[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-cultivation-fortune-by-lots":3,"chapter-cultivation-fortune-by-lots-cultivation-fortune-by-lots-chapter-286":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Cultivation: Fortune by Lots",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1726800,2206,"Chapter 286 - 183. The Seven Luminaries Gathered Together_3","cultivation-fortune-by-lots-chapter-286",286,"\u003Cp>......\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The imperial procession did not stay at Dragon Tiger Mountain for long.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before the New Year, the Empress was set to return to the Capital.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, she remained at Dragon Tiger Mountain for only a day and a night before resuming her journey.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This public visit served more to demonstrate her stance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The third internal conflict at Dragon Tiger Mountain had, by now, reached its conclusion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In a certain sense, the Empress’s personal presence at Dragon Tiger Mountain acted as the best congratulatory gift for the new Celestial Master’s accession.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nevertheless, official rewards were, of course, not lacking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The largest share, without a doubt, went to Tang Xiaotang, the newly appointed Celestial Master.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beneath Tang Xiaotang, all members of Dragon Tiger Mountain received something, some more, some less, but no one was left empty-handed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the chaos of the civil strife, the Celestial Master Mansion finally gained a bit of festive spirit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aside from Tang Xiaotang and the three High Merit Elders, Lei Jun and other talisman-bestowed Taoists naturally received the most generous rewards.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From Taoist crown, to robe, to shoes, to horsetail whisk and ruyi, a whole new set of apparel went without saying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beyond that, there were also plenty of Five Qi Stones and Guanghua Jade, useful for cultivation among the Taoist Talisman Sect of the Middle Three Heavens; two hundred cuts of Purple Smoke Talisman Paper, twenty pellets of Pine Essence Talisman Ink, five Dragon Whisker Talisman Pens...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These items were distributed in matching sets to Lei Jun, Lin Shan, Zhang Jingzhen, Fang Jian, and the rest, with little difference among them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Where they differed was that each person received a unique spiritual object.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The spiritual object bestowed upon Lei Jun was a spirit plant—the Twin Spirit Treasure Tree, bearing dual blossoms with worlds within, an object of much utility for Taoist Talisman Sect cultivators of the Middle Three Heavens.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But to him personally, it was somewhat tasteless to use, yet a pity to cast aside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The greatest purpose of the Twin Spirit Treasure Tree was to aid Longhu Mountain Inheritors in cultivating the Dragon-Tiger Dual Spirits method.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lei Jun had also cultivated the Dragon-Tiger Dual Spirits method, but it was not the focus of his practice, nor did he intend for it to become his life-bound magic art.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With the help of the Twin Spirit Treasure Tree, his Dragon-Tiger Dual Spirits would indeed improve, but if Lei Jun were to answer honestly, he much preferred the Gathering Yuan Ice Soul Lin Shan received.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This treasure offered no specific targeted effect, but it could assist a cultivator’s daily practice, proving useful at all times.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Such a distribution of rewards did not seem surprising.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps it was due to Shangguan Ning’s influence, or perhaps it simply aligned with Lin Shan’s own intentions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was eager for interactions with the Tang Imperial Court.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time, with the Tang Emperor arriving at Dragon Tiger Mountain, Lin Shan busied himself ceaselessly, investing much effort.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His mentor, Shangguan Ning, also apparently wished to foster him, entrusting many hosting matters to Lin Shan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>None at Dragon Tiger Mountain minded this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>*After suffering one calamity after another, with wounds both literal and figurative, the Celestial Master Mansion was mired in one of its lowest states in recent years; forging closer ties with the Tang Imperial Family was perhaps inevitable.*\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Shan was merely a representative of this tendency.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was young, with deep potential, and his current cultivation had already reached the Sixth Heavenly Realm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Previously he had stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Zhang Jingzhen, Li Kong, Li Xuan, and Xia Xiushan as a rising star of the younger generation, second only—perhaps—a half-step behind Zhang Jingzhen, but never overshadowed by the others.