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

Chapter 354 The end of the first game

The moment Duan Rong pressed down the heel of his slightly raised left foot, his body began to tremble like a sieve.

He held his head with both hands, his body hunched, and a dull and painful roar came from his throat.

Duan Rong took half a step forward, and his right foot, which had already stepped onto the altar, slowly withdrew it, and the trembling of his body gradually stopped.

Although Duan Rong was hunched over with his hands on his head, his eyes were very clear and there was no trace of pain on his face.

At this moment, his soul did not feel any pain at all.

But since he had already decided not to step onto the altar, he had to play his part well before ending.

Although Duan Rong retreated to the eighth stone step, he still held his head with his hands and hunched his body, as if he was still in great pain.

Xiao Yu was not far from the white line, staring at Duan Rong, his eyes as anxious as fire.

If her soul had not been weak and she had not been under the pressure of the soul, she would have already rushed forward.

Just as she was about to move, she felt dizzy and almost fainted.

Xiao Yu managed to stand firm, turned his head and looked at Ximen Kankan beside him and said, "Go and check on him!"

Ximen Kankan said with a sad face: "I can't even get through the red line, how can I see him when he is at the altar?"

Xiao Yu then realized that he had lost his mind due to his anxiety.

Ximen Kankan also saw Xiao Yu's anxiety and comforted her, "It's okay. It's not a big problem. Look, Duan Rong hasn't fainted yet.

Duan Rong stood there, and indeed straightened his waist slowly, but his brows were tightly furrowed, and there was a strong fear in his eyes at this moment.

On the solitary peak in the southeast of the valley.

The moment Duan Rong took that half step back, the intense interest in Chu Qiushan's eyes instantly disappeared.

He shook his head slightly and said, "It seems that my trip today is unnecessary. After one hundred and eighty years, no one else has been able to step onto this altar!"

Just when Duan Rong took that half step back, there was another person on the solitary peak, whose mental reaction was even greater than Chu Qiushan, who was full of disappointment at this moment.

That is the chair at the easternmost end of the row of chairs, standing in front of it is Yang Si-hyun, the chief of the Judgment Department.

Yang Sixuan at the east end and Lin Youjian at the west end are the two elders with the least experience among all the elders in the Council of Elders.

At the moment when Duan Rong took a half step back, the fierce light in Yang Sixian's eyes finally faded away.

When he was on the altar, he was just like Duan Rong and almost stepped onto the altar.

But at the last half step, as soon as he raised it, he fainted on the altar.

So, when he looked at Duan Rong in the valley just now, it was as if time had gone back, and he saw himself who had stepped onto the stage recklessly back then.

This is just one of them.

Another point is that if Duan Rong had successfully stepped onto the stage just now, it would mean that this boy's soul strength is very likely stronger than his own.

And three years ago, in the dungeon of the Judgment Department, when I used the Soul-Illuminating Seal on him to interrogate him, his eyes did not seem to freeze immediately. Instead, after a moment, a look of confusion appeared.

Just as Duan Rong was about to step onto the stage, Yang Sixuan thought of this scene and felt frightened.

Because he suddenly thought that Duan Rong might have been acting and deceiving him at that time.

If so, he must review the case. Since Duan Rong lied and forged his confession, it means that he is very likely to be heavily involved in the Shang Xiangyu and Pan Yong cases, or even one of the participants.

Although Duan Rong will become a genius of the sect once he steps onto the altar, as the chief of the Zongzheng Division, it is his duty to thoroughly investigate major cases of the sect.

However, Duan Rong not only did not step onto the altar just now, he even took a half step back. It can be said that his performance was not as good as his past self.

In other words, the spiritual strength of the two when they stepped onto the stage in the valley should have been at least comparable, or he might even be slightly stronger than Duan Rong.

And in the past ten years, he has been practicing the Taizang Sutra. From this point of view, his soul must have been stronger than Duan Rong in the dungeon three years ago, so Duan Rong could not really resist the Soul-illuminating Seal.

At that time, Duan Rong's eyes did not immediately become dull under the Soul-Illuminating Seal, which just showed that his soul was still quite powerful, which was why he was able to almost step onto the altar today.

But even if his soul is powerful, as long as it is weaker than his own, the Soul-Illuminating Seal will eventually be able to control his soul successfully and make him reveal all the secrets in his heart.

As for Duan Rong's powerful spirit, whether it might be related to the Taizang Sutra.

Yang Si-hyun directly denied this point.

The six rare medicines stolen and exchanged by Pan Yong were all auxiliary medicines for the Taizang Sutra. Yang Sixian believed that this was by no means a coincidence.

Pan Yong's behavior must be related to the Taizang Sutra.

Yang Sixuan speculated that Pan Yong was most likely instructed by Shang Xiangyu. Shang Xiangyu might have obtained part of the Taizang Sutra himself, or he might have known that someone else had obtained the Taizang Sutra, so he made some kind of deal with that person in exchange for auxiliary medicine.

But at that time, Duan Rong had only been in the sect for over a month. How could Pan Yong possibly hand over the medicine from the Taizang Sutra to the newcomer Duan Rong?

Moreover, even if Duan Rong