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

The mountain where the Sect's Judgment and Justice Division is located is called: Ironstone Peak.

This peak is low and stretches like a ridge, and it has a kind of black rock that is as black as ink, just like black iron, hence the name Iron Stone Peak.

The Court of Judgment has a sect's dungeon, which is heavily guarded with multiple layers of protection.

Not far from the dungeon was a rather sturdy five-story pavilion.

This building is the headquarters of the Court of Imperial Clan Affairs, where the attendants and stewards handle daily affairs.

Yang Sixuan rarely came to this pavilion; instead, she lived in a simple bamboo house nestled in a bamboo grove in the mountains. Yang Yi usually took care of the daily affairs of this pavilion.

At this moment, in a rather spacious room inside the pavilion, Duan Rong sat in a grand chair behind a desk, his gaze calmly sweeping across the room.

This was originally Yang Yi's room. Knowing that Duan Rong, the deputy commander, was coming, Yang Yi specially vacated his room and made it available for Duan Rong to use.

At this moment, two figures stood in front of Duan Rong's desk: Ximen Kankan and Shen Mizhi.

Since Zhu He appointed him as the deputy director of the Court of Imperial Clan Affairs, he needed capable people. Although Yunfufeng was busy with affairs, he still managed to get Ximen Kankan to take over.

Ximen Kankan has been training in the Inner History Department for more than two years and is quite familiar with sect affairs, so he is ready to be put to use.

As for Shen Mizhi, she had nothing to do in the Lü family mansion, so Duan Rong called her over as well.

At this moment, Shen Mizhi's expression remained relatively calm, but Ximen Kankan's eyes were already showing some excitement.

Therefore, Ximen Kankan was originally just a servant on Yunfu Peak, not even a historian.

But now that Duan Rong has become the deputy director of the Judgment and Clan Affairs Department, he followed him. Duan Rong has already said that he will promote him to be the manager of the Judgment and Clan Affairs Department, which is equivalent to jumping two levels. How could he not be excited?

Moreover, the Inner History Department is in charge of miscellaneous affairs related to resource allocation, while the Court of Imperial Clan Affairs is in charge of major cases and disputes between sects, which immediately elevates its status.

Ximen Kankan looked at Duan Rong and couldn't help but laugh, "Commander Duan, you're really something. I'm just benefiting from your success! What's that called again?... Right! When one person attains enlightenment, even their chickens and dogs ascend to heaven!"

Shen Mizhi stood to the side, rolled her eyes at Ximen Kankan, and said, "That doesn't seem like a very nice way to put it, does it?"

Duan Rong looked at Ximen Kankan and chimed in with a laugh, "That's right, stop praising me like that. According to you, are you a chicken or a dog?"

Upon hearing this, Ximen Kankan immediately shouted, "Of course I am a dog."

He finished speaking and smiled, glancing at Shen Mizhi with ill intent.

Shen Mizhi initially didn't understand, only glancing at Ximen Kankan before realizing what was going on. Then, seeing his malicious grin, she suddenly understood. "Even the chickens and dogs rise to heaven"—that perfectly described the two of them. Ximen Kankan was the dog, so what was she?!

Shen Mizhi's face turned pale, and she was about to get angry, but at that moment, a figure suddenly stepped from outside to the door of the unclosed room, knelt down and said, "This humble servant Yang Yi greets Commander Duan!"

Duan Rong sat at the table, glanced at Yang Yi who was kneeling on the ground, and said, "Manager Yang, please rise."

Seeing Yang Yi's sudden visit, Shen Mizhi knew it would be inappropriate to get angry at this moment, so she had no choice but to suppress her anger and glare at Ximen Kankan. Ximen Kankan stood there, as if nothing had happened, completely calm and collected.

Upon hearing this, Yang Yi stood up and bowed again at the door of the room, saying, "Commander Duan, Commander Yang has sent me to invite you over. There is an important matter to discuss."

Duan Rong's eyes flickered slightly. He had just arrived at the Court of Judgment and Clan Affairs today, and not a single person in the building had come to greet him—this was already a sign of being snubbed. Moreover, he hadn't even had a chance to settle in before Yang Sixuan sent someone to invite him to a meeting. Was this some kind of attempt to intimidate him?
Duan Rong slowly stood up, looked at Ximen Kankan and Shen Mizhi, and said, "You two can familiarize yourselves with the environment here first."

"Yes, Commander Duan," Ximen Kankan immediately replied respectfully. His demeanor was for Yang Yi's benefit. Although he was usually somewhat disrespectful, in front of outsiders, he had to uphold Duan Rong's reputation. He knew very well that Duan Rong was now his patron; their fates were intertwined. Protecting Duan Rong was protecting himself.

Duan Rong nodded, looked at Yang Yi, and said, "Manager Yang, please lead the way."

"I wouldn't dare," Yang Yi said respectfully. "This way, Commander Duan."

Yang Yi then led Duan Rong out of the room and into the bamboo forest where Yang Sixuan lived alone in the mountain valley.