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Were it not so, Li Xuan would not have been tempted to harm Lin Shan after gaining a rare opportunity in Sword Valley.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the war, from most people’s perspectives, Li Xuan had disappeared, and Li Kong had met a certain end.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The siblings Xia Xiushan and Xia Qing, too, had vanished, and nothing had been heard from the Lanshan side either.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Within the younger generation at the Celestial Master Mansion, Lin Shan’s stature was now all the greater.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Tang Imperial Family, naturally, was not stingy with their rewards for Lin Shan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In comparison, Master Lei, as always, maintained friendly relations with all, but likewise never grew too close to anyone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Twin Spirit Treasure Tree he received was, in name, no less than the Gathering Yuan Ice Soul.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet it felt just a bit ill-suited for him personally.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>*As if reflecting his own less-than-intimate rapport with Her Majesty the Empress.*\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lei Jun’s outward composure betrayed nothing unusual; he remained, as ever, amenable to circumstance, calm and tranquil.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>*From this perspective, Lin Shixiong’s Gathering Yuan Ice Soul was precisely the Sixth-Rank Opportunity mentioned in that perfectly neutral lot of fate.*\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>*But this Twin Spirit Treasure Tree—no matter how you look at it—hardly seemed like a Fifth Grade Opportunity.*\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>*Especially for me personally, it simply is not suited to my needs...* Lei Jun silently mused.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he did not dwell on it, instead putting away the item for now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Later that night, however, a visitor arrived unannounced.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Zhang?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lei Jun gazed at the suddenly arriving Zhang Jingzhen, *a flicker of emotion stirring in his heart.*\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He invited Zhang Jingzhen to sit in the courtyard and served her tea.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After some small talk, Zhang Jingzhen got to the point and said frankly, \"Lei, I feel ashamed. My purpose in coming here today is to ask for your assistance.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lei Jun replied, \"Zhang, you’re too polite. The elders of our Sect have always taught us to help one another. May I ask if there’s anything I can do for you?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"During this round of imperial rewards,\" Zhang Jingzhen said, \"I noticed you received a new Twin Spirit Treasure Tree. I wonder, would you be willing to part with it? Of course, I have no intention of receiving your spiritual object for nothing. If you would, I think perhaps we can trade—an exchange for mutual benefit.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lei Jun rarely used his true skills before others, so few knew what his life-bound magic arts actually were.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, he had only just reached the Fifth Heaven Layer; when he entered the Sixth Heavenly Layer, he would still have another chance to pick a life-bound school of dharma.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Jingzhen, naturally, had no way of knowing he had never considered practicing the Dragon-Tiger Dual Spirits as his life-bound magic, and so was unaware that the Twin Spirit Treasure Tree was of little value to him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lei Jun was just trying to recall which item Zhang Jingzhen had received this time, but saw that Zhang Jingzhen produced another item.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A small bottle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You have studied under Master Yuan, Lei; your corporeal life mastery must be formidable.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Jingzhen explained, \"Earlier, I chanced upon this bottle of Blood-Vigorating Heaven Brew. It can further strengthen the body and essence, and I think it’s a perfect fit for you. Of course, if there’s anything else you need, I can try to arrange it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No need, Zhang, you’re too courteous.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lei Jun raised his brow. \"This bottle of Blood-Vigorating Heaven Brew will do.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In comparison to the Twin Spirit Treasure Tree, the Blood-Vigorating Heaven Brew was indeed the spiritual object best suited to his cultivation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>*So the Fifth Grade Opportunity lay here after all?*\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>*If that’s the case, I’m now a bit curious about what hidden peril there is in Lin Shan’s perfectly neutral lot...* Lei Jun thought to himself.\u003C\u002Fp>",1256,"2026-06-06T15:53:51.376Z",1,"novelbin.me","efc0a04b02182ea2eeae7b7014a8b25b08d23221d3f134ddf2c2277734f7c1cb","cultivation-fortune-by-lots-chapter-287","cultivation-fortune-by-lots-chapter-285",801,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fcultivation-fortune-by-lots-cover.jpg"]