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

Lu Yinlin looked at Duan Rong and continued, "The soul-devouring technique of this Heart-Eating Seed is a self-created technique derived by the founder of the sect based on the secret methods of the Womb Sutra."

"This technique can be considered the legacy of my Taiyi Sect. I myself received this technique from the previous generation of the sect's founder."

"Neither Chu Wushang nor Gu Daoling possess this technique in their Embryonic Scriptures. The scroll I'm giving you is the one that the previous patriarch personally passed down to me."

Upon hearing this, Duan Rong's brow twitched involuntarily.

He already knew that Chu Wushang's so-called complete Womb Treasury Scripture was a soul technique without the Heart-Eating Seed. But he didn't expect that the implications of this technique would be so great, that his complete Womb Treasury Scripture, made of animal hide, was actually the mantle of the Taiyi Sect.

In fact, the mantle of the Taiyi School has been passed down for tens of thousands of years.

The so-called inheritance of mantle is more symbolic. The original inheritance consisted of two tokens: one was the beast-hide manual containing the Soul-Devouring Seed technique, and the other was the God-Slaying Whip that was lost in Xiao Qiwu's possession.

However, the God-Slaying Whip was damaged many times and was abandoned for a time. In the later generations of the sect, this item was removed from the inheritance.

The final restoration of the God-Slaying Whip was carried out by Lü Yinlin after he became the patriarch. Although it was barely restored, the item had become useless, serving only as a memento. Moreover, it had already been lost.

However, both of these tokens are now actually in Duan Rong's hands.

"Duan Rong, do you know why I am passing on this skill to you?" Lü Yinlin looked at Duan Rong with piercing eyes, his voice deep and resonant.

Duan Rong could sense the earnestness in Lü Yinlin's expression and tone, but since Lü Yinlin's question involved the inheritance of the sect's mantle, he dared not answer carelessly. After a moment's thought, he clasped his hands and said, "The Ancestor's teachings are profound, and this disciple will certainly try to understand them deeply."

Duan Rong's words were essentially meaningless, but Lü Yinlin nodded and continued, "You really need to understand this deeply."

"Duan Rong, I only have five hundred years left to live. Even if I use those rare and precious materials to keep me going, and if I have some good fortune, I can only prolong my life by a hundred years at most."

"In the nearly one thousand years that I have been the patriarch of this sect, the number of disciples I have cultivated to inherit my mantle is only five. Chu Wushang, Chu Qiushan, Gu Daoling, the traitor Fu Yi, and then there is you."

"Chu Wushang and Chu Qiushan are limited by their natural talents, so their chances are not very high."

"As for the others, although Gu Daoling is talented, he chose celestial phenomena as his medium for comprehension. I argued with him about this several times, but he insisted on not changing his mind. He even went to the Star Gazing Pavilion of Shenyun Mansion and hid there for more than a hundred years."

A hint of doubt flashed in Duan Rong's eyes as he asked, "May I ask, Ancestor, what is wrong with using celestial phenomena as a medium?"

Lu Yinlin said, “The so-called arrangement of stars is all a manifestation of the Dao. Celestial phenomena are closest to the origin of the Dao, therefore, they cannot even be called a medium, because a medium is used by the Dao. Gu Daoling’s method of comprehending celestial phenomena is a cultivation method that directly grasps the origin. If one’s Dao heart is as firm as iron, I naturally have some respect for him. But comprehending celestial phenomena and wanting to achieve the Nascent Soul stage is extremely difficult.”

Duan Rong asked, "Then why is Uncle Gu so stubborn?"

Duan Rong was truly puzzled. If comprehending celestial phenomena was so difficult that one could achieve the Nascent Soul stage, why was Gu Daoling so determined not to change his ways?

