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

Duan Rong lay in the dark room of the inn. He did not light a lamp or order food. He simply lay quietly on the bed, resting from the exhaustion of tracking the Bloodstained Blood Cult envoy. At the same time, he used his divine sense to explore the Renle Pharmacy at the other end of the street, especially the cramped room where the Blood Spirit Mushroom was locked.

It was getting late, and Renle Pharmacy soon closed. After closing the shop, the clerk and the staff checked the accounts again to make sure everything was in order before they all went their separate ways.

The two-story Renle Pharmacy fell silent, except for a dim lamp that shone in one of the rooms on the second floor. The ground floor was completely dark, and the doors were locked.

In the room where the lamp was lit, an old man was examining the accounts with a magnifying glass.

Duan Rong's divine sense remained locked on the old man.

During his stay at the inn, he not only focused on Renle Pharmacy, but also listened to the idle chatter of the common people. He spread his divine sense and covered all the teahouses and restaurants, only listening to topics related to Renle Pharmacy.

He now knew that the old man's name was Zhou Cheng, the former owner of Renle Pharmacy. He also had a son named Zhou Zhang, who was over thirty years old. The father and son ran the pharmacy together, and the business was quite prosperous.

Zhou Cheng was sitting in the room next to the locked Blood Spirit Mushroom, quietly reviewing the accounts in his hands.

The scene inside Renle Pharmacy was already quite boring. After investigating for more than an hour, Duan Rong was already getting tired of it, but he still endured it and never left his old employer's mind for a moment.

Duan Rong had already sensed something was amiss. Were these accounts really that important? The other workers had all finished their shifts, yet the old boss was still here, scrutinizing the accounts. And in the room next door was that Blood Spirit Mushroom.

As midnight approached, the old employer, perhaps tired of watching, sat down and closed his eyes, feigning sleep. This made Duan Rong even more puzzled.

About half an incense stick later, a dark figure suddenly darted out from the alley behind Renle Pharmacy. As soon as the figure emerged from the alley, it looked up at the second floor of Renle Pharmacy and saw a room still lit with a dim yellow light.

The dark figure then moved with incredible speed, like a large bird, leaping onto the second floor with a light tap on its toes, and gently knocked on the window with the lamp lit.

A series of knocks sounded on the window, startling the old landlord, who asked, "Who is it?"

A familiar voice came from outside the window: "Dad, it's me. Open the window."

The old man's tense expression disappeared. He slowly got up, walked over, and opened the window.

A slightly overweight figure jumped in.

The old man glared at him and said, "Don't you have a key? Why don't you use the proper front door and instead jump in through the window?"

Zhou Zhang smiled and said, "It's quite troublesome to unlock and close the door." Then he added, "Father, as soon as I returned to the manor, Zhou Zhong said that you instructed me to come to the pharmacy as soon as I got back."

The old man asked, "Has everything been taken care of over there?"

Zhou Zhang said, "It's all over."

The old man said, "The blood spirit mushroom was delivered in the evening."

"It's been delivered." Zhou Zhang's eyes lit up. "Then all the medicines are ready, right?"

"It's all ready," the old man said. "This batch of medicine was urgently needed. Otherwise, I wouldn't have had to wait here for you all night. You can deliver it to the village now."

Zhou Zhang responded, a greedy glint in his eyes. He'd been busy lately and hadn't had a proper meal in the village in ages; he was itching to go.

The old man said, "Take the lamp on the table and come with me." As he spoke, the old man walked towards the door, and Zhou Zhang took the lamp and followed behind.

The old man left the room and went to the door of the next room. By the light, he found his key and opened the door. Zhou Zhang, carrying a lamp, followed the old man inside.

In the dimly lit room of the inn, Duan Rong, who had been somewhat lazy, was now completely focused on his studies.

The two entered the room, and Zhou Zhang closed the door.

The old man suddenly brought out a black jar from the corner of the room. He placed the jar on the table and looked at Zhou Zhang, saying, "I have filled this jar with ice. Buried in the ice are two python gallbladders, two purple ginseng roots, and this blood lingzhi mushroom. Now all the medicines are ready."

As the old man spoke, he opened the wooden box on the table, took out the blood-ganoderma, and then lifted the lid of the black jar. Amidst the chill, he placed the blood-ganoderma into the black jar as well.

The old man looked at Zhou Zhang and said, "Go. Be careful on the road."

“Yes, Father. Don’t worry,” Zhou Zhang said. “I’ve been to the village countless times.”

Zhou Zhang put down the lamp, picked up the black jar, and felt the jar's walls were icy cold. He circulated his energy slightly, then pushed open the window, glanced at the pitch-black night, and turned to say, "Father, I'm leaving."

