InYuan Mobai'sresidence,Lei Junopened the altar and began the ritual.

His master, Yuan Mobai, sat quietly to the side, watching his disciple perform theBig Dipper Stepson the altar. Besides him,Wang GuiyuanandChu Kunstood silently.

When facing a tribulation, one could only rely on themselves; others could hardly offer assistance. Nevertheless, this was a rare experience, so Yuan Mobai arranged for Chu Kun to observe. Strictly speaking, Chu Kun was merely there to absorb the atmosphere. He held his breath and stayed silent, his expression serious.

Events like these were rare. For someone crossing a tribulation, having spectators nearby might disturb their focus. Similarly, for young disciples watching, witnessing a failure could leave a negative impression and hinder their own future cultivation.

However, Lei Jun’s mind was clear and steady. The presence of Wang Guiyuan and Chu Kun didn’t trouble him. Chu Kun, though serious, also adjusted his mindset to stay calm. Having already experienced theHeavenly Chasm Tribulationbetween the First and Second Heavens, he silently absorbed the atmosphere of Lei Jun facing a higher tribulation, refining his own spirit through the experience.

On the altar, as Lei Jun performed theBig Dipper Steps, points of light sparkled like stars. The light mist transformed into a beautifulStar River, surrounding the area.

When his figure and the third layer of the altar were entirely concealed within theStar River, Yuan Mobai and the others knew that the true test was about to begin.

At the top of the altar, Lei Jun stopped and sat cross-legged. Above his head, fourPrimal Talismanshovered in four directions, emitting a wondrous glow. Mysterious Daoist patterns and symbols appeared on each talisman.

The sounds of thunder and wind rose together. TheAzure Sky Divine Thunder Qiand theNine Nether Yin Wind Qiintertwined, surging between the four talismans. TheStar Riversurrounding Lei Jun remained, shrouding him.

At the same time, he meditated on his journey since entering the Dao. His Dao heart was neither cold nor intense, but pure and peaceful, vast as the heavens and earth, solid and broad, merging all his essence, energy, and spirit.

With this step, Lei Jun pushed open the gate to theFifth Heaven Dao Palace Realmof theDaoist Talismanic Branch.

The orthodox teachings ofMount Longhudictated that theDao Palace Realminvolved nurturing the five organs, refining the five elements, cultivating the five energies, stabilizing the five directions, and establishing the five palaces. Only when the five palaces merged into one could a completeDao Palacebe formed, preparing a cultivator to advance toward theSixth Heaven. Therefore, theDao Palace Realmwas divided into five stages.

The five palaces corresponded to the five organs, five elements, and five directions. For male cultivators, the journey began from the south, with theSouthern Dragon-Tiger Palace, refiningHeart Fireand nurturingYang Qi.

Next was theCentral Three Pure Palace, associated with the spleen and the element earth, nurturing the balanced qi of yin and yang. This was followed by theWestern Spirit Officer Palace(lungs, metal,Lesser Yin Qi), theEastern Mysterious Altar Palace(liver, wood,Lesser Yang Qi), and finally, theNorthern Profound Darkness Palace(kidneys, water,Greater Yin Qi).

For female cultivators, the order was reversed, starting with theNorthern Profound Darkness Palaceto nurtureGreater Yin Qi, followed by theCentral Three Pure Palacefor balancing yin and yang, and concluding withSouthern Dragon-Tiger Palace.

If Lei Jun still had hisHidden Dragon Spirit Physique, his mana would now concentrate on his heart, refiningHeart Fire, like the blazing midday sun. But with his physique transformed into theSacred Yin-Yang Physique, his mana remained balanced, harmonizing yin and yang.

The first palace he established was theCentral Three Pure Palace. By refiningSpleen Earth Qi, he balanced the central energy, facilitating the establishment of the other four palaces more quickly.