Lu Yinlin said, "Although it is extremely difficult, once one achieves Nascent Soul by comprehending celestial phenomena, one can break through the shackles of the early Nascent Soul stage and directly reach the mid-Nascent Soul stage. I have cultivated for over a thousand years and am still stuck in the early stage. Among the eight sects of the Nine Provinces, apart from the Spirit Foundation Master, the other sect patriarchs are all only at the early Nascent Soul stage. Gu Daoling, do you intend to leap directly to the mid-Nascent Soul stage?"

Upon hearing this, Duan Rong clicked his tongue in amazement. No wonder Lü Yinlin said that his senior uncle Gu had an iron will; this man certainly had guts.

Lu Yinlin continued, "Although he has made a breakthrough and advanced to the late stage of the Cave of Clarity Realm, it is only a minor enlightenment in terms of comprehending celestial phenomena. In my estimation, it is highly unlikely that he will advance to the Nascent Soul stage in my lifetime."

"As for Fu Yi..." Lu Yinlin paused, then sighed, his voice tinged with melancholy, "I had high hopes for this young man, but alas..."

Lu Yinlin suddenly looked at Duan Rong again, his eyes gleaming, and said, "Duan Rong, the sect's legacy rests on your shoulders. Do you know how heavy this responsibility is?!"

Upon hearing this, Duan Rong was taken aback, then replied, "Ancestor, this disciple has only just condensed the Cave of Understanding... and this thousand-pound burden..."

Lu Yinlin said, "It is true that you have just condensed the Cave of Netherworld. But the Cave of Netherworld you have condensed contains a vibrant life force. It surpasses both mine and Fu Yi back then. Duan Rong, in the time to come, I will try my best to break through to the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul Realm, and I will also seek out some rare and precious materials to increase my lifespan. I really do not have the energy to cultivate another successor."

"You must shoulder this heavy burden!"

Seeing that Lü Yinlin spoke with such determination, Duan Rong had no choice but to clasp his hands in a fist and reply, "Yes, Ancestor."

Seeing that Duan Rong had agreed, Lü Yinlin's solemn expression softened a bit, and he said, "You don't need to feel pressured. With your talent, you've already condensed such a vibrant Cave of Netherworld before you're even twenty-five. Give you another five or six hundred years, and advancing to the Nascent Soul stage won't be a problem."

"Alright." Lü Yinlin changed the subject and said, "Now I want to talk to you about that Nightmare Seed."

"Nightmare Seeds!?" Duan Rong remembered that Lü Yinlin had just said that there were many puppets planted with Nightmare Seeds on various mountains in the sect.

Lu Yinlin said, "That's right! You have already achieved the twenty-second level of the Womb Treasury Scripture, so you naturally know the method of making Nightmare Seeds and the technique of planting Nightmare Seeds. However, there are still some contents about the Soul Technique of the Heart-Eating Seed that are not recorded in the manual."

Upon hearing this, Duan Rong suddenly perked up his ears.

Lu Yinlin said, "Anyone who has been planted with a nightmare seed and becomes a puppet will lose their sense of self."

"Obliteration of self?!" Duan Rong's heart skipped a beat as he pondered the meaning of the words.

Lu Yinlin said, "If one does not extinguish one's self, how can one become a puppet?! However, once one extinguishes one's self, it also means losing creativity. Therefore, no matter what one's original temperament is, once one becomes a puppet, one's emotions will be cold, and although one's thinking will be watertight and not prone to making mistakes, one will also lose the creative spirit."

"Therefore, for the long-term benefit of the sect, truly talented individuals cannot become puppets. These truly talented individuals need to unleash their creativity within the sect so that the Taiyi Sect can prosper. But these talented individuals must have puppets by their side..."

When Duan Rong walked out of Lü Yinlin's cave, it was already dawn, and his eyes were somewhat dazed.

Although this Nightmare Seed can turn people into puppets, it still has its flaws.

In other words, people who are infected with the nightmare seed will gradually lose themselves and become cold, thought-machines, devoid of genuine emotions.

Duan Rong was initially afraid that the entire sect was a puppet of Lü Yinlin. Now it seems that this method is indeed difficult to implement. In that case, the Taiyi Sect will wither away and become a sect of living dead.

