Chapter 752: 308. Second Layer of the Eighth Heavenly Layer, Divine Court Intermediate Scene (Three-in-One Chapter)_6

Fang Jingsheng walked for a bit longer before asking, "Has there been no further development regarding Ye Hongzhen?"

Fang Huansheng replied, "Comparatively, it seems Qingzhou has had to swallow a bitter pill this time."

Fang Jingsheng said, "Arrange for the Great Ominous to express our condolences to Qingzhou, as a show of mourning."

After the other party acknowledged, he inquired again, "What about Lei Chongyun from the Celestial Master Mansion?"

Fang Huansheng said, "Initially, he was stunningly brilliant. Despite being only at the First Level of the Eighth Heavenly Layer, he defeated a Heavenly Order Cultivator of the Second Layer of the Eighth Heavenly Layer in a short time, empowered by the three great Dharmas of the Taoist Talisman Sect.

However, he was subsequently sealed by the Neo-Confucian rites and only managed to free himself after a long time, doing so on his own.

That seal was indeed extraordinary; it’s rumored that not even Chu Shuyin of Suzhou could break it with her three arrows."

Fang Jingsheng exchanged a glance with Fang Huansheng. "These Neo-Confucian rites... it might be worth investigating for clues to understand their workings. Even though they are Neo-Confucian rites, if they could be replicated, they might have significant uses in the future."

"I have already instructed the younger members of our clan to head to the East Sea," answered Fang Huansheng. "I believe both Suzhou and Qingzhou are also trying to fathom their secrets."

Fang Jingsheng nodded. "Don’t underestimate Lei Chongyun of the Celestial Master Mansion because of those Neo-Confucian rites. The fact that he could rapidly kill an opponent of a higher realm in a short period proves his exceptional talent and intelligence.

During the battle at Dragon Tiger Mountain, the Thousand Leaves Butterfly King, Rong Guangchen, and Wei Qiyue were swiftly defeated. It seems the key for the Celestial Master Mansion to break the stalemate indeed lies with the Celestial Master Seal and him."

Fang Huansheng acknowledged, "I understand."

It wasn’t that Lei Jun seemed weaker because he was trapped by those Neo-Confucian rites. On the contrary, the very fact that these rites could confine Lei Jun for so long highlighted their value!

The outside world was in turmoil.

During this time, Lei Jun had been tranquilly cultivating on Dragon Tiger Mountain.

However, there was a minor interlude.

In the Celestial Book’s Dark Universe, the Comet Moon Star he had released had found its recipient.

It must be said, they were truly fated to meet. The one who received Lei Jun’s third Dark Radiance was none other than the Ming Dynasty man he had once encountered in the East Sea: Nie Fang.

Although Lei Jun hadn’t closely inspected Nie Fang’s Spiritual Soul and physical state back then, the fact that Nie Fang could self-learn the way of the Engineer Master from incomplete Taoist Scriptures and achieve initial success spoke volumes of his exceptional comprehension. Moreover, his Spiritual Soul was not to be underestimated. 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

The Yanshi Lineage, while incorporating aspects of the Taoist Talisman Sect and the Refinement Sect, clearly emphasized the cultivation of the Spiritual Soul, as evident from how he controlled the bronze automatons.

Geographically, we are still far apart, but in a sense, we’ve met again... Lei Jun smiled to himself.

However, what surprised him somewhat was that Nie Fang was still drifting alone outside.

Lei Jun had initially thought that after Nie Fang understood the situation in the Great Tang, he would seek to join the Tang Imperial Court or, perhaps, the Scholarly Mansion.

Even though Nie Fang had a Taoist cultivation background, he was still influenced by the Neo-Confucian ritual system of Heavenly Principle.

Because the Void Gateway from Heavenly Principle to the Great Tang Realm was sealed, this influence had greatly diminished.

But it still existed to some extent, posing a significant hidden danger.

Nie Fang, having finally freed himself from this bondage, naturally wished to sever all related ties completely.

In this regard, public perception held that the Tang Emperor, as the upholder of this realm’s destiny, was undoubtedly the most capable of resolving the issue.

But Nie Fang hesitated.

Perhaps his experiences under Heavenly Principle made him wary of imperial courts... Lei Jun speculated.

As he had anticipated, Nie Fang indeed hesitated for this reason.

However, he also knew that there’s no such thing as a free lunch in this world.

If he wanted to eradicate the influence of Heavenly Principle’s Confucian Neo-Confucianism, he would have to bear certain risks, and even a price, from this side.

Just as Nie Fang was about to make up his mind, another opportunity presented itself.

Staring at the pale, bizarre universe, Nie Fang was momentarily speechless.

Lei Jun indeed had a solution for his problem.

Lei Jun currently had no knack for intricate manipulations involving Heavenly Principle’s Confucian ritual system or the land’s destiny. However, for simply erasing and severing such influences, the power of the Dark Side of Celestial Book was a suitable blade.

It just required some time for gradual obliteration, making it unsuitable for direct combat against Scholarly Cultivators.

Dealing with Nie Fang’s situation now was straightforward.

Indeed, there’s no such thing as a free lunch in this world.

Lei Jun’s request of Nie Fang was consistent with his requests to Kang Ming and Meng Shaojie.

He needed information about people or matters related to the Ancient Talisman Sect.

This was a perfect chance to further understand the state of the Talisman Sect’s lineage in the Great Ming Mortal Realm.

The Talisman Sect had indeed declined in the Great Ming Mortal Realm, but Nie Fang’s Yanshi Lineage had connections to it.

Nie Fang truly didn’t disappoint Master Lei.

He provided a fragmented talisman.

The talisman was incomplete, and its practical use was limited.

However, the Dharma Essence contained within made Lei Jun contemplative:

Penglai...

In ancient times, among the Nine Heavens and Ten Lands, three places were deeply entwined with the Taoist Sect: Kunlun and Penglai, both within the Nine Heavens, and Netherworld, within the Ten Lands.

Although the Talisman Sect lineage in the Great Ming Mortal Realm has declined, could there be a connection to Penglai there?

It was uncertain what Penglai had become nowadays... After musing for a moment, Lei Jun gathered his thoughts.

Utilizing the power of the Dark Side of Celestial Book, he helped Nie Fang gradually sever the fetters imposed by the Neo-Confucian ritual system.

This involved not only the Spiritual Soul but also his flesh and blood.

Finally, the day came when Nie Fang clearly felt as if a great weight had been lifted from his entire being.

"I... I..." The young Taoist was momentarily dazed, as if he had fallen into a dream.

The happiness he had yearned for, as if in a dream, arrived so suddenly and seemed so simple that it struck him as unreal.

However, his willpower was far stronger than that of ordinary people. He quickly composed himself and began to consider his future.