But first, he had to overcome theHeavenly Chasm Tribulationbefore him. The balancedYin-Yang Qirose above his head, merging with the fourPrimal Talismans, forming the framework for hisCentral Three Pure Palace. As hisSpleen Earth Qifused with the talismans, aDao Palacebegan to take shape.

At that moment, a contamination appeared beneath the palace’s foundation, like water seeping into the earth—theWater Tribulationhad arrived.

This tribulation was subtle yet destructive, eroding the Dao foundation, body, and soul. Once it began, there was no turning back. Male cultivators relied onHeart Fireto counter the water, while female cultivators usedKidney Water.

With hisSacred Yin-Yang Physique, Lei Jun usedSpleen Earth Qito combat the water. The illusory palace resisted the seepage, holding the contamination at bay.

Yuan Mobai smiled slightly. His disciple aimed to achieve in a few years what took others a decade. Given time, Lei Jun could overcome this on his own. But for now...

Lei Jun made his next move. The glowingFive Elements Grand Evolution Treasure Sandentered his body. It first merged withLung Metal Qi, then flowed toKidney Water, thenLiver Wood, thenHeart Fire, and finally returned toSpleen Earth.

Metal generates water. Water generates wood. Wood generates fire. Fire generates earth. The five elements nurtured each other, strengthening theSpleen Earth Qi.

The contamination faded. Lei Jun exhaled deeply.

HisThree Pure Palacewas established!

The glow receded, and the palace solidified within the illusory mountain gate. Spiritual energy gathered around it from all directions.

Lei Jun opened his eyes. The surroundingStar Riverdissipated. Yuan Mobai smiled, and Wang Guiyuan and Chu Kun stepped forward to congratulate him.

“You’ve finally taken this step,” Lei Jun said, his face full of joy.

He descended from the altar, thanking his master, senior brother, and junior brother for their support.

“Lei-shixiong, how do you feel?” Chu Kun asked curiously.

Lei Jun replied, “I still need to stabilize my cultivation and adapt to the changes.”

His newly establishedDao Palacehad strengthened his body from within, enhancing both his physical and spiritual vitality.

Lei Jun’sinternal and external balancerefined his body, nourishing his spirit, making him feel even more energized.

Yuan Mobai waved his sleeve, and the disciples followed him to the front hall for further instruction. After the day’s lessons ended, Lei Jun returned to his residence, carefully nurturing his mana and adapting to the changes in his body.

The next day, he visited Yuan Mobai again. Yuan Mobai asked, “Chongyun, are you ready?”

Lei Jun nodded calmly. “I’m prepared, but whether I succeed or not depends on the approval of our sect’s elders.”

Yuan Mobai replied, “Then let’s go.”

The master and disciple left the residence and headed straight to theHigh Priests’ Hall. Lei Jun accompanied his master because he was applying for an earlyTalisman Conferral.

TheTalisman Conferral, also known asSecond Conferral, had specific requirements and timelines. To receive an exception, approval from the senior members of theTianshi Mansionwas necessary. Only after passing the review could he proceed to theTalisman Bureaufor the conferral.

Technically, Lei Jun could have chosen not to apply for the early conferral. However, he had no desire to feign mediocrity; he preferred to follow his natural path. Moreover, without the conferral, Yuan Mobai couldn’t pass on theFourth Scroll of the True-One Righteous Dao Canonto him. This would hinder his future cultivation, making his recent breakthrough to the Fifth Heaven pointless.

At this time, aside fromXu Yuanzhen,Li Zhengxuan, and the exceptionalTang Xiaotang, the other senior elders were all present in the mansion. Thus, Lei Jun underwent the review process before several elders simultaneously.

Lei Jun’s rapid progress astonishedLi Song,Li Hongyu,Li Ziyang,Yao Yuan, andShangguan Ning.

“A Fifth Heaven cultivator at just thirty years old,” Yao Yuan remarked, his gaze sweeping across the others. “Considering he started learning the Dao at eighteen, this is truly exceptional.”