Of course, Lü Yinlin had the ability to do so. After all, he had been the sect's patriarch for over a thousand years, and he could absolutely make the entire sect his puppet.

But if he did that, he would be too perverted, and he would also destroy the Taiyi Sect.

With that thought in mind, Duan Rong slowly walked out of the misty, withered forest. He transformed into a streak of black light and shot towards the Lü family's residence.

At this time, it was just dawn, and the Lu family mansion was still dark, with only the lanterns under the eaves casting a dim light in the cold wind.

Duan Rong landed directly next to the artificial hill, which was the entrance to the secret cultivation chamber of the Lü family mansion.

With his current level of cultivation, whether he enters the cave or not has little impact on him.

Moreover, the guards in the mansion would never be able to detect his presence.

Duan Rong stood beside the artificial hill because there was a withered wintersweet tree there.

Suddenly, a thought struck him, and a strand of law power wrapped around a withered branch of the winter plum blossom.

In the blink of an eye, in the dim light of dawn, a faint hint of green appeared beneath the withered branches and yellow bark.

The next moment, the branch seemed to come alive, with plum blossoms peeking out, forming buds, and then slowly blooming, releasing a faint fragrance... Duan Rong looked at the blooming winter plum branch, reached out and broke it off, took a gentle sniff, and felt the fragrance wafting through his nose. He couldn't help but smile, and then his figure vanished like a ghost.

On the meditation cushion in the secret cultivation room, Lü Qingzhu was meditating and circulating her qi.

Her fair face was slightly furrowed, and there were fine beads of sweat on her forehead. She had been practicing hard all night without stopping for a moment.

Duan Rong stood with his hands behind his back, looking calmly at Lü Qingzhu.

Only after Lü Qingzhu completed one cycle of her internal energy circulation did Duan Rong suddenly speak, "Qingzhu, you should rest."

Upon hearing this, Lü Qingzhu smiled even before opening her eyes.

She opened her eyes, smiled at Duan Rong, and asked, "When did you arrive?"

Duan Rong said, "I just arrived. Have I disturbed you?"

Lü Qingzhu said, "I didn't disturb you. I should rest now."

Duan Rong said, "Then come here. Come to your husband."

Lü Qingzhu rolled her eyes at Duan Rong, but she still wiped the sweat from her forehead and walked slowly toward him.

She walked up to Duan Rong, who suddenly reached out from behind his back and presented a blooming winter plum blossom to Lü Qingzhu.

Lu Qingzhu's eyes lit up with joy. She reached out and took the wintersweet, and couldn't help but laugh, "Where did you get plum blossoms at this time of year?"

Duan Rong said, "This plum blossom is blooming for you."

As he spoke, he pulled Lü Qingzhu into his arms.

Lu Qingzhu smelled the fragrance of plum blossoms, nestled in Duan Rong's arms, a faint smile on her face.

Duan Rong's eyes flickered slightly, and his Forty-Nine Transformations of Divine Soul had been activated. He could sense that Lü Qingzhu did not possess a mature Nightmare Seed.

Duan Rong breathed a sigh of relief. Lü Qingzhu had followed the ancestor for many years, and he was indeed somewhat afraid that Lü Qingzhu might have a nightmare seed, because Lü Qingzhu had a cold side to her personality.

Of course, that kind of coldness is different from the lifeless coldness of a puppet. Lü Qingzhu's coldness is more like aloofness, just like a winter plum blossom.

Although the winter plum blossoms are proud and aloof, they bloom alone in the wind and rain, which is also a kind of resolute sense of life.

It was with this thought in mind that Duan Rong used the power of the laws to break off a plum tree next to the artificial hill.

Although he sensed that Lü Qingzhu did not possess a mature Nightmare Seed, Duan Rong was still somewhat uneasy. What if there was an immature Nightmare Seed? Nightmare Seeds typically take several years to mature.

