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

Seeing that Chu Wushang had left without saying anything, Wei Yan said, "That man is really petty. I just said something casually, and he seized on it."

Upon hearing this, Duan Rong couldn't help but chuckle, thinking to himself: I wonder who's being stingy.

Although Wei Yan was stingy with others, he was very generous to Duan Rong. He not only brought out two jars of fruit wine, but also caught two pheasants from the dense forest.

The two men sat on a large blue stone, roasting pheasants over a fire while drinking and chatting.

Wei Yan asked, "Commander Duan, what exactly are they doing in the valley?"

Duan Rong said, "Haven't I been watching from here the whole time?"

Wei Yan said, "I saw it, but I don't understand. How could you be enveloped in golden light?"

Duan Rong laughed and said, "This can't be explained in just a few words. Let's have a drink instead."

As Duan Rong spoke, he grabbed the wine jar. Seeing this, Wei Yan also grabbed a wine jar, and the two lightly clinked their jars together before each taking a swig.

In truth, Wei Yan was merely curious and asked casually. To him, this matter was far less important than drinking with Duan Rong.

After the pheasant was roasted, the two ate and drank together. Wei Yan then asked Duan Rong how he had tracked down Fu Yi, the leader of the Filthy Blood Sect. Duan Rong, emboldened by the wine, recounted to Wei Yan how he had found the Blood Spirit Mushroom through an inconspicuous Wutong Temple, how he had followed the Blood Spirit Mushroom to find the Pharmacist Shang Xiangyu, and how he had finally found Fu Yi.

After hearing this, Wei Yan couldn't help but sigh, "It's truly half fate and half human effort."

Duan Rong nodded and said, "Elder Wei's words are quite insightful."

The two sat on the large blue stone, and before they knew it, they had finished two jars of wine and gnawed the two pheasants down to their bones.

Wei Yan was already drunk, lying on his back on the large blue stone, snoring.

By this time, it was already dark, a cold wind was blowing, the moon had not yet risen, and the surroundings were pitch black.

Duan Rong also threw away the empty wine jar, lay down on his side at the other end of the large blue stone, and prepared to take a nap.

His spiritual energy was greatly depleted from today's cultivation, and he needs to sleep to recover.

In the middle of the night, Duan Rong woke up, removed Wei Yan's smelly feet from his waist, and stood up on the large blue stone. He saw a bright, clear moon in the eastern sky, casting its gentle light across the mountains and forests.

Looking at the tranquil night under the cold moon, Duan Rong suddenly felt a sense of lightness and joy. With a flicker, he disappeared from the large blue stone and darted into the Moonlight Forest.

The soft moonlight shines only above the forest, unable to penetrate the dense woods.

The dense forest was pitch black, and Duan Rong's figure moved swiftly, like a ghost.

Suddenly, in the darkness, Duan Rong stopped beside an ancient, gnarled tree. He gently placed his hand on the cracked bark of the tree and thought to himself, "Reading the spirit of the artifact."

The next moment, a set of data appeared before his eyes, gleaming faintly in the darkness.

Object: Ancient cypress (1200 years old)

Spirit Rank: 12
Absorption Requirements: Host's mental strength level 12 (met)

Devouring effect: Experience the passage of time (can increase the host's mental strength)

Duan Rong glanced at the data panel and thought to himself, "Devour."

As the data panel, which was shimmering with an eerie light, disintegrated, Duan Rong's figure flickered and disappeared from the spot, heading off to find the next ancient tree.

As dawn broke, Duan Rong had already filled his spiritual sea with the tree spirit that shimmered with a rich, cyan light. He sat cross-legged on the altar for a short rest, and when Jiang Hanyan and the others arrived around 7:00 AM, they could begin their cultivation for the day.

From then on, Duan Rong began his monotonous daily cultivation in the valley.

Chu Wushang still comes over every evening.

At first, nothing changed. Duan Rong sat cross-legged on the altar, still enveloped in a golden light.

However, about a month later, Chu Wushang suddenly discovered that the light shield surrounding Duan Rong had changed. Not only did it shimmer with solemn golden light, but there were even swastika symbols rotating within it. Moreover, faint rosy light appeared where the swastika symbols were rotating.

“Something’s changed!?” One evening, Chu Wushang stood atop the mountain, looking at Duan Rong on the altar, his eyes sharpening.

Actually, the change is quite simple: Duan Rong has become the Great Vajra Mandala of the twenty-second level and has now begun cultivating the twenty-third level.