Upon entering the bamboo building, Yang Sixuan, dressed in a loose-fitting long robe, was sitting at an antique table, sipping tea. When he saw Duan Rong enter, he slowly rose, gave a slight bow, and said, "Commander Duan has just arrived at Iron Stone Peak today. I should have led my colleagues to welcome you and get to know each other better. However, I am tied up with trivial matters and cannot leave. I hope you will forgive me, Commander Duan."

Although Yang Sixuan claimed to be preoccupied with trivial matters, he was actually brewing and sipping tea at his desk, which was blatant lying.

Duan Rong simply smiled faintly, but also clasped his hands and said, "Director Yang, you flatter me. I am merely here to hold this position without doing any work. I am just passing the time. Please do not take me seriously, Director Yang."

Yang Sixuan was slightly taken aback by Duan Rong's words; he hadn't expected Duan Rong to respond in this way. Yang Sixuan certainly didn't believe that Duan Rong was just there to coast along; even if he did want to, Zhu He would have to agree first.

Yang Sixuan said, “Commander Duan, there’s no need to be so modest. At the Elder Council meeting before, Sect Leader Zhu was right. Over the years, I, Yang, have been in charge of investigating the Bloodstained Sect, but I have indeed made no progress. Unlike you, Commander Duan, who uncovered a major case when you were still an outer disciple.”

Duan Rong frowned slightly, wondering why Yang Sixuan had suddenly brought up the matter of the Filthy Blood Cult.

Yang Sixuan continued, "Therefore, I think that the matter of investigating the Bloodstained Cult should be entrusted to Chief Duan. This will allow Chief Duan to make good use of his expertise and achieve further merits."

Duan Rong's expression hardened. He had only just arrived at the Judgment and Justice Department, and Yang Sixuan had already dumped such a heavy responsibility on him. This was naturally due to Zhu He's actions at the Elder Council meeting. Because he wanted Duan Rong to join the Judgment and Justice Department, Zhu He had brought up the matter of the Filthy Blood Sect, which had angered Yang Sixuan.

The deeper meaning here is that Yang Sixuan deliberately wanted to hand this thorny matter over to him. Was the Bloodstained Cult so easy to track down? Yang Sixuan had been in charge of this matter for two or three decades, so he naturally knew how complicated it was. Yang Sixuan wanted to use this matter to suppress him, so that Zhu He's plan to cultivate him to take over the Judgment and Clan Affairs Division would fail.

Sure enough, just as Duan Rong was about to decline, Yang Sixuan continued without further ado, "I have four large trunks here, filled with files and materials from my investigations into the Blood Filth Cult over the years. I'll have Yang Yi have them carried to Chief Duan later. From now on, we'll have to rely on Chief Duan for this matter."

Although Yang Sixuan's tone was gentle, her words were quite firm, leaving no room for negotiation.

Seeing Yang Sixuan's calm expression, Duan Rong finally swallowed the words he was about to say and said, "Very well. As you wish, Chief Yang. Then I will take my leave."

After Duan Rong finished speaking, he turned and walked out of the bamboo house. He knew that saying anything more would be pointless.

Yang Sixuan's pupils contracted slightly as he watched Duan Rong's departing figure.

Duan Rong returned to his room in the pavilion and chatted briefly with Ximen Kankan and Shen Mizhi.

Ximen Kankan was telling Duan Rong how many managers there were in the Judgment and Clan Affairs Division and their respective duties. Duan Rong was slightly surprised. In just a short while, this kid had figured out this place so well?
Upon further inquiry, it was discovered that the Imperial Secretariat had all kept records of these matters, and Ximen Kankan had merely done a last-minute cramming. Duan Rong couldn't help but smile, but his opinion of Ximen Kankan unexpectedly rose a notch. Back in Xiangu County, this kid only thought about having fun, but now at least he knew how to take things seriously.

As they were talking, Yang Yi was already outside asking for permission to come in.

Duan Rong nodded, and Ximen Kankan went over and led Yang Yi and the others in carrying four large boxes.

Four large boxes were placed in the hall. Yang Yi clasped his hands and said, "Reporting to Commander Duan, these are the boxes that Commander Yang asked us to deliver."

Duan Rong smiled and said, "Thank you for your hard work, Steward Yang."

Yang Yi said, "I dare not, this humble servant will take his leave."

After Yang Yi finished speaking, he respectfully stepped back and only turned to leave when he reached the vicinity of the door.

Ximen Kankan watched Yang Yi leave, then looked at the four boxes beside him and asked, "What's in these boxes?"

Duan Rong said, "We will retrieve the files and materials of the Bloodstained Cult."

"Pursue the Blood Cult?!" Ximen Kankan exclaimed in surprise. He often frequented the Inner History Department and naturally knew that the Blood Cult was mentioned at every meeting of the Elder Council, but for many years, the crackdown on the Blood Cult had only scratched the surface and had not reached its core.

