"It's done..."

Lei Jun let out a long breath.

The Yin-Yang Celestial Physique.

There had been historical precedents for it—figures who had left their mark in the annals of history with a legacy of unparalleled brilliance.

This celestial physique was not limited to the Daoist Talismanic Branch alone.

Movement and stillness, heat and cold, heaven and earth, light and darkness, spring and autumn—these could all be generalized under the Yin-Yang principle, yet upon deeper study, each contained its own intricate and profound truths.

All of these belonged to the principles of Yin and Yang.

Possessing this celestial physique did not mean instant mastery of all Yin-Yang principles.

However, it provided limitless potential, waiting for its owner to explore and develop.

Lei Jun had always had a broad range of interests and enjoyed studying various cultivation traditions.

However, when it came to his own cultivation, he had never allowed himself to be distracted.

Well... perhaps it could be said that Daoist Lei was like a man who kept his main banner firmly planted inside the walls while letting decorative flags fly outside.

The Talismanic Dao had endless depths, and each new layer of discovery brought fresh excitement—enough to keep him completely enthralled.

Lei Jun silently circulated his mana, and in that instant, radiant streams of light spread outward from his body.

Unlike before—when his Yin and Yang energies had been distinctly separate—his power was now perfectly balanced.

But with just a single thought, Yin and Yang could shift according to his will.

This ability had already surfaced when he advanced into the Yin-Yang Sacred Physique, but now it had evolved even further.

Lei Jun's gaze flickered, and instantly, intricate talismans condensed in midair.

These talismans radiated an enigmatic glow—neither blindingly bright nor obscured in darkness—yet they resounded with peals of thunder.

As Lei Jun willed it, the talismans expanded and formed the shape of the Five Elements Five Thunder Talisman Array.

But it was no longer divided into Yin and Yang.

Or rather, Yin and Yang had fully merged into one.

Previously, the array had been constructed from separate Yin and Yang components, which had to be woven together.

Now, they existed as one unified force.

This not only amplified the power of his Thunder Arts but also granted them unparalleled versatility.

If he cultivated the Yang Thunder Dragon, the Yin Thunder Dragon could co-exist with it...

Lei Jun immediately understood.

Normally, Seventh Heaven cultivators in the Talismanic Dao could only cultivate one Divine Manifestation.

Only in rare cases, such as Tang Xiaotang, did someone possess two.

Tang Xiaotang had cultivated the Yin Fire Tiger, but thanks to her Pure Yang Celestial Physique, she had also gained the Yang Fire Tiger.

Her Pure Yang True Flame was something only possible because of her innate physique.

In a way, it could be understood like this:

Her Pure Yang Celestial Physique allowed her to generate Pure Yang True Flame and Pure Yang Celestial Lightning.

However, there was a restriction—even with two manifestations, she could only choose one for her second Divine Manifestation: either Yang Fire Tiger or Yang Thunder Dragon.

Lei Jun’s Yin-Yang Celestial Physique, on the other hand, was not as extreme as Tang Xiaotang’s.

Instead of specializing solely in Yang, it pursued perfect balance.

Because of this, it could not help Lei Jun generate special abilities like Pure Yang True Flame or Pure Yang Celestial Lightning.

However, it did grant him freedom of choice in selecting his second Divine Manifestation in the Seventh Heaven Realm.

And once he had two, he could cultivate a third.

No matter what cultivation path he pursued next, he would find it easier to grasp its counterpart, achieving twice the results with half the effort.

This was especially true for Thunder Arts—Lei Jun had already laid a foundation with the Mysterious Firmament Five Thunder Talisman, which specialized in Yin Thunder.

Now, if he cultivated traditional Yang Thunder techniques, he had a high chance of mastering both the Yang Thunder Dragon and the Yin Thunder Dragon simultaneously.

At his current level, in the Seventh Heaven Realm,

While already possessing the Destined Star Avatar,

This meant…

He had the chance to become the first to wield three Divine Manifestations at once.

