A thousand enlightenments in one night, starting from being a menial apprentice.

The morning sunlight dispelled the chill in the valley.

Duan Rong sat cross-legged in the center of the altar, motionless. Ten days had passed since he last sat down cross-legged.

For the past ten days, he has not gotten up for a moment, remaining seated cross-legged like a stone sculpture.

His temples were covered with bits of dry grass, blown up by the night wind.

Chu Wushang stood on that mountain peak, his eyes cold and piercing.

Wei Yan has stopped drinking these past two days and has instead begun guarding the edge of the cliff, using his divine sense to surround Duan Rong. Duan Rong has remained motionless for ten days, which has greatly piqued Wei Yan's curiosity.

The spiritual pressure emanating from these four mountain statues was undeniably strong. Every two or three days, Duan Rong would get up and leap back and forth in the dense forest near the valley, which was also a form of rest.

But this time, the boy didn't move for ten days, sitting cross-legged the whole time.

Does that mean he has been enduring the spiritual pressure of those four mountain statues for a full ten days?
As Wei Yan thought this, he couldn't help but glance at the towering mountain statue diagonally opposite him. Looking across the valley, the statue appeared even more ferocious and terrifying, like a giant god supporting the sky.

Wei Yan looked at Chu Wushang and said, "Could something have happened to that kid?"

Upon hearing this, Chu Wushang's lips twitched slightly. Ten days had passed, and although he appeared expressionless, he was growing increasingly anxious. If he hadn't been certain that Duan Rong's breathing was normal and that he wasn't seriously injured, he probably would have already taken action.

Seeing that Chu Wushang did not speak, Wei Yan continued, "Even if he has achieved a high level of the Womb Sutra, isn't he afraid of his soul being shattered by enduring the spiritual pressure of four mountain statues for ten consecutive days?"

Chu Wushang said, "His condition seems normal."

Wei Yan frowned slightly and said, "Perhaps something happened to his divine sense in his spiritual sea of ​​consciousness, and he can't get out?"

Chu Wushang turned to look at him.

Wei Yan said, "Of course, this is just my guess. But it's really abnormal that the kid has been sitting there motionless for ten days."

Chu Wushang looked at the black dot sitting cross-legged in the center of the altar. The next moment, he suddenly transformed into a black ray of light and shot towards the altar.

Wei Yan's eyes widened, and he too transformed into a streak of black light, following Chu Wushang as he shot towards the altar.

The two landed one after the other in front of Duan Rong, who was sitting cross-legged on the altar.

Although Duan Rong's face was covered in dust, his expression was calm, and he did not look like anything was wrong.

On the ground in front of Duan Rong lay three porcelain bottles: one moon-white, one brownish-red, and one purplish-black. These were the auxiliary medicines for the nineteenth to twenty-first levels of the Womb Treasury Sutra.

Chu Wushang had already examined these three porcelain bottles with his divine sense several days ago. All three bottles were empty.

In other words, Duan Rong should have already mastered the Fetal Treasury Scripture from the nineteenth to the twenty-first level, and at this moment, he should be cultivating the twenty-second level of the Fetal Treasury Scripture.

Although Chu Wushang possessed the complete Womb Treasury Sutra, he was unaware that the twenty-second layer of the Womb Treasury Sutra did not require drawing the divine images of the four mountain deities into his spiritual sea of ​​consciousness.

On the one hand, the text of the twenty-second layer of the Womb Sutra is long, complex, profound and difficult to understand. Duan Rong also practiced and pondered it in his spiritual sea of ​​consciousness before he gradually understood the meaning of the text.

On the other hand, he had only cultivated to the twelfth level of the Fetal Treasury Sutra, which is a secret method of cultivation in stages, so reading the twenty-second level of the sutra would be useless to him.

Therefore, Chu Wushang naturally assumed that as long as one cultivated the Fetal Treasury Scripture, one must guide the divine image into the spiritual sea of ​​consciousness.

Within this valley, the only presence could be the figures of these four mountain statues. But even if Duan Rong was incredibly powerful, it was impossible for him to withstand the spiritual pressure of the four mountain statues for ten consecutive days.

"Could it be that Duan Rong's soul has really encountered a problem?"

Chu Wushang hesitated for a moment. He reached out and touched Duan Rong's forehead. His temperature was normal. He then checked Duan Rong's breathing. He could tell that at least Duan Rong's vital signs were normal.

If one's soul is truly shattered, the body will also convulse.

Chu Wushang pondered for a moment, then suddenly turned to Wei Yan and said, "You stay here, I'll go and invite the Ancestor over."

Since he couldn't see the problem, he could only ask the ancestor for help. Duan Rong was immersed in his cultivation and couldn't be disturbed. The reason why the cultivation of the Womb Treasury Scripture was conducted in a secret chamber with talisman arrays was because the techniques of the soul were extremely subtle, and if disturbed, it was easy to make mistakes.

"Invite the Ancestor over?!" A look of surprise flashed across Wei Yan's face.

Chu Wushang said, "Wei Yan, keep a close eye on him. Don't leave his side for even a moment, and don't make any moves against him. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Mr. Chu!" Wei Yan said respectfully, clasping his hands in a fist salute.