For years, Yang Sixuan had remained inactive. In fact, his strategy was to lay a long line to catch a big fish; taking down individual strongholds was meaningless to him. However, after laying a long line for two or three decades, he still couldn't find the location of the Filthy Blood Cult's headquarters, and the cult leader, Fu Yi, was nowhere to be found.

This time, he passed the responsibility of pursuing the Bloodstained Sect to Duan Rong. After two or three decades, he had begun to doubt his own strategy.

Even so, the four boxes of files and documents he gave to Duan Rong were mostly useless; he would never hand over the truly useful information, or the spies he had planted, to Duan Rong.

Duan Rong said, "Yes. Chief Yang has entrusted me with the task of pursuing the Bloodstained Sect."

Ximen Kankan said, "This job with the Filthy Blood Sect is no easy task! You've accepted it?" Ximen Kankan didn't expect that Duan Rong would take on such a hot potato as soon as he arrived.

Duan Rong said, "I agree! From now on, this matter will be handled by the two of you. Do a good job."

"Leave it to the two of us?!" Ximen Kankan and Shen Mizhi looked at each other in bewilderment.

Ximen Kankan asked, "Then what are you doing?"

Duan Rong touched his nose and said, "I have other things to do. Not only this matter of pursuing the Bloodstained Sect, but also many other matters related to me in the Judgment Division of the Sect, which will be handed over to you two from now on. I may leave the sect for a while."

"How long is 'a period of time' away from the sect?" Ximen Kankan looked at Duan Rong with a strange expression.

Duan Rong said, "Well... it's hard to say right now. In short, do what you can do, and tell Yang Yi what you can't do. I believe that Commander Yang will take care of it."

Upon hearing this, Ximen Kankan clicked his tongue in amazement and said, "Others are all about making a splash when they first take office. But you, you haven't even warmed your seat yet, and you're already thinking about leaving."

Duan Rong said, "As the saying goes, 'An army is raised for a thousand days to be used for one.' Now is the time for you two to show your strength. Do a good job. I'm leaving now."

Duan Rong left without warning, disappearing like a ghost in the next moment.

"This... they're leaving already?" Ximen Kankan was slightly taken aback, then felt a bit dumbfounded.

Shen Mizhi actually laughed at this moment. She usually had a stern face, but her smile was quite charming. She looked at Ximen Kankan and said, "Well, you wanted to latch onto someone powerful, huh? Turns out you got nothing..."

Ximen Kankan couldn't help but sigh. He really couldn't understand why the sect leader had gone to such great lengths to get Duan Rong appointed as the deputy director of the Judgment Department at the Elder Council meeting, despite the opposition. The implied meaning behind that was to have him replace Yang Sixuan.

But how come this guy messed up on his very first day in office?

Duan melted into a black beam of light and shot out from Iron Stone Peak.

His mind was now focused on the spirit of the divine statue, which had absorbed the incense offerings of a thousand years, to deepen his own power of law. He had no interest in the affairs of the Judgment and Clan Court.

He had only devoured the spirit of a divine statue once in Xian Gu County, and the various laws within the cave had indeed been deepened.

But he must try more things to explore whether this approach can continue indefinitely.

If he could continue without any obstacles, wouldn't he be able to condense his Nascent Soul and directly advance to the Nascent Soul Realm using this method?

Once he advances to the Nascent Soul Realm, he will be one of the most powerful beings in this world, and he will no longer need to worry about being controlled by Lü Yinlin. He always had a feeling that the secrets of Lü Yinlin might be far beyond his imagination.

Of course, this is on the premise that there are enough statues of gods in the land of Kyushu that have been burning incense for thousands of years to sustain his continuous devouring.

Duan Rong wasn't too worried about this. After all, Xiangu County already had statues of deities that had been worshipped for a thousand years. If a county had them, what about a prefecture, a state, or even the vast land of China? There were certainly many such statues.

In fact, during this time, after returning to the sect, Duan Rong had been pondering a question.

That is why idols in the secular world generate complex and varied laws of time, and can even contain hundreds or thousands of complex laws of time.

The sect also has statues of the Four Great Kings. Why don't those statues generate the complex and ever-changing power of the laws of time?

After repeated consideration and combining the words in the data panel, Duan Rong slowly came to a deduction.

The fact that idols in the secular world can generate the complex and ever-changing power of laws is likely related to the offerings of incense and prayers.

The idol is worshipped. The more people worship it, and the more devout they are, the more people will pour their thoughts and faith into it. When a devout person kneels before an idol, they are letting go of themselves and completely projecting their mind and spirit onto the idol.

These divine thoughts and beliefs, intertwined with the statue, have been imbued with the power of a thousand years, allowing the spirit of the statue to comprehend a rather complex array of laws.

This complexity stems from the complexity of the divine thoughts intertwined within the idol, as they originate from countless different people.

Therefore, the statues of deities that have been worshipped for thousands of years can contain hundreds, even thousands, of complex and varied laws of power, a complexity resulting from the interweaving of human influence. (End of Chapter)