This was an unprecedented loophole—an extraordinary, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Even Lei Jun himself knew that if he ever broke through to the Eighth Heaven Realm, he would never be able to replicate this feat.

Had he originally chosen Yang Thunder Dragon as his first Divine Manifestation, then today, he could still easily cultivate Yin Thunder Dragon, but at the cost of losing the opportunity to cultivate the Destined Star Avatar at this stage.

But now…

He had all three at once.

Lei Jun withdrew his mana, silently examining himself.

For the first time, he felt a deep sense of awe at his own fortune.

To be honest, when he had just advanced to the Seventh Heaven, he hadn’t originally planned to cultivate the Destined Star Avatar.

He had initially leaned toward the Thunder Law Talismanic Canon.

However, at the time, the battle against the Lin Clan was imminent, and he urgently needed a power boost.

Coincidentally, his junior brother Chu Kun had gifted him the Celestial Embryo Star Dust, which greatly accelerated the cultivation of Destined Star Avatar.

With time pressing, Lei Jun did not hesitate and made his decision.

At the time, he had hoped to one day advance to the Yin-Yang Celestial Physique, but he never relied on that possibility when making his choices.

After all, who knew when or if his bone structure would ever evolve again?

He could not afford to delay his progress waiting for an uncertain future.

But now…

By sheer fate, everything had aligned perfectly.

Lei Jun stepped into the True-One Altar Grotto-Heaven.

Arriving at the third level, he quietly sat and began to focus his thoughts.

Purple lightning flickered, and arcs of electricity slithered like serpents as the Thunder Law Talismanic Canon materialized in the void.

Its glow reflected upon Lei Jun’s face, turning it completely violet.

Behind him, black-colored Mysterious Firmament Five Thunder Talismans floated into view, directly opposing the violet Thunder Law Talismanic Canon.

Centered between these two great Thunder Laws, a Taiji symbol slowly formed.

Unlike traditional black and white, this Taiji symbol constantly shifted between light and shadow, endlessly cycling.

Lei Jun’s Mysterious Firmament Five Thunder Talisman, though refined over the years, was still slightly weaker than the Thunder Law Talismanic Canon.

But now…

With Yin and Yang in balance, his Mysterious Firmament Five Thunder Talisman began to evolve further.

At the same time, his understanding of Heavenly Book: Three finally reached a profound new level.

Yin-Yang Creation spins eternally, the cosmos shifts and transforms.

How vast, how magnificent.

Lei Jun closed his eyes, quietly meditating.

As he breathed, both black Yin Thunder and violet Yang Thunder now flickered around him.

Though Yang Thunder Dragon and Nine Heavens Thunder Ancestor Apparition were still far away…

He had already taken his first steps.

However… whether others in that demon uprising truly perished at the hands of the great demons was uncertain, but Feng Yi actually survived?

And it wasn’t that he had narrowly escaped death—he had other motives.

In this sense, he was an old predecessor to figures like Gu Han and Wen Zhaoqian.

But…

Xu Yuanzhen said, "He’s not the type to hide in the shadows."

Lei Jun nodded slightly, understanding why Xu Yuanzhen wasn’t particularly excited.

“Any movement on your end, on land?” Xu Yuanzhen asked.

Lei Jun replied, “Nothing yet. The imperial court is still focused on eliminating the remnants.”

“Alright then, you all stay busy. I’ll keep searching around the Eastern Sea for a while longer. Later, I’ll head to Changjie Island to take a look. Let me know if anything major happens on land.”

Lei Jun agreed.

After ending his communication with Xu Yuanzhen, news soon arrived from the ancestral grounds of Tianshi Mansion at Mount Longhu:

“Zhou Peng is dead.”

Chu Yu had pursued Zhou Peng relentlessly, giving him no chance to escape.

Soon, more elite warriors of the Tang Imperial Family arrived to join the encirclement.

Eventually, they completely cornered Zhou Peng, a former Pure Yang Palace elder who had only recently broken through to the Eighth Heaven.

However, they failed to capture him alive—in the end, Zhou Peng was killed.

