Chapter 731: 304. Second Grade Opportunity, a quick chance to improve one’s cultivation (Two in One Chapter)

Xiaozhou Island?

The thought flashed through Lei Jun’s mind, and he recalled the nautical charts he had reviewed for this trip. He then manipulated the Great Celestial Mirror, searching that area of the sea. After comparing with the nautical charts for a while, Lei Jun gradually determined the approximate area. He narrowed his field of vision and continued to search carefully, eventually locating Xiaozhou Island.

Similar deserted islands were not rare in the East Sea, but most were unsuitable for ships to dock and were therefore sparsely populated. The Great Tang Cultivators and Heavenly Order Cultivators had been waging a fierce war in these waters for some time, the repercussions spreading in all directions and driving away the already few island inhabitants. Xiaozhou Island was currently deserted. Under the sweep of Lei Jun’s Great Celestial Mirror, he temporarily found no one else on it. In the sea beyond the island, despite the tumultuous waves and towering billows, no one approached either.

Lei Jun nodded slightly. Concealed by the Taiqing Eight Scenic Treasures Raincoat, he hid his form and silently made his way to Xiaozhou Island. Upon approaching Xiaozhou Island, he did not land immediately. Instead, following the indications of his divination, he quietly waited for midnight to arrive.

The struggle between the Great Tang Cultivators and Heavenly Order Cultivators was intensifying, with both sides reaching a fever pitch in their battle. It appeared the Heavenly Order Cultivators were frequently reporting victories, driving deep and advancing unimpeded. However, after evening passed and the sunset’s afterglow gradually faded, the situation suddenly reversed.

Beams of cultural brilliance intertwined and shot up towards the sky, re-illuminating the sea area that had been engulfed by night. The dense black qi, which had been like a mobile fortress ceaselessly crushing and pushing forward, hit a wall at this moment. Chu Xiuyuan and Ye Yan led the experts from the Confucian Sect in Suzhou and Qingzhou. Together with Chu Yu, other cultivators from the Tang Imperial Court, and Heavenly Dragon Temple’s Abbot Miao Xin, they successfully conducted a large and powerful sacrifice.

The trap was set.

The Heavenly Order Cultivators charged straight into it.

Lei Jun watched from afar, thinking, They’ve charged too fiercely. And they’re not taking the Great Tang side seriously enough.

Under the reflection of the Great Celestial Mirror, Lei Jun seemed to be high in the heavens, his vision overlooking the area below. He could see the great ocean of the East Sea stirring, the vast waters moving in unison, as if forming a massive vortex. This vortex drew immense Spiritual Energy from all directions, continuously growing in strength.

The Heavenly Order Cultivators, by borrowing the fortune of mountains and rivers from within the Heavenly Principle to empower themselves, gained an extraordinary divine quality exceeding the overall average level when in the Upper Three Heavens. Through years of accumulation, Confucian Rationalism indeed possessed unique strengths in this aspect, becoming increasingly mature. Even after leaving the Heavenly Principle for another Mortal World, those Heavenly Order Cultivators still carried their fortune with them.

However, the current battlefield was not the Heavenly Principle, but the Great Tang Realm. So when Ye Yan, Chu Xiuyuan, and Chu Yu gathered enough substantial power to further harness the ways of nature and the earth, they tapped into the abundant Spiritual Energy of this realm for their own use. As a result, the tide began to turn.

The Confucian Rationalist Cultivators’ Taoist Heritage was solid. Even under such circumstances, it remained unshaken, and they persisted in their resistance. But as the Great Tang Cultivators began to shift from defense to offense, the Heavenly Order Cultivators started to falter. This was especially true because some of them had charged too fiercely earlier, leading to them now being disconnected from front to rear and being divided by the Great Tang Cultivators. The Heavenly Order Cultivators had no choice but to attempt to break through in separate groups. With their ranks in disarray, their defeat became inevitable, the situation beyond salvage.

Experts like Chu Yu from the Great Tang side had already rushed towards the vicinity of the Void Gateway connecting the Heavenly Principle with the Mortal World. On one hand, they were to block potential reinforcements from the Heavenly Principle. On the other, they were to seal off the retreat path for the Heavenly Order Cultivators on this side. Chu Yu and the others did not insist on annihilating all the Heavenly Order Cultivators there. It was enough to inflict as many casualties as possible. The Great Tang’s plan this time still had the ultimate goal of sealing the Void Gateway connecting the Heavenly Principle and the Mortal World, not to counterattack the Heavenly Principle. However, while closing the gate, they aimed to maximize the damage to the enemy’s effective forces.

At the juncture of sea and sky, a Spiritual Energy storm swept through. Xiaozhou Island was not in a very remote location and also felt the impact of the aftermath. Beneath the turbulent sea tides, a tsunami was gradually forming. Monstrous waves and torrential rain continuously battered the island, as if about to submerge it.

Lei Jun, positioned off the island, directly bore the brunt of the tempest’s fury. But with the Taiqing Eight Scenic Treasures Raincoat on him, he seemed to have vanished from this world. The raging Spiritual Energy storm and the torrential sea rain passed by him without inflicting any harm. They could not even reveal Lei Jun’s concealed form to the outside world. At this moment, the Taiqing Eight Scenic Treasures Raincoat truly resembled a protective cloak, sheltering Lei Jun, allowing heavenly winds and sea rains to come and go while he remained unshakably firm.

However, such physical obstructions do somewhat affect the Great Celestial Mirror’s ability for precise observation within a small range, he thought.

Midnight had not yet arrived. As Lei Jun waited calmly, his mind was mostly focused on pondering his Supernatural Spells and Magical Treasures. Within his eyes, the Heaven-piercing Earth-penetrating Taliscript flickered with a faint radiance. High above in the sky, at the center of the Great Celestial Mirror, the Heaven-piercing Earth-penetrating Taliscript also shone with light. Influenced by Lei Jun, the Taliscript was continuously undergoing further meticulous adjustments and changes. This helped Lei Jun to continue making general observations amidst the current intricate and complex battle situation.

Meanwhile, before Lei Jun’s eyes, as the Spiritual Energy storm swept by, it also caused the earth veins beneath Xiaozhou Island to begin trembling. Lei Jun observed carefully but did not discover anything indicating the presence of a Second-Grade Opportunity.

Time slowly passed, and the battle had yet to subside.

The midnight hour was approaching.

Lei Jun waited patiently.

Just then, he felt a slight stir in his heart.

Far away, someone was using the cover of the storm to flee onto the island.

Lei Jun focused his gaze and saw that the person was dressed in the official robes of a third-rank official of the Great Ming Imperial Court. They appeared to be about forty years of age and, although looking somewhat disheveled, still maintained their official deportment.