Celestial Master Mansion naturally focused on his development.

Without Yuan Mobai needing to intervene, other Elders had already volunteered to recommend him, and Yuan Mobai certainly wouldn't deliberately hold back his own disciple.

Thus, Chu Kun successfully donned the deep red Taoist Robe.

Additionally, Shangguan Hong and Guo Yan, disciples who had entered the Celestial Master Mansion at the same time as Lei Jun, also successfully participated in the Lecture Ceremony.

Looking back, fourteen years of spring warmth and autumn chill had passed.

However, Wang Guiyuan still wore his Apricot Daoist Robe.

Both his junior martial brothers had surpassed him, causing considerable discussion among others, but Wang Guiyuan himself appeared completely unconcerned.

When they were alone with no one else around, Lei Jun asked quite straightforwardly, "Senior Brother, are you afraid of entering the Supreme Pure Thunder Mansion Cave Heaven?"

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.