Master Yuan Mobai explained, “Unfortunately, we couldn’t locate Gu Han and the others.”

Lei Jun replied, “Kang Ming hasn’t had any contact with Gu Han or anyone else either.”

Yuan Mobai said, “The imperial court is still investigating. The Pure Yang Palace at Zhongnan Mountain has received the news, and Daoist Yue Xiling has left Guanzhong to assist in the inquiry.”

The Pure Yang Palace was currently in a state of rebuilding, much like the Lin Clan of Youzhou and the Ye Clan of Jinzhou.

As a newly appointed Elder of the Black Tortoise Hall, Yue Xiling was already burdened with numerous responsibilities.

But the news from overseas was far too shocking to ignore.

Zhou Peng, Wang Jingfang, and the others were known traitors, so their betrayals were unsurprising.

Although Zhou Peng’s breakthrough to the Eighth Heaven indicated deeper problems, at least people had been mentally prepared for it.

But Feng Yi and Gu Han?

Their involvement was completely unexpected.

Thus, besides Yue Xiling heading out to meet Chu Yu and the others, the remaining members of the Pure Yang Palace immediately launched an internal investigation into past events.

“Master, what about the Shushan Sect?” Lei Jun asked.

Yuan Mobai replied, “The imperial court hasn’t officially informed Shushan yet, but I believe Daoist Zhang Dongyuan has already taken action.”

Zhang Dongyuan was an elder of the Shushan Sect, belonging to the same generation as Fu Dongsen, He Dongxing, and Ji Dongquan.

At the same time, he was also a member of the Zhang Imperial Clan of the Tang Dynasty.

While many from the imperial family studied at Tianshi Mansion, there were also those who practiced at the other two great Daoist holy lands.

Zhang Dongyuan, an Eighth-Heaven cultivator of the Daoist Artifact Refinement Sect, was one of the strongest Tang Imperial Family cultivators within Daoism and held great influence within Shushan Sect.

In recent years, the Shushan Sect had begun opening up to the outside world, moving away from its formerly closed-off stance.

This shift was partly influenced by aristocratic families and partly by imperial intervention, with Zhang Dongyuan being a key figure in this transformation.

Aside from his political ties, Zhang Dongyuan was known for his upright character, fairness in handling matters, and formidable strength.

Thus, he was highly respected within the Shushan Sect.

During the Guanzhong Demon Uprising, Zhang Dongyuan personally led Shushan’s forces northward to assist in defending the region, wielding one of **Shushan’s Six Great Treasures—**the Azure Abyss Sword—to slay demons and protect humanity.

As one of the main leaders of the human cultivators against the great demons, he played a critical role in quelling the demonic uprising.

Once the Guanzhong crisis was largely resolved, Zhang Dongyuan wasted no time—after briefly meeting with the Empress, he immediately returned to Shushan with the Azure Abyss Sword.

Previously, when the imperial court noticed mysterious cultivators from the Daoist Artifact Refinement Sect aiding the Tianshi Mansion in the battles of Jiangzhou and Jinzhou, Zhang Dongyuan had already been investigating.

But back then, neither Zhang Dongyuan nor the imperial court could have anticipated that in this current campaign against the Yellow Heaven Sect, Liu Dongzhuo would actually show up helping the Yellow Heaven Sect instead of the Tianshi Mansion.

The situation was more complicated than anyone had expected.

Thus, the Tang Imperial Court wanted Zhang Dongyuan to gather information first before taking further action.

“For now, there’s no more news…” Yuan Mobai started to say—then suddenly paused.

His voice turned strange: “This is…”

It was rare for his master to sound so uncertain.

Lei Jun’s gaze sharpened. “Master?”

Yuan Mobai said, “Hold on, Chongyun. I’ll explain later. The Ten Thousand Methods Sect Altar is behaving strangely.”

With that, he abruptly ended the transmission.

Lei Jun frowned slightly but quickly composed himself, calmed his thoughts, and waited patiently.