As the number of layers of the Great Vajra Mandala increases, the corresponding Buddhist techniques also become more and more refined and profound. Therefore, Duan Rong's aura on the altar changed.

Because he is now practicing a more profound Buddhist technique.

After watching for a while, Chu Wushang transformed into a streak of black light and left.

He arrived at the valley where the ancestor Lü Yinlin lived in seclusion and entered Lü Yinlin's cave.

Lu Yinlin was flipping through some ancient notes, searching for methods left by the patriarchs to increase lifespan, when he saw Chu Wushang walk in. He looked up at him and asked, "What is it?"

Chu Wushang said, "Duan Rong underwent a change on the altar."

Upon hearing this, Lü Yinlin put down the bamboo slip in his hand, took a sip of water, and looked at Chu Wushang.

Chu Wushang said, "Within the golden light shield surrounding him, swastikas began to appear. Above the swastikas, radiant light emerged."

Upon hearing this, Lü Yinlin's eyes flashed with a deep light, and he said, "This kid is becoming more and more unpredictable."

Lu Yinlin was silent for a moment, then said, "You may go now. Continue to keep an eye on his movements."

After bowing, Chu Wushang turned and left the cave.

In the valley, the artisans and guards forming a procession, along with the female disciples playing Buddhist chants in the pavilion, initially felt quite exhausted from their daily labor. But as they participated in this activity day after day, a sense of sacredness gradually welled up within them.

Especially after repeated chanting and rituals, the body and mind experienced a light and gentle feeling, as if immersed in holy water. Sensitive as Jiang Hanyan was, she even sensed a subtle growth in her spiritual essence.

Wei Yan, who had been sitting on the mountaintop observing for days on end, also had the same feeling as Jiang Hanyan. At first, Wei Yan only felt that the chanting was drilling into his brain, but later, he gradually felt a warm and cool sensation slowly permeating his body and mind.

This is called being filled with the Holy Spirit. It is a sensation that inevitably occurs during Tantric practice.

Inside the pavilion, Jiang Hanyan rhythmically struck the cloud gong while gazing at Duan Rong on the altar.

Duan Rong was surrounded by golden light, with shimmering rays of light floating within it, making him appear like a god or Buddha descending to earth. At first, Jiang Hanyan didn't know what Duan Rong was doing, but after more than a month, she gradually realized that Duan Rong must be cultivating a technique related to the soul.

Even though she was merely participating and striking the cloud gong, her soul experienced a subtle growth; how much more so for Duan Rong, who was sitting cross-legged on the altar?

In fact, Jiang Hanyan and Wei Yan's intuition was correct. Not only did they feel it, but even those dull and apathetic craftsmen, after completing a few rounds of the ritual, had faces filled with holiness, and their minds and bodies had clearly changed.

Because the inner and outer mandalas are originally one.

These people, while in the outer mandala, had also entered the inner mandala, which was Duan Rong's spiritual sea of ​​consciousness. They experienced the same surge and cleansing of their souls, but since Duan Rong was at the center, they were merely experiencing the surface. Even so, each of them benefited in some way.

Because of this sacred experience, everyone is filled with reverence. In this wonderful feeling, one does not feel tired, but rather becomes increasingly refreshed.

Two months later, Duan Rong on the altar changed again.

As dusk fell, flames suddenly ignited within the golden light surrounding Duan Rong. The flames immediately engulfed the golden light, burning Duan Rong like a bonfire.

Jiang Hanyan looked at Duan Rong with some tension, but saw that Duan Rong was sitting cross-legged in the center of the flame, his face serene and his expression peaceful. Jiang Hanyan did not stop and continued to strike the cloud gong.

As long as Jiang Hanyan's gong continued, the chanting in the pavilion continued, and as long as the chanting in the pavilion continued, the procession of artisans and guards continued to circle the altar...

In fact, the craftsmen and guards were also a little flustered when they saw Duan Rong suddenly surrounded by flames, but they were closer to the altar than Jiang Hanyan.

It was clear that Duan Rong sat cross-legged in the flames, motionless, like an old monk about to be cremated. Moreover, although the flames were raging and very bright, Duan Rong's clothes and hair were completely unharmed, floating slightly in the flames... The sense of holiness and solemnity was awe-inspiring.

On the hilltop, Chu Wushang was deeply moved by the scene before him. He too felt that there was something in this ritual that touched him deeply.

In fact, the rituals of Tantric Buddhism were all established and passed down by the patriarchs.