Chu Wushang then glanced at Duan Rong with a worried look in his eyes, before transforming into a streak of black light and shooting out of the valley.

Wei Yan stood there in a daze. He naturally coveted Duan Rong's method of quickly mastering the Womb Sutra, but he dared not make any rash moves, because Chu Wushang could return at any time, and the Ancestor would also come.

Although Lu Yinlin, the patriarch of the Taiyi Sect, lived in seclusion in a deep valley for many years and rarely appeared in the sect, everyone in the sect revered him as a god.

Knowing that the patriarch was coming, Wei Yan, though used to being lazy, couldn't help but feel a little apprehensive.

He suddenly bent down, grabbed the flattened heel of the shoe, and used his heels to lift the tattered cloth shoe heel up. Then he straightened his wrinkled clothes.

Just as he was clutching his wrinkled clothes, a figure, like a ghost, suddenly appeared on the altar.

Many elders within the Taiyi Sect had never even met the patriarch Lü Yinlin, but Wei Yan, years earlier, had accompanied the then sect leader to pay respects to the patriarch Lü Yinlin while investigating the Filthy Blood Sect.

More than a hundred years have passed, and Lü Yinlin seems to have hardly changed.

But Wei Yan has transformed from a dashing middle-aged cultivator into the old man he is today.

Upon seeing Lü Yinlin's appearance, Wei Yan immediately prostrated himself and knelt down, shouting, "This unworthy disciple pays respects to the Ancestor!"

Lu Yinlin stood there looking at Wei Yan, who was prostrate on the altar, and said slowly, "Wei Yan! It's you! Are you the one guarding this valley now?"

Upon hearing this, Wei Yan suddenly raised his head, staring blankly at the patriarch Lü Yinlin, unable to utter a word for a moment.

When he prostrated himself to pay his respects, he did not reveal his name, because he was ashamed that he had once been trusted by the sect leader, but now he had fallen to such a state.

Although they had only met once more than a hundred years ago, he didn't think the ancestor would remember him. Moreover, he was no longer the same person he once was, and his former glory was long gone. Because of this, he was even more unwilling to call out that name from the past. He didn't want to stir up the ancestor's memories. Although the chances were slim, he was unwilling and even afraid that the ancestor would remember him, even if there was only the slightest possibility.

But Wei Yan didn't expect that even though he didn't announce his name, the ancestor would still recognize him at a glance.

Wei Yan's eyes suddenly welled up with tears. He never expected that his ancestor would still remember him after their brief encounter a hundred years ago.

"Ancestor...you still remember your disciple..." Wei Yan's lips trembled. Lü Yinlin smiled and said, "How could I not remember? It's been over a hundred years, hasn't it? Who were you with that time..."

Lü Yinlin paused, seemingly trying to recall something. "Oh, right, it's Ruan Rongling."

Wei Yan smiled and said, "Yes. It's Sect Leader Ruan Rongling."

Lü Yinlin said, "Get up. Don't kneel."

"Thank you, Ancestor." Wei Yan then stood up and wiped away the tears that had seeped from the corners of his eyes with his wrinkled sleeve.

Lu Yinlin said, "Wei Yan, you have made contributions. In that battle back then, you almost wiped out the Bloodstained Sect."

Wei Yan said, "This disciple dares not take credit. Fu Yi still managed to escape that time. Moreover, after that battle, the Filthy Blood Sect changed its operating strategy and became more secretive, making it even more difficult to eradicate."

Lü Yinlin said, "Some things are a matter of timing and fate. You can't blame yourself."

The battle a hundred years ago almost wiped out the Blood Filth Cult, but Fu Yi managed to escape in the end. Over the past hundred years, the Blood Filth Cult has gradually spread from remote and impoverished areas and has become increasingly secretive.

Despite extensive investigations by various sects, they could not uncover his true nature, often only managing to destroy some strongholds. Over the past hundred years, the whereabouts of Fu Yi, the leader of the Filthy Blood Sect, have become legendary.

Lu Yinlin couldn't help but sigh, then suddenly flipped his hand and stuffed a black porcelain bottle into Wei Yan's hand.

Wei Yan's face paled in surprise, and he exclaimed in astonishment, "Ancestor, this is..."

Lu Yinlin said, "Wei Yan, I see that the outer perimeter of the Cave of Darkness within your dantian is already showing signs of collapse, so I'm afraid your lifespan is less than a hundred years. This item is of little use; it can probably only extend your life by about ten years..."

Wei Yan looked at the black porcelain bottle in his hand, and his eyes welled up with tears again.

Medicines that can extend lifespan are incredibly precious, yet the ancestor was willing to use them on a cripple like him.

The contents of that porcelain bottle could indeed slow the collapse of the outer perimeter of the cave, and it was indeed a precious item. Lü Yinlin was willing to give it to Wei Yan not out of pity.

In truth, after that battle, because Fu Yi escaped, Lü Yinlin pursued him for several years but never rewarded Wei Yan. Later, he forgot about the matter.