Meanwhile—Kang Ming was equally shocked.

“What’s going on? Could it be that the sect altar wasn’t actually destroyed?”

Kang Ming was stunned to realize that the seal on his Talismanic Scriptures had lifted.

Previously, as time passed, the suppression from the Ten Thousand Methods Sect Altar had grown stronger.

At one point, he had been completely unable to draw even basic talismans.

But now…

Through offering incense and praying to the heavens, his connection with the natural world had begun to recover.

There was no longer a powerful force blocking him from afar.

He tested it—he could now inscribe basic talismans again.

But higher-grade talismans were still obstructed.

More precisely, his shattered Talisman Disk was no longer effective.

"Do I need to be re-ordained?"

After his initial shock, Kang Ming gradually came to an understanding.

Their original Yellow Heaven Sect Altar had indeed been destroyed.

But now—

The Yellow Heaven Sect had established a new altar!

A new altar would once again shield the Yellow Heaven Sect cultivators, isolating them from the suppression of the Ten Thousand Methods Sect Altar at Mount Longhu.

However, for Kang Ming to fully restore his Talismanic Scriptures, he would need to travel to the new altar and reaffirm his ordination.

This would allow him to regain access to higher-level talismans.

Was this a good thing?

Of course.

But—

How was it accomplished?

Kang Ming’s expression darkened. “Elder Zhao… Zhao Zongjie.”

According to the imperial court, Taoist Master Taiping and Qi Shuo had both perished.

If there was anyone left capable of rebuilding the Yellow Heaven Sect Altar, Zhao Zongjie was the last remaining High Priest.

But setting up a new altar was immensely difficult.

It required vast amounts of precious resources—

And more than anything, it demanded an immense sacrifice from Zhao Zongjie himself.

Yet, he actually agreed to do it?

Kang Ming’s expression grew darker.

At the same time, Lei Jun was equally surprised.

Later that day, his master Yuan Mobai finally reestablished contact.

"The Yellow Heaven Sect has established a new altar, which triggered a reaction from the Ten Thousand Methods Sect Altar."

Yuan Mobai’s tone was skeptical. “The imperial court has also caught wind of this. The reports claim it was Zhao Zongjie’s doing.”

Lei Jun remarked, “Whether or not Zhao Zongjie was truly himself before—he definitely is now.”

Yuan Mobai agreed, “Indeed.”

The tides were shifting.

“Master, if I remember correctly, the establishment of theHuangtian Ancestral Altarrequires the voluntary sacrifice of aHigh Priest Elder, right?” Lei Jun asked.

Yuan Mobai nodded. “That is precisely what confuses me and the others.”

MostHuangtian Sectdisciples were unaware of the details, but Lei Jun and his master knew the truth.

TheTaoist Master of Peacehad indeed been possessed.

Qi Shuohad genuinely been aidingGu Han,Feng Yi,Zhou Peng, and the others in secret.

If they wanted to target someone likeKang Ming, who had long been a core member—perhaps even reaching the sect’s higher ranks—they couldn’t bypassZhao Zongjie.

WhetherZhao Zongjiewas like theTaoist Master of PeaceorQi Shuo, there was no way he was completely unaware.

So why hadZhao Zongjiecompletely sacrificed himself?

Even ifZhao Zongjiewas still himself, and even if he was willing to selflessly dedicate himself toHuangtian Sect, wasn’t he worried that without anyUpper Three Heavenscultivators, his sect would be at the mercy of theDaoist Alchemical Sect?

Sure,Feng YiandZhou Penghad both perished, butGu Han, anEighth Heavenpowerhouse, was still around.

Or could it be thatZhao Zongjiewas only aware ofFeng YiandZhou Peng, but not of the others?

Lei Jun shook his head slightly. It still seemed unlikely.

“Even ifZhao Zongjiewas willing, transforming himself into theAncestral Altarisn’t something that can be done with a mere thought,” Yuan Mobai added, sharing the same doubt.