The masters who established these rituals were all accomplished beings; they could discern the hidden relationship between these rituals and the mind and spirit. Therefore, these seemingly cumbersome rituals are actually full of spiritual practice.

Chu Wushang watched for a while and felt that this change was even more significant than the previous swastika. Even though he had only stood there for a short time, he could feel the shock to his body and mind.

At this moment, the ritual, the endless chanting of Buddhist hymns, the four enormous statues resembling mountains, and Duan Rong sitting cross-legged in a blazing fire on the altar—all these things merged into one in the twilight sky.

The craftsmen and guards circled the altar, chanting incantations as they did so, the incense burners and Buddhist banners in their hands bathed in the golden glow of the twilight.

The chanting and recitations within the pavilion sounded like heavenly music. Wei Yan actually sat cross-legged on the hilltop and began to vaguely follow along with the chanting...

Chu Wushang felt a chill run through his body, but Duan Rong was completely unaware of it within his own spiritual sea of ​​consciousness. He was unaware that the esoteric rituals of the Faxiang Sect possessed such great power and such a powerful influence.

Although Chu Wushang did not sit cross-legged and chant like Wei Yan, he also experienced changes in his body and mind, and in these changes, he felt a kind of nourishment.

This feeling was wonderful, but he had no choice but to leave. His ancestor, Lü Yinlin, had instructed him to pay attention to Duan Rong's changes; such a significant change required his reporting to the ancestor.

Chu Wushang transformed into a streak of black light and left the mountain.

Before long, Lü Yinlin arrived at the top of the mountain, the evening breeze ruffling his graying hair. The first thing Lü Yinlin saw was Wei Yan, who was sitting cross-legged there, chanting along with the recitations echoing from the valley.

A complex expression appeared in Lü Yinlin's eyes. His gaze swept past Wei Yan before fixing on Duan Rong on the altar in the valley.

Duan Rong sat cross-legged on the altar, his face serene, within a ball of flame. The flame was divided into three layers, changing from white to yellow to red.

Duan Rong sat cross-legged in the bright white flame at the very center.

Lu Yinlin was shocked, his eyes filled with extreme astonishment, and he couldn't help but exclaim: "The supreme secret technique of the Dharma-image Sect—the Great Bright Flame!"

"How can this be!?"

"Where did Duan Rong learn the ultimate secret techniques of the Faxiang School?!"

The reason why Lü Yinlin recognized this supreme secret method was because he had seen Master Huizhao, a high-ranking monk of the Faxiang School who had reached the Nascent Soul Realm, demonstrate this secret method.

This secret technique of the Great Bright Flame can be cultivated by both cultivators in the Cave of Enlightenment Realm and the Nascent Soul Realm, but only when it reaches the hands of a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator can this supreme secret technique truly unleash its power.

This secret technique of the Great Bright Flame, if mastered to a certain level, can be considered an absolute defense against cultivators of the same level. Any attack against it will be burned, devoured, and absorbed by the Great Bright Flame, becoming part of itself. Therefore, the more you attack, the stronger it becomes, hence the name "absolute defense."

When Master Huizhao used this secret technique, he remained unmoved and invincible in the face of attacks from four Nascent Soul cultivators. Moreover, the more he was attacked, the more powerful the flames around him became.

The secret method of this Great Bright Flame was created by the founder of the Faxiang School.

The Mahaprajnaparamita Sutra says that the wisdom of all Bodhisattvas is like a great torch. No matter how good things are, such as gold, silver, and diamonds, or how bad things are, such as smelly socks and rotten things, if they are thrown into the fire, they will all be burned to ashes and transformed into flames and light.

The founder of the Faxiang school was an enlightened being who created this secret art based on the principles of the Mahaprajnaparamita Sutra.

This secret method, because it contains profound and exquisite doctrines, becomes integrated with rituals and chanting once it is practiced.

Lu Yinlin watched for a long time. How did Duan Rong learn such a secret technique and ritual? Could it be that a great master of the Faxiang School was willing to teach him such a thing?
Even if he were willing to teach him, as far as Lü Yinlin knew, the secret technique of the Great Bright Flame was extremely difficult to master, and it would be impossible to comprehend it without decades of hard work.

That flame may seem simple, but it can actually devour any attack. Absolute defense against attacks of the same level!

If a cultivator at the Cavern Realm were to unleash this technique, it would mean that all attacks based on the laws of nature would be devoured by the flames and transformed into part of the cultivator's own power. What an incredibly bizarre and mysterious technique! It's not something easily mastered! (End of Chapter)