Unexpectedly, that battle turned out to be the most devastating blow the sect had dealt to Fu Yi and the Filthy Blood Cult in over a hundred years.

For over a hundred years, no one's achievements have surpassed Wei Yan's. Since that battle, the sect has hardly dealt any serious damage to the Filthy Blood Sect, and there has been absolutely no news about Fu Yi, as if that guy had vanished into thin air.

Therefore, when Lü Yinlin saw Wei Yan at this time, he couldn't help but feel emotional. Although Wei Yan was old and frail, he was still better than those incompetent and useless people who held positions of power later on. Back then, he had planned and led the scheme, and at least seriously injured that traitor Fu Yi.

After considering all this, Lü Yinlin finally gave the reward he owed Wei Yan back then.

Wei Yan prostrated himself on his knees, his spirits lifted. "Disciple Wei Yan, what virtue or ability do I possess..."

Wei Yan choked up and could no longer speak halfway through his sentence.

Just then, Chu Wushang transformed into a black beam and shot onto the altar. He glanced at Wei Yan, who was prostrate there, his shoulders shaking and sobbing, and was immediately bewildered.

Lu Yinlin looked at him and said, "Go and help him up."

Upon hearing this, Chu Wushang went over and helped Wei Yan up. Wei Yan's face was covered in snot and tears.

Just as Chu Wushang helped Wei Yan up, Lü Yinlin went over, glanced at Duan Rong briefly, then turned to Chu Wushang and asked, "How many days has he been sitting here cross-legged?"

Chu Wushang said, "Before, he would get up every two or three days, go to the dense forest to jump around, and then come back to cultivate. But ten days ago, he sat down cross-legged and never got up again."

"Ten days?" Lü Yinlin said in a flat tone, "Ten days is not a long time."

Although Chu Wushang and the others did not know this, Lü Yinlin was very clear that cultivating the twenty-second level of the Womb Treasury Scripture did not require guiding the divine image into the spiritual sea of ​​consciousness.

Lü Yinlin knew even better what the twenty-second level of the Fetal Treasury Scripture required to cultivate. In fact, the twenty-second level of the Fetal Treasury Scripture he gave to Duan Rong was different from that of Chu Wushang and Gu Daoling.

The Soul-Devouring Seed's secret technique is only found in the animal hide manual in Duan Rong's possession.

The animal hide manual was passed down to him by the previous sect patriarch.

At that time, Duan Rong had just achieved the Cave-Ming Realm, and Lü Yinlin hesitated about which version of the complete Womb Treasury Sutra manual to give him.

But the moment Duan Rong entered his cave, Lü Yinlin made a decision and passed on the beast-hide manual that represented the sect's inheritance to Duan Rong.

Because Duan Rong condensed his Cave of Netherworld in just six months. The rich vitality contained within his Cave of Netherworld surpassed that of him back then, and far exceeded that of Gu Daoling and Chu Wushang.

Moreover, according to Chu Wushang's report on Duan Rong's overcoming of his inner demons, it can be seen that Duan Rong is a kind-hearted person.

Although people's hearts are hidden from view, the crucial point of overcoming inner demons, which allows for profound insight, does not lie. It can be said that the true nature of people is fully revealed.

Upon seeing the Cave of Darkness within Duan Rong's dantian, Lü Yinlin was almost certain that Duan Rong was the next sect patriarch of the Taiyi Sect.

He has lived for over a thousand years.

With a lifespan of two thousand years at the Nascent Soul stage, he can only live for another five hundred years at most.

Two hundred years ago, Fu Yi's betrayal of the sect dealt him a heavy blow, and when Fu Yi condensed the Cave of Clarity to break through his inner demons, he was a bloodthirsty person.

At the time, Lü Yinlin did not pay attention to this. But later, he realized that Fu Yi's obsession with the Bloodstained Divine Skill was not only due to his pursuit of power, but also related to the recurrence of his inner demons when he practiced that evil skill.

But Duan Rong and Fu Yi are completely different kinds of people.

Moreover, his talent, and the rich vitality within his dantian, far surpasses that of Fu Yi.

In fact, it wasn't until Duan Rong condensed his inner energy and entered his cave that the thorn Fu Yi had stuck in his heart suddenly seemed to be pulled out.

As the patriarch of the Taiyi Sect, he couldn't allow the sect to decline under his leadership. However, before Duan Rong condensed his Dongming (洞冥) realm, he found it difficult to truly accept anyone, whether it was Gu Daoling, Chu Wushang, or Chu Qiushan.

In truth, the person he truly identified with was Fu Yi. Even after Fu Yi betrayed the sect and founded the Filthy Blood Cult!
In Lü Yinlin's heart, he still felt that Fu Yi was better than Gu Daoling and Chu Wushang. It wasn't that he favored Fu Yi, but rather that Fu Yi possessed certain qualities that Gu Daoling and Chu Wushang lacked.

But the moment Duan Rong entered his cave after condensing his inner energy, Fu Yi was completely annihilated in his heart.

At that moment, he was certain that the true successor of the Taiyi Sect had arrived! (End of Chapter)