Back in the day, whenHuangtian Sect’sfounding elder had sacrificed himself to establish the altar, he had relied on vast amounts ofheavenly treasures, depleting nearly all the resourcesHuangtian Secthad taken with them when they broke away fromTianshi Mansion.

“It’s as if they had prepared for this in advance,” Lei Jun remarked. “TheHuangtian Ancestral Altarwas certainly aging, but it still had some years left before its demise. Preparing for this so early…Gu HanandZhou Pengmust have had a hand in it.”

Yuan Mobai nodded. “Their goal was to take control ofHuangtian Sect, not just use its members as vessels for rebirth.”

They had planned for the long term. If the originalAncestral Altaraged beyond repair, they needed to build a new one.

But who would willingly sacrifice themselves?

“Zhao Zongjiemight have been under their control for a long time—prepared as a ‘material’ for constructing the new altar,” Lei Jun exhaled deeply. “But the key issue is… could aNascent Soul-levelDaoist Alchemical Sectcultivator possess him and make that decision on his behalf?”

Yuan Mobai pondered. “From what I know, unless thatNascent Soulcultivator was willing to sacrifice their ownNascent Soulas well, they couldn’t make such a decision for him.”

“But the world is vast, and there are countless mysteries. I can’t completely rule it out. There may be unknown methods or exceptions.”

“Even if there were, there must be heavy restrictions,” Lei Jun replied.

Otherwise, someone might target theHigh Priest EldersofTianshi Mansion, using them as vessels in a carefully laid plan for possession and sacrifice.

While difficult, it wasn’t impossible.

Looking at the situation now,Zhao Zongjieseemed to have been uniquely suited for an exception.

Unfortunately, the exact truth remained unknown to Lei Jun and his master.

What they could confirm was thatZhao Zongjiehad died—but withinHuangtian Sect, he had ascended to divine status, comparable to the sect’s founding elder.

Whether voluntary or forced, in that moment, his prestige had eclipsed that ofYu Qingling, theTaoist Master of Peace, and the others—becoming the savior of a collapsing sect.

And sure enough, news soon arrived.

Zhao Zongjie’slast disciple,Yu Shao, had inherited not only his master’s legacy and reputation but also control over thenew Huangtian Ancestral Altar.

Although he hadn’t immediately declared himself the sect’s new leader, he had risen to prominence, his authority surpassing that ofKang Ming,Chen Ziyang, andHan Wuyou.

CapturedHuangtian Sectdisciples recently interrogated by the imperial court revealed that due to the current hostile climate,Yu Shaohad chosen not to activate the newAncestral Altaryet.

But in the future, he planned to resume the sect’sTalisman Conferralprocess for those who met the criteria.

Given the sect’s historical and environmental background, theirTalisman Conferraltechniques could be performed remotely—this was already a well-developed method for them.

As this news spread,Huangtian Sectbegan to reunify.

With a newAncestral Altar,Yu Shao,Chen Ziyang, andHan Wuyounow had a chance to break through to theUpper Three Heavens.

If they could survive this turbulent period,Huangtian Sectstill had the potential to rise again.

“Do you thinkKang Mingwill go seeYu Shao?” Yuan Mobai asked as he and Lei Jun discussed the situation. “His circumstances are rather unique.”

Chen ZiyangandHan Wuyou’ssituations remained unclear.

ButKang Minghad survivedWen Zhaoqian’sordeal.

Because of Lei Jun,Kang Minghad narrowly escaped disaster—one could even say he had turned misfortune into fortune.

YetYu Shaoand thenew Ancestral Altarmight still be linked toGu Hanand his faction.

IfKang Mingwent to them, he would be walking into a trap.

No one knew that Lei Jun had savedKang Ming.

IfKang Minghad inherited all ofWen Zhaoqian’smemories, he could have easily impersonated him and infiltratedYu Shao’sranks.

But he had only absorbed a portion ofWen Zhaoqian’smemories—meaning he could easily slip up if he wasn’t careful.

However, if he didn’t go, then unless he defected toTianshi Mansion, he would have no future within theTalismanic Branch.

