Cultivation: Fortune by Lots

Chapter 639: 285. The Top Prized Sticks at Tao Boy Court (Combined Chapter)_3

After a long while, Wang Guiyuan finally snapped out of it, his gaze sharpening with focus again.

He turned to close the courtyard gate, only to see Lei Jun lingering outside, looking right at him.

"Junior brother?" Wang Guiyuan called.

Lei Jun said, "I rarely saw you like that just now."

Wang Guiyuan replied, "Yeah, that’s true, I suddenly remembered something related to the Taoist Laws, so I spaced out for a moment." 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

Lei Jun chatted with him about what happened in the Southern Wilderness, and after hearing it, Wang Guiyuan gave a bitter smile, "Junior brother, you still have to watch your back."

"Senior brother is right," Lei Jun nodded.

Wang Guiyuan remarked, "I still hope Master comes back soon. The Southern Wilderness now is a total mess—nobody knows what’s going to happen."

He then told Lei Jun, "As I was pondering just now, I seemed to grasp something, so I figure I should strike while the iron’s hot and shut myself away for a spell."

Lei Jun said, "Wishing you swift victory, senior brother."

After bidding farewell to Wang Guiyuan, Lei Jun returned to his own residence.

The first thing he did was check the eldest disciple’s homework.

Overall, this Gungun hadn’t been slacking off in his training; in fact, he was working pretty hard.

But...

Lei Jun said, "Baobao, don’t you think you’ve gotten a lot rounder lately compared to a few days ago?"

Gungun’s jet-black eyes darted about, "I... don’t think so."

Lei Jun was straightforward and unreserved—he picked up his big disciple and gave him a thorough rubdown.

*Well, in some ways, he felt even better in the hand than before.*

Zhuo Baojie chuckled awkwardly.

Lei Jun said, "I heard Supreme Pure Thunder Mansion Cave Heaven took quite a hit."

This little bear cried injustice, "Master, I only ate two bamboo stalks... Ow!"

Lei Jun withdrew his hand and nodded, "So it was two, huh?"

If you ate, you ate.

Although he teased his disciple, as long as the kid didn’t actually wreck the whole Immortal Bamboo Forest, Lei Jun as the master would help carry the blame.

Because Mountain Pi had a unique innate talent; eating like this was actually an effective way to build up power after birth.

Zhuo Baojie, in this regard, could be seen as exceptionally gifted.

Back in Bashu, he’d already shown this trait.

By comparison, Master Yuan Mobai was much more restrained here—who knows if he’d already outgrown that stage, or if now he just had an image to maintain... *Stop, don’t think about that any further.*

Lei Jun returned to the mountain and resumed his previous rhythm of life.

Each day, besides teaching his disciples and helping take care of sect business, he kept up his own cultivation.

He still had to keep moving on this path that connected heaven.

One day, people from the Tao Boy Court at the foot of the mountain came to visit Lei Jun.

It turned out to be an old acquaintance, Elder Du, whom Lei Jun had dealt with plenty in years past.

Elder Du’s real name was Du Yu. He was a Third Heaven Elder in Celestial Master Mansion, of the same generation as Yuan Mobai and Shangguan Ning, and currently worked as Chief Instructor at Tao Boy Court.

"Elder Du," Lei Jun greeted, inviting him to sit.

After a bit of small talk, Elder Du Yu brought up why he came—it was to invite Lei Jun, when available, to come to Tao Boy Court and give a lecture.

Things like this didn’t happen all that often, but they weren’t unusual, either.

Yuan Mobai had gone to Tao Boy Court for lectures more than once in the early years.

Yao Yuan, Shangguan Ning, and the rest weren’t exceptions, either.

If High Merit Elders occasionally taught the Tao Boys, partly it was because their grasp of Taoist Laws was deep—they’d shed new light on things and inspire the students. But it also helped strengthen cohesion among younger disciples and motivate them to cultivate harder.

Lei Jun and Zhang Jingzhen were the two who’d recently advanced to High Merit Mages of Seventh Heavenly Layer in recent years.

After a few years of transition, Tao Boy Court was beginning to invite them to lecture as well.

Of course, not every case was the same.

For example, Xu Yuanzhen had never done something like this.

Still, Lei Jun didn’t mind.

Once he agreed on the time with Du Yu, Lei Jun, besides his own cultivation, quickly sorted through his Taoist Law knowledge and soon prepared a group lesson plan.

Lei Jun was now a legendary figure at Celestial Master Mansion. When he lectured, the younger disciples arrived in droves—every branch of the Tao Boy Court all but emptied out just to attend.

Elder Lei’s lessons were clear and accessible yet full of depth; not only did the Tao Boys benefit, but even the instructors from every division found themselves learning something applicable to their own study.

Later, when the lecture ended, Lei Jun answered questions for many Tao Boys before finally taking his leave from Du Yu and the other instructors, departing Tao Boy Court.

His face was as calm and serene as ever.

He might not seem as friendly as his master, Yuan Mobai.

But he was equally patient, and the Tao Boys could feel the warmth and care of their elders in the sect.

Du Yu watched Lei Jun go.

To be straight, back when Lei Jun had just joined, Elder Du had never expected him to reach such heights.

If there was anything that stood out, it was that Lei Jun had been ushered into the Tao by Xu Yuanzhen and later apprenticed under Yuan Mobai.

But even so, Elder Du still hadn’t seen that this young man would turn out so fierce... *he thought.*

*Truly, as the Grand River’s new wave drives away the old, every generation brings forth new heroes.*

*For the mansion as a whole, that was naturally for the best.*

*Only, Elder Du couldn’t help feeling a bit complicated inside.*

*He was nearly through his plateau and about to enter declining years—in that stage, it would be very hard to push for Upper Three Heavens cultivation again.*

*But Lei Jun was still in his sunrise stage.*

*And this particular sun was big—far brighter at noon than most ever dreamed of.*

*At that moment, Du Yu suddenly felt a little distant from it all.*