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

For the next ten days or so, Duan Rong lingered near the bamboo forest.

Sometimes it squats deep in the bamboo forest, and sometimes it sits cross-legged on the bluestone outside the bamboo forest.

Xiao Yu would occasionally come over and look in this direction from afar. If Duan Rong was in the bamboo forest and she couldn't see him, she would keep watching until she saw Duan Rong's figure walking out of the bamboo forest in the distance before she could leave with peace of mind.

More than ten days have passed, and although the weather is cold and the area is in a mountain valley, the snow has gradually melted.

After so much time and effort, Duan Rong had made up his mind. Snow was not his medium.

Only through multiple moments of inspiration and connection within a month can it be considered a medium, and only then is enlightenment possible. A single, accidental encounter does not count.

In the middle of the night, in the secret cultivation room of the Lü family mansion, Lü Qingzhu, who was sitting cross-legged on a futon, slowly opened her eyes.

She let out a soft breath, raised the corner of her sleeve, and wiped the fine sweat from her forehead. After a period of arduous cultivation, she had finally finished refining a drop of high-level elemental beast's essence blood.

Lu Qingzhu's eyes flickered slightly, and she suddenly thought of Duan Rong outside the bamboo forest. She slowly walked out of the cultivation chamber and saw the cold moon in the sky, and all was quiet.

With a thought, the Three Flowers Gathered at the Top instantly took shape. In the cold moonlight, a graceful figure rose with the wind and flew towards the mountain valley outside the house.

Lu Qingzhu landed lightly outside the bamboo forest. Just over ten days ago, the place was covered in snow, but now it has melted, leaving only the pale moonlight, like salt, sprinkling on the damp ground.

She stood there, looking at Duan Rong, who was sitting cross-legged on a bluestone not far away. In the moonlight, Duan Rong's face was calm, without joy or sorrow.

Lü Qingzhu stared blankly for a while, seemingly confirming that Duan Rong was unharmed. Her eyes flickered slightly, no longer wanting to linger. With a thought, the Three Flowers Gathering at the Top of the Head took shape above her head.

Just as she was about to take flight, Duan Rong's eerie voice suddenly came from the blue stone: "Are you leaving already?"

Lu Qingzhu's robes had already fluttered, but upon hearing this, they suddenly fell back down. She couldn't help but laugh and say, "Qingzhu has come uninvited, disturbing my husband's meditation."

Duan Rong opened his eyes at this moment. He looked at Lü Qingzhu, who was bathed in moonlight, smiled faintly, and said, "You've come at the right time. I haven't disturbed you."

As he spoke, he slowly stood up and walked towards Lü Qingzhu.

Duan Rong's eyes were fixed on Lü Qingzhu's face, illuminated by the moonlight, and the two gazed at each other. Unconsciously, he had already reached out and embraced Lü Qingzhu, and the two silently embraced in the cold moonlight.

After an unknown amount of time, Duan Rong suddenly said, "Qingzhu, I'm leaving."

Lü Qingzhu suddenly looked up and asked, "Where are we going?"

Duan Rong said, "I will leave the sect and travel the world."

Lu Qingzhu's eyes widened. She knew that Duan Rong was cultivating the Cave of Enlightenment, and there were many things she couldn't understand yet. But she suddenly smiled emotionally, reached out her slender hand, touched Duan Rong's face, and said, "Cultivation is important. Go on. Just think of us."

Lu Qingzhu's hands were soft and slightly cold. Duan Rong stared at her in a daze, cupped her face in his hands, and kissed her passionately.

After a long while, the two separated. Duan Rong said, "Take me to see Shen'er."

Lü Qingzhu hummed in agreement and then rose into the air on the wind. Duan Rong followed her closely, like a shadow.

If Duan Rong used the power of laws to carry her, it would be faster, but at this moment, Duan Rong preferred to go slower.

In fact, since he had decided to pursue the path of understanding the medium, Duan Rong should have traveled the world long ago. He just wanted to wait until Shen'er and Qian'er were older before going out, but after studying things for a while, especially after the snow melted, he suddenly felt that he couldn't wait any longer.