Not long ago, Lü Qingzhu was severely injured and sealed deep within the cave by Lü Yinlin in a black jade coffin. At that time, Lü Qingzhu should not have been implanted with the Nightmare Seed, or at least not in its mature form. Otherwise, she would not have defied Lü Yinlin's wishes and refused the marriage.

But inside that black jade coffin, would Lü Yinlin regret it? If he had planted the nightmare seed in Lü Qingzhu, she wouldn't have committed suicide in the Dragon Fish Hall.

Duan Rong was very suspicious.

He needed to confirm that Lü Qingzhu had not truly been cursed with the Nightmare Seed.

He suddenly grasped Lü Qingzhu's hand and called out, "Qingzhu."

"Mmm," Lü Qingzhu responded, her voice pleasant.

Duan Rong smiled and said, "I will use my spiritual power to enter your soul."

Lü Qingzhu raised her head, looked at him, and asked, "Why are you entering my soul?"

Duan Rong said, "I need to check if anything has been put on your soul."

"What did you put down?" Lü Qingzhu asked, puzzled.

Duan Rong said, "In short, I need to take a look. You need to cooperate with me. Relax, and when my spiritual energy enters, don't be nervous or resistant."

Looking into Duan Rong's affectionate eyes, Lü Qingzhu's heart stirred, and she said, "Alright."

Then she nestled into Duan Rong's arms, holding the plum blossom, and slowly closed her eyes.

With Duan Rong's current soul strength and his refined mental power, Chu Wushang and the others would not be able to detect a mature Nightmare Seed.

However, if it is an immature Nightmare Seed, it is quite difficult to investigate. Every corner of the soul space must be searched to confirm that there is no Nightmare Seed in the soul space.

If you use your spiritual power to enter another person's soul space and search every corner, you will inevitably be detected.

Therefore, Duan Rong specifically instructed Lü Qingzhu to relax and allow his spiritual power to slowly penetrate her.

Duan Rong's investigation lasted for a full hour.

Lu Qingzhu could feel a delicate spiritual force penetrating into the depths of her soul. Knowing it was Duan Rong, she did not resist, allowing Duan Rong's spiritual force to seep in without any resistance.

After some investigation, Duan Rong finally confirmed that there were no immature Nightmare Seeds in Lü Qingzhu's soul space. He withdrew his infiltrated spiritual power, touched Lü Qingzhu's face, and said, "It's alright, everything's fine now."

Lu Qingzhu could feel Duan Rong's spiritual power slowly receding. Duan Rong didn't say what he was investigating, and she didn't ask. She just quietly nestled in Duan Rong's arms, enjoying the faint fragrance of the winter plum blossoms and Duan Rong's familiar scent.

Duan Rong and Lü Qingzhu left the cultivation chamber and returned to the courtyard. It was already broad daylight.

The two first went to Lü Zhongtang's place to see Shen'er, and then had breakfast together. Duan Rong then drank tea with Lü Zhongtang for a while, chatting idly, before returning to his own courtyard.

As soon as he returned to the courtyard, Xiao Yu handed him a document stamped with the official seal, saying, "Husband, this was sent by the people from the Office of Transmission. They said we owe them three kinds of divine medicine. I told them that you were away these past few days, and they sent this document to urge us to pay it back."

After Xiao Yu finished speaking, she stared blankly at Duan Rong.

Zhu Xiaoqi was also standing nearby, her eyes filled with concern.

The two women weren't sure how important the divine medicine was, but they felt they owed something, and since it was a document from the Ministry of Justice, it was a huge deal, and they had been very worried for the past few days.

Duan Rong took the document and glanced at it. He saw that the signature and seal on the document were both Lin Youjian's. He couldn't help but smile slightly and said, "This person is really stingy. Three divine medicines, is it really necessary to rush them like this?"

However, upon closer reflection, he realized he had promised to repay in two months. During this time, he had been cultivating the Womb Treasury Sutra; time had indeed passed swiftly, no wonder Lin Youjian was pressing him. (End of Chapter)