Even if Lei Jun had received theTalisman Conferralearly on, his current progress was beyond expectations.

“In terms of cultivation level, he’s undoubtedly qualified. As for the timeline…” Yao Yuan trailed off, looking to the others for consensus.

He wasn’t opposing the request; he was simply confirming whether they should grant an exception. Such exceptions weren’t unprecedented. The sect had already made numerous exceptions forTang Xiaotangdue to her extraordinary potential.

While Lei Jun’s potential didn’t yet surpass Tang Xiaotang’s, he had clearly outpaced many of his peers. What was once considered a promising seedling had now sprouted and grown vigorously. Compared to other talented disciples,Lei-shizhihad emerged as a standout.

“Chongyun is indeed excellent,” Yuan Mobai said. “But we must follow the rules.”

He continued, “However, the sect’s regulations state that if a disciple has made significant contributions, early conferral is permitted.”

Li Ziyang and Yao Yuan nodded. “That’s correct.”

Yuan Mobai turned to Lei Jun, who respectfully presented several talismans. The elders didn’t need to touch them; a mere glance revealed everything. These were various types of foundational talismans, previously unrecorded in the sect’sTalismanic Scriptures.

It was evident that the designs were rooted in theTianshi Mansion’sorthodox talisman arts, yet they contained ingenious innovations beyond the capability of ordinary disciples.

Li Hongyu looked at Lei Jun. “Lei-shizhi, did you create these yourself, or did you obtain them from elsewhere?”

Lei Jun replied, “I created them myself—just humble attempts. Please guide me, honored elders.”

Li Hongyu shook her head. “They’re already very good.”

While it wasn’t difficult for the elders to modify or innovate basic talismans, few dedicated themselves to systematic research. Their focus was on higher-level talismans and mystical arts. For someone as young as Lei Jun, with his relatively modest cultivation level, such accomplishments were remarkable.

There was no doubt that these foundational talismans would benefit future generations of theTianshi Mansion’sdisciples.

This time, Lei Jun did not present hisLife-Bound Talisman, theFive Thunder Talisman. Though he had elevated it to theYin Five Thunder True Law Talisman, he chose to withhold it. Instead, he presented other foundational talismans like theChain Flame Talismanand theFlying Fire Talisman. These were byproducts of his experiments before perfecting theFive Thunder Talisman. Their power surpassed the traditionalFlame TalismanandThunder Talisman.

Of course, these talismans consumed more mana and mental energy, especially for cultivators in theLower Three Heavens. Nevertheless, their value was undeniable.

EvenLi Song, the eldest and most senior elder present, acknowledged their worth. No one doubted that these were Lei Jun’s creations or suspected Yuan Mobai of intervening on his behalf.

TheHigh Priests’ Hallapproved the request without difficulty. Lei Jun’s contributions to the sect’s talismanic arts were significant, and his merit justified early conferral.

Upon leaving theHigh Priests’ Hall, Lei Jun proceeded to theTalisman Bureau. There, he received theTaishang True-One Authority Talisman, commonly known as theAuthority Talisman. His official rank rose from Sixth Grade to Fifth Grade.

With this promotion, Lei Jun’s privileges within the sect improved accordingly. However, what he valued most was the opportunity to learn theFourth Scroll of the True-One Righteous Dao Canonfrom Yuan Mobai.

Lei Jun’s cultivation journey was now on a fast track, and he was determined to keep advancing.

The conferral went smoothly, but like a pebble dropped into a pond, it stirred renewed attention.

“Lei-shixiong’s progress is almost too fast!”

InElder Shangguan Ning’sresidence, his disciple,Shangguan Hong, was stunned. “It’s only been three or four years since he received his first talisman conferral, right? He ascended from the Third Heaven to the Fourth Heaven, and now he’s already in the Fifth Heaven?”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by lotustale.com