After Zhou Zhang finished speaking, he darted out, landing gracefully like a large bird. Then, carrying the jar, he disappeared into the dark alley behind the pharmacy.

As soon as Zhou Zhang appeared, Duan Rong's divine sense locked onto him. He had already used his divine sense to investigate and found that Zhou Zhang was at the first level of the True Qi Realm.

With a thought, Duan Rong moved like a ghost, passing through the rooftops, leaping out of the inn, and shooting into the night sky. Then, he roared away towards Zhou Zhang's direction in the night sky.

Zhou Zhang grew up in Quyang County and had walked through this dark and secluded residential area countless times. Now, he moved with incredible speed and swiftness.

The thought of being able to cultivate the Bloodstained Divine Skill once he entered the village made him feel a surge of heat in his lower abdomen, and he naturally became somewhat impatient.

Duan Rong, like a ghost, followed Zhou Zhang closely, several feet away.

Duan Rong had naturally examined the medicinal herbs in the black jar that Zhou Zhang was carrying with his divine sense, and judging from their appearance alone, they were not ordinary.

He was simply curious; several of the ingredients were rare medicinal herbs, none of which were easy to obtain. What exactly was this alchemist trying to refine?

Soon, Zhou Zhang used his speed to leap over the city wall and arrive in the suburbs.

Upon reaching the outskirts, finding no horses available, Zhou Zhang continued to move with incredible speed, heading southeast along the official road.

After running for about ten miles, Zhou Zhang saw dark, undulating mountains behind the wild forest beside the official road. He suddenly turned off the official road and headed towards the mountains.

Duan Rong stared intently into the shadows of the trees.

In the deep darkness of the night, the mountain range resembled a colossal beast. He didn't know its name, but he remembered that the old master of the pharmacy had instructed Zhou Zhang to deliver the black jar to the village. So, it seemed that the village was located in those mountains.

Duan Rong moved with incredible speed, following Zhou Zhang from a distance, locking onto him with his divine sense.

Zhou Zhang was very careful along the way, stopping from time to time to listen to the sounds behind him, but with his cultivation at the first level of the True Qi Realm, he naturally could not detect Duan Rong's pursuit.

Seeing that they had reached the foot of the mountain, Zhou Zhang held up the black jar with one hand and leaped between the rocks.

Firstly, he was familiar with the terrain, and secondly, he was skilled in martial arts. Even in the dead of night, once he used his lightness skill, he could traverse mountains and ridges as if walking on flat ground, soaring upwards with a whoosh.

Zhou Zhang leaped over two mountain peaks before finally heading towards a mountain hollow.

After rounding several large rocks, one could faintly see a faint glow rising from the mountain hollow.

Zhou Zhang, holding the black jar in one hand, stood on a large rock, wiped the fine sweat from his forehead, and then once again used his speed to dart towards the flickering firelight in the mountain hollow.

In the pitch-black night, his figure moved like a monkey, leaping and tumbling. Before long, the firelight grew brighter and brighter, and soon, deep in the mountain valley, hidden among the trees, a rather large mountain stronghold built against the mountain came into Zhou Zhang's view. Zhou Zhang stopped, carrying the black jar in one hand, and walked slowly towards the gate of the stronghold.

It was still a shot's distance from the gate of the mountain stronghold.

From the watchtower at the entrance of the mountain stronghold, a gruff voice shouted, "Who goes there? Breaking into the stronghold in the dead of night?!"

Zhou Zhang cleared his throat and replied, "It's me. Zhou Zhang from the pharmacy."

Immediately, a torch was thrown down from the arrow tower, landing on the ground not far in front of Zhou Zhang, sending up a string of sparks.

Zhou Zhang took a few steps and held the torch in his hand.

The firelight then reflected on his face.

The voice from the watchtower immediately became enthusiastic. "Young Master Zhou, it's been a while since you've been here!!"

Zhou Zhang smiled and said, "There's been a lot going on at the shop lately. I'd appreciate it if you brothers could open the door for me."

Upon hearing this, the people on the watchtower immediately shouted to the guards near the gate to open it.

With the clanging of the iron chains, the gate of Dashilan was hoisted up, and Zhou Zhang, carrying the black jar, slowly walked in.

As soon as he entered the mountain stronghold, he looked at the guard leader and asked, "Chief Ying, is Pharmacist Shang here? I've come to deliver medicine to him."

The man with the scar on his face glanced at the black jar Zhou Zhang was holding and said, "Pharmacist Shang has been suffering in the cave these past few days. Hurry up, I've asked him several times already."