Of course, he still had the teachings of theDaoist Alchemical Sectas a fallback.

Lei Jun wouldn’t force him into a decision.

It was up toKang Mingto choose his path.

And his choice was…

To find a way to contactYu Shao!

Cautious by nature,Kang Mingwas also the type to take bold risks when it truly mattered.

He wasn’t willing to abandon the sect he had spent decades in.

He wasn’t willing to letHuangtian Sectfall into the hands ofDaoist Alchemical Sectcultivators.

There was ambition in him, but also a commitment to the sect’s legacy.

Without anAncestral Altar, he had no way to compete withYu Shaofor authority.

For now, he had no choice but to bow his head and bide his time.

And so,Kang Mingsuccessfully established contact withYu Shao.

Their conversation seemed normal enough.Yu Shaoexpressed great trust in him but advised caution due to the current situation.

He urgedKang Mingto be patient. When the time was right, he would invite him to thenew Ancestral Altar—where, upon ascending to theUpper Three Heavens,Huangtian Sectwould gain a newHigh Priest Elder.

Having made his choice,Kang Mingsettled his mind and waited.

But after ending the conversation, he fell into deep thought.

He glanced at theshadow of the Heavenly Book, then at the silent and pale cosmos.

Then, he looked inward—toward theGolden Corethat had fully merged with him.

HisTalismanic Branchcultivation was temporarily at a standstill.

But he didn’t waste time.

Every day in hiding, he continued to advance.

The fragments ofWen Zhaoqian’s Nascent SoulandGolden Corehad fused perfectly with him.

This allowed him to do what others couldn’t—to absorb the very essence ofWen Zhaoqian’sentire cultivation.

And it enabled him to progress along theDaoist Alchemical Path.

Closing his eyes, Kang Ming sat cross-legged and entered deep meditation.

This time, he didn’t use theTalismanic Branch’svisualization techniques.

Instead—

Hissoulleft his body, directly manifesting as a Yang Spirit.

At this moment, outsideKang Ming’ssecluded hideout, Lei Jun stood quietly.

After hearing from his masterYuan Mobaiabout the establishment ofHuangtian Sect’snewAncestral Altar, he had immediately set out to findKang Ming.

WhileKang Mingwas searching for a way to contactYu Shao, Lei Jun simply observed.

WhenKang Mingfinally established contact, he could only communicate withYu Shaothrough aThousand-Mile Transmission Talisman, unable to pinpoint his exact location.

SinceYu Shaorefused to meet him in person,Kang Mingcould only wait patiently.

But Lei Jun was different.

As a cultivator of theTalismanic Branch,Yu Shao’scultivation level was lower than his own.

And unlessYu Shaowas in an exceptionally complex environment, Lei Jun could determine his general location just by tracing their connection.

So…

“Chuanxi?”

Deep within Lei Jun’s eyes, the mysteriousCelestial Ground-Through Talismanshone brilliantly.

Between his brows, a faint thread of spiritual light extended outward, piercing into the distance.

Lei Jun raised his hand, guiding the thin light toward hisIllusory Mirror.

Rather than reflecting or refracting, the tiny thread of light passed directly through the seemingly intangible mirror—projecting even farther ahead.

Lei Jun nodded slightly, then immediately set off forChuanxi.

Chuanxilay west ofBashu, bordering theSnow Plateau, its landscape rugged and mountainous, filled with countless snowy peaks.

Unlike the densely populatedBashu,Chuanxiwas sparsely inhabited.

In many ways, it served as a buffer zone between human territories and the demon race.

In recent years, the great demons of theSnow Plateauhad largely avoidedChuanxi, engaging instead in constant battles with the southernWasteland Demons, seldom interfering with human affairs.

TheShushan Sectoccasionally sent cultivators to patrol the region, but their presence wasn’t as frequent as inBashu.

When Lei Jun arrived, he carefully searched the area.

Then, his eyes lit up.

He approached a particular snow-covered mountain.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by lotustale.com