"Senior Brother, have you ever heard of the phenomenon of 'the Immortal Net Encircling the Sun'?" Chu Kun didn't hide anything when Lei Jun asked, and simply inquired in return.

Lei Jun recalled, "I have no impression of it. Why do you ask?"

"When I was in Suzhou," Chu Kun explained, "I once came across a brief mention of it in a collection of books, but I didn't understand the details. I previously asked Master about it. He mentioned that there seemed to be records of it in Our Sect's collection, but they were obscure and rarely consulted. He himself had never directly seen them. It was something Elder He of the Edict Hall had mentioned a long time ago, so I came here to the Edict Hall to search."

The Elder He mentioned was a former duty Elder at the Edict Hall. Unfortunately, he perished during the internal strife more than three years ago. After his death, the position of duty Elder of the Edict Hall became vacant, and Zhang Jingzhen and Lei Jun successively filled the role.

Although Lei Jun also enjoyed reading in the Edict Hall, he focused most of his energy on his own cultivation. The ancient texts in the Edict Hall were as vast as the sea; not even Yuan Mobai had read them all, let alone Lei Jun. The phenomenon of 'the Immortal Net Encircling the Sun' sounded more like accounts from apocryphal legends and folktales than specialized texts, making it difficult to search for. Elder He had overseen the Edict Hall for many years and might have provided some guidance, but now Chu Kun could only search slowly on his own.

Having recently been tasked with overseeing the Edict Hall, Lei Jun also planned to take time to peruse some of its collection. He didn't ask Chu Kun why he was looking for records of 'the Immortal Net Encircling the Sun,' simply saying, "I'll also keep an eye out when I'm reading."

"That would be fantastic!" Chu Kun replied.

Lei Jun left his junior brother Chu Kun to search on his own while he personally patrolled the Edict Hall. The Edict Hall was extensive and not solely under Lei Jun's care. Several transmission disciples would periodically take turns helping guard the hall. In addition to these disciples and Lei Jun, the duty Elder, four Talisman-bestowed Taoists were also there to assist. Typically, they worked in pairs, alternating shifts.

Previously, Lei Jun had left the mountain with Yuan Mobai and had filed a report with the Celestial Master Mansion. During his absence, those four Talisman-bestowed Taoists were temporarily in charge of the Edict Hall. Presently, two of them were on duty.

When Lei Jun arrived at a side room in the Edict Hall's main building, the two Talisman-bestowed Taoists on duty quickly stood up to greet him. "Elder Lei."

"You've worked hard these past few days," Lei Jun said.

They hastily replied, "Elder Lei, you're too kind. It's all part of our duties. Besides, the Edict Hall is relatively quiet."

"I'll be on duty here for the next few days," Lei Jun told them. "You can rest."

Both Talisman-bestowed Taoists said, "We wouldn't dare presume."

After a brief chat, Lei Jun said, "I'll patrol the building."

He patrolled the Edict Hall. Along the way, he encountered the transmission disciples on duty, who promptly saluted him. He casually waved, signaling them to continue, then walked on with his hands behind his back, continuing his inspection of the hall.

Hmm, am I now actually doing the legendary job of a librarian? Lei Jun's thoughts drifted somewhat.

He shook his head and chuckled to himself.

After inspecting the Edict Hall and finding nothing amiss, Lei Jun went to check on his junior brother Chu Kun, who still hadn't found what he was looking for. Seeing this, Lei Jun couldn't help but feel a bit wistful, reminiscing about the search functions in libraries back on Blue Star. He stopped to help Chu Kun sift through the books.

Days in the Edict Hall were far more leisurely than in the Hall of Steward. In the following days, Lei Jun continued his cultivation while also browsing the books in the Edict Hall.

Dragon Tiger Mountain had been unusually peaceful in recent years.

In the outside world, turmoil abounded. The world is vast, yet one wave had barely settled before another rose elsewhere. The Southern Wilderness, for example, was in turmoil. Golden City Stronghold was in dire straits under the Blood River Sect's aggressive onslaught. The Southern Wilderness was loosely governed, with each entity fending for itself. This made it difficult to apply the adage, 'when the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold,' as it was unclear who represented the lips and who the teeth.

Wei Ancheng and the Blood River Sect's rapid ascent put considerable pressure on the other four lineages of the Southern Witch Sect. It might seem straightforward for the weaker factions to unite against the strong and collectively confront Blood River. However, this was not a matter that could be settled with mere words. The already blood-soaked Southern Wilderness was descending further into chaos.

The Central Earth Great Tang, while experiencing some disturbances, seemed an image of peace and prosperity compared to the south. Of course, this was partly because many disputes within the Great Tang occurred behind the scenes. Many conflicts that shaped the nation's fate often went unnoticed by the common people.

For example, Lei Jun had heard from Master Yuan Mobai that the Xiao Clan of Longwai was suffering internal strife, a calamity brewing within its own walls. Common wisdom suggested that the Xiao Clan of Longwai, having suffered heavy losses, urgently needed to unite, overcome its difficulties, and recuperate. Yet, they followed in the footsteps of Mount Shu and the Celestial Master Mansion, igniting a discreet but fierce and bloody purge.

The reason was none other than the new Clan Chief, Xiao Hang, who had disrupted the clan's Ancestor System, which had been in place for years. Even though the Xiao Clan was at a low point, the conservative elders within the clan could no longer tolerate the situation. In their view, if this was left unchecked, the Xiao Clan would have no chance of revival.

The root of the disaster lay with the siblings Xiao Chunhui and Xiao Xueting, whose identities had been contentious from the start. The clan had misjudged them. Now, under the influence of the new Clan Chief, Xiao Hang, and with the backing of the Tang Imperial Court, these fundamental problems had come to the fore.

They were truly undermining the Xiao Family's foundations!

The internal discord threatened to lead the Xiao Clan of Longwai into further decline, perhaps even into an abyss. However, if they didn't act decisively to rectify the chaos, the consequences would undoubtedly be far worse. Under various internal and external pressures, a crisis ultimately erupted within the Xiao Clan of Longwai, with the traditionalist faction intending to depose Xiao Hang from his position as Clan Chief.

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