Zhou Zhang responded and then moved into the depths of the village.

Duan Rong shot down from the sky like a ghost, landing in the shadows of the village.

With a thought, his divine sense suddenly spread out, enveloping the entire mountain stronghold.

This mountain stronghold is located deep in the mountains and forests, and it is indeed quite remote. Without someone to guide you, it would be very difficult to find in these vast mountains.

From the conversation between Zhou Zhang and the leader at the entrance, it seems that this mountain stronghold is a place for alchemy.

While exploring the mountain stronghold, Duan Rong used his divine sense to lock onto Zhou Zhang and followed him all the way.

With his cultivation at the mid-stage of the Cave Realm, it was naturally impossible for the patrol teams in the mountain stronghold to discover him.

Zhou Zhang arrived at the deepest part of the mountain stronghold, where he saw a mountain wall with many vines hanging down. Zhou Zhang walked to a certain part of the mountain wall, raised his hand and pushed aside the vines, revealing a cave inside, which he then crawled into.

After Zhou Zhang's figure disappeared, a black shadow flashed, and Duan Rong stood in front of that mountain wall, looking at the vines hanging down in front of him and the cave behind them that was covered by vines. Duan Rong couldn't help but think of the mountain in the sect where Shang Xiangyu was refining medicine, where vines also hung down in front of the cave.

Such a coincidence must mean they are old friends.

At this moment, Duan Rong was becoming increasingly interested in the pharmacist Shang, who was suffering in the cave, as mentioned by the head guard at the entrance.

With a thought, he moved like a ghost, passing through the hanging vines and entering the cave.

This mountain stronghold was built against the mountain, surrounding this cave.

The cave seemed to lead deeper and deeper into the mountainside, slowly descending as if heading towards the heart of the mountain.

Duan Rong followed Zhou Zhang from a distance of several feet.

Zhou Zhang carried a torch and walked on the jagged rocks.

This cave is not a maze of interconnected passages, but rather a single path that leads to the very end, becoming increasingly deep and secluded.

The road was difficult to walk on, and Zhou Zhang did not use his skills. He did not know how long he had walked, but suddenly he saw a burst of firelight ahead.

Zhou Zhang knew they had arrived and quickened his pace. Upon approaching, he saw two guards dozing off in front of a stone gate, swords in their hands. A torch burned brightly on the stone wall beside them.

Zhou Zhang coughed lightly.

The two guards finally came to their senses and gave Zhou Zhang a cold look.

Zhou Zhang smiled broadly and said, "My lords, I've come to deliver medicine to Pharmacist Shang."

Don't underestimate these two just because they're guards; they're both at the second level of the True Qi Realm, even more powerful than him.

One of them said, "Why did it take so long to arrive?! Pharmacist Shang is so anxious, he's been scolding us every day."

Zhou Zhang said, "These herbs are hard to come by; you can't just have them on hand whenever you need them. It was a lot of effort to finally gather them all together."

"Alright. Let's go in." The other person turned around and pressed and turned the mechanism on the stone wall, and the stone door opened with a rumble.

The moment the stone door opened, a wave of intense heat rushed out.

Zhou Zhang smiled and immediately darted inside. The stone door then crashed shut with a loud rumble.

The moment the stone gate slammed shut, two points of firefly light suddenly appeared and disappeared between the brows of the two guards. Then, a dark shadow, like a ghost, passed through the fallen stone gate.

Behind the stone gate was a small space. On the stone walls surrounding the space were three stone caves, and in front of each cave entrance, there was a person guarding it.

As soon as Zhou Zhang entered, one of them complained, "Young Master, you've finally arrived. If you hadn't brought the medicine, Pharmacist Shang would have tortured us to death."

Zhou Zhang asked, "Where is Pharmacist Shang right now?"

The other person said, "Wait here in the cave where they refine medicine, I'll inform you."

Zhou Zhang said, "Okay!"

The man then turned the mechanism and opened the stone door, which this time released a burst of flames and an even hotter heat wave.

Everyone in the space was focused on the newly opened opening, and no one saw a dark figure slip through the corner of the stone door and disappear into the shadows beside it.

Within the shadow, Duan Rong bent down and transformed into a stone. At the same time, his divine sense suddenly expanded, radiating in all directions.

The moment he released his divine sense, a slender figure emerged from the fire-lit cave.

This man had gray hair, but his skin was remarkably smooth and radiant. His expression was ashen, and his gaze was deep and cold. This man who emerged was none other than Shang Xiangyu, whom he hadn't seen for many years. (End of Chapter)