Tonight, Lü Qingzhu suddenly arrived, and in that instant, Duan Rong decided to leave.

In the darkness, their figures landed as lightly as falling leaves.

Lu Qingzhu walked to the door, raised her hand slightly, and with a surge of energy, the door latch slid off from the inside. She gently pushed the door open and turned to look at Duan Rong.

The two then stepped into the house together.

Shen'er is already over a year old and no longer sleeps in the cradle, but in the bed.

Li Baoyue slept by the bedside to watch over Shen'er and prevent her from rolling around in the middle of the night and falling off the bed.

Duan Rong stood in the darkness, as if he could see everything in the room.

Just then, a firefly flashed in the darkness and disappeared into Li Baoyue's brow.

That wasn't the "Yinghuo" spell cast by Duan Rong, but by Lü Qingzhu.

Lü Qingzhu had already blew on the tinderbox and lit the candle.

The two walked together to the bedside and gazed intently at Shen'er, who was sleeping there. Shen'er was fast asleep, lying on the pillow with her bottom sticking up high in the blankets.

Duan Rong looked at Shen'er's features and smiled slightly.

Lu Qingzhu said, "Husband, when will you return? Shen'er is only a little over a year old and doesn't remember anything yet."

Duan Rong said, "I will return when the time is right."

The two stood by the bed for a long time before Duan Rong suddenly said, "I'm going to check on Xiao Yu over there, and then I'll leave. Please say goodbye to my father-in-law for me."

Lü Qingzhu said, "Don't worry, my husband. I will tell my father."

At this moment, Duan Rong suddenly turned around, looked at Lü Qingzhu, and said, "Take care of yourself. I'm leaving."

After Duan Rong finished speaking, his figure vanished like a ghost.

Lü Qingzhu's eyes flickered, and a sudden emptiness filled her heart, as if something had been ripped out of it. She had always felt that Duan Rong was going to cultivate, and she should support him, but now that the time for parting had come, she realized what it truly felt like…

In this courtyard, Xiao Yu's east wing was pitch black.

Suddenly, a figure appeared in the darkness like a ghost.

Duan Rong stood in the darkness, knowing that Xiao Yu and Qian'er were both sleeping in this room.

With a slight twitch of his fingers, he unleashed a burst of power from the laws of nature, and the candlelight on the dressing table not far away immediately lit up.

The sudden light stung Xiao Yu's eyes, and she abruptly stood up, her eyes wide with surprise, and immediately saw Duan Rong standing beside the cradle.

Duan Rong glanced at her, smiled slightly, and said, "I'm sorry, I came suddenly and disturbed your rest."

As Duan Rong spoke, he lovingly lifted Qian'er from the cradle, gently supporting his head to keep him in a sleeping position.

Seeing Duan Rong's cautious manner, Xiao Yu was deeply moved. She immediately stood up, slipped on her shoes, and curtsied, saying, "It is a blessing for my son and me that my husband has come. We would never have disturbed you."

Duan Rong glanced at Xiao Yu and saw that she was wearing a bodice, her graceful body partially revealed. He then put Qian'er back in the cradle, looked at Xiao Yu, and said, "Xiao Yu, your husband will be leaving the sect for a while."

"Leave the sect?" Xiao Yu asked. "Did the ancestor assign my husband some kind of mission?"

"It's a matter of cultivation," Duan Rong said. "If anything happens in the future, Senior Lü will take care of you. If you really encounter difficulties that are inconvenient to discuss with Senior Lü, you can go to Ximen Kankan and ask him to take you to Fan Hongjiao. For my sake, she will help you."

Xiao Yu felt increasingly uneasy as she listened, and asked in astonishment, "Husband, when will you return?" "When will I return?" Duan Rong smiled bitterly and said, "I can't say for sure, maybe a year, maybe three years..."

Xiao Yu stood there stunned, only then did she understand what Duan Rong meant.

At this moment, Duan Rong suddenly walked to the bedside, sat cross-legged, pointed to the opposite side, looked at Xiao Yu, and said, "You sit down too."

Xiao Yu's expression shifted slightly, and she got onto the bed and sat down opposite Duan Rong. She stared blankly at Duan Rong sitting opposite her, partly because she hadn't finished processing her emotions from earlier, and partly because she didn't know why Duan Rong wanted her to sit cross-legged like this.

Duan Rong suddenly flipped his hand, revealing a three-inch-sized object in his palm. It was clear and bright, as if formed from solidified water, with an incredibly lustrous surface. Moreover, as the light shimmered, ancient runes appeared and disappeared intermittently.

Duan Rong asked, "Do you recognize this object?"

Xiao Yu shook his head. Although the object was clearly no ordinary thing, Xiao Yu did not recognize it.

Duan Rong said, "This creature is a dew-drinking cicada."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yu looked at Duan Rong with a puzzled expression. Duan Rong then explained the origin and wonder of this object to Xiao Yu.

"This thing can actually block three attacks from a Cave-Nether Realm expert?!" Xiao Yu's expression changed drastically upon hearing this. She hadn't expected such a small item to be so powerful.

“Excellent!” Duan Rong said, “I have already erased my original mark on this item. Now I will help you refine it.”

"Refine it?!" Xiao Yu's eyes flickered as she asked, "My husband intends to give this to me?!"

Duan Rong said, "Yes. Qingzhu is already a Qi Cyclone Realm expert, and her cultivation is getting stronger every day. She is of the Lü family bloodline and has a father who is a Cave-Ming Realm expert. I am not worried about the safety of her and her son. But you, in case something happens, I must leave you a way to protect your life."

Xiao Yu stared blankly at Duan Rong, her heart surging with emotion, and tears involuntarily streamed down her face. She prostrated herself on the bed, wanting to bow to Duan Rong, but when she thought of the imminent parting and the impending separation, a complex emotion lingered in her heart, and she couldn't help but cry.

Xiao Yu only cried for a short while before she stopped and sat up straight again. She knew Duan Rong was right; her cultivation was weak, and if anything happened, she needed to have a way to protect Qian'er.

Xiao Yu wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes, looked at Duan Rong, and said, "Please teach me, my husband."

"Alright." Duan Rong uttered a single word, then placed his fingertip on Xiao Yu's brow, and a drop of blood essence seeped out from there.

The drop of blood essence fell from Xiao Yu's brow and dripped onto the Dew-Drinking Cicada in Duan Rong's hand, slowly seeping into it.

After this happened three times, faint bloodstains appeared on the cicada's surface, and Xiao Yu's face had turned somewhat pale.

Duan Rong let out a long sigh, hung the Dew-Drinking Cicada around Xiao Yu's neck, and said, "Try it. Can you sense that soul connection with the Dew-Drinking Cicada...?"

The dew-drinking cicada pressed against her chest, sending a slight chill through her. Xiao Yu's soul stirred, and the dew-drinking cicada immediately shimmered with light. Her face lit up with joy, and she said, "Yes! Husband, I can sense it."

Duan Rong nodded, and then carefully explained to Xiao Yu the details of using the Dew-Drinking Cicada, as well as how to strengthen the connection between the soul and spirit by soaking in essence blood. After confirming that Xiao Yu fully understood, Duan Rong's figure suddenly disappeared like a ghost, and the next moment, he was already standing in the center of the room.

Xiao Yu was taken aback. Duan Rong looked at her and said, "Xiao Yu, parting is sad. Farewell. I'm leaving now."

After Duan Rong finished speaking, the room was already empty.

Xiao Yu slumped on the bed. If it weren't for the slight coolness from the Dew-Drinking Cicada on her chest, she would have thought it was all a dream.

"Husband..."

After a long while, Xiao Yu's emotions calmed down. She looked at Qian'er sleeping soundly in the cradle and murmured, "Husband, rest assured, I will definitely protect Qian'er."

Nearly a hundred miles south of Shenyun Prefecture lies the Zhang River, a vast and wide waterway flowing eastward. This river has always been advantageous for the transport of fish and salt. Traveling downstream along this river, the first prefectural city to the east is Linzhang Prefecture.

Because of its convenient water resources and proximity to Shenyun Prefecture, Linzhang Prefecture was quite prosperous and had a large population.

On the official road more than 20 miles east of the city, a figure in a blue robe was walking slowly.

Occasionally, a horse-drawn carriage would pass by on the road, raising a cloud of dust. The figure seemed oblivious, simply continuing on his way. Upon closer inspection, although the person's face was covered in dust, his eyes were bright and he looked around with a composed and dignified air.

This man was Duan Rong, who had come by boat along the Zhang River. He had disembarked at the dock not long ago and was heading towards Linzhang Prefecture along the official road.

As Duan Rong walked, his eyes suddenly lit up, for he saw a rather verdant and secluded mountain peak not far from the roadside. In the distance, hidden among the deep forest leaves, a corner of a temple was revealed.

Hidden deep in the mountains is an ancient temple, and Duan Rong immediately felt the urge to explore. He looked up at the sky and saw that it was almost noon. If he continued to walk along the mountain path to the ancient temple, it would probably be too late by then, and he wouldn't be able to enter the city today.

On this journey to travel the world, Duan Rong decided to enter the world with a mortal heart. With his cultivation level, the ancient temple, though hidden deep in the mountains, was within sight and could be reached in an instant. However, he still decided to walk there step by step.

The so-called investigation of things in order to find a medium lies in the ordinary mind along the way.

Thinking of this, Duan Rong turned off the official road, crossed the wilderness, and headed towards the verdant and secluded mountain peak. He soon arrived at the foot of the mountain. The mountain path was rugged, so he found a thick, withered tree branch to lean on and climbed up the jagged bluestone.

By the time Duan Rong reached the halfway point up the mountain, his body was already warm, and fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead. He hadn't used any cultivation techniques; it was all muscle strength.

Feeling a bit tired from pedaling, he sat down on a large, slightly uncomfortable blue stone, took a breath, and looked down. He saw that the valley was lush and green, with a rather beautiful landscape.

"Nature has bestowed upon us the most wondrous things!" Duan Rong exclaimed, then got up and continued climbing.

This time, he didn't rest for a moment along the way and walked straight to the temple.

Upon arriving, he discovered it was merely a small, abandoned temple, inhabited by an old, deaf-mute monk. The temple was deserted and devoid of incense offerings. Duan Rong sighed and turned away.

It was already past dawn, and dusk was approaching. This small, makeshift temple offered shelter, but Duan Rong decided to descend the mountain from the other side.

If he didn't reach the bottom of the mountain before dark, he would find a tree halfway up the mountain and make do with sleeping there for the night.

Thinking this, Duan Rong descended the mountain from the other side, stepping on the rocks. After walking for a while, he discovered that there was another winding mountain path leading down from this side of the mountain.

It seems this is the place to go up and down the mountain. He was just feeling his way up from the other side.

As Duan Rong descended the mountain path, he felt much lighter and threw away the withered branch he was using for support. His steps were light, a cool breeze was blowing, and the scenery along the way was exceptionally beautiful. Duan Rong enjoyed the magnificent views for a while.

As he walked, he turned past a large rock on the mountain path ahead, and suddenly saw three figures walking towards him not far behind the rock.

The three men all looked fierce and menacing, carrying gleaming broadswords on their shoulders.

Duan Rong went down, while they went up.

When the three saw Duan Rong, they were first taken aback, and then their faces lit up with joy.

These three were bandits from the nearby mountains who robbed travelers. They were wanted by authorities in other areas and had only fled to this place a few days ago, where they were now hiding in another mountain not far away.

They had robbed travelers several times in the past few days, but gained very little. On this day, they saw a corner of the wild temple on this mountain from that mountain peak.

One of them suggested that if the temple was popular with worshippers, it must be very profitable. Since they had only made a small profit after robbing the road for several days, why not go and scout out the temple? If it was a fat sheep, wouldn't it be satisfying to slaughter it?

The other two readily agreed, and the three of them began their ascent along the mountain path. They didn't see a single pilgrim along the way, and halfway up the mountain, the three were starting to give up. Just then, they encountered Duan Rong, who was coming down the mountain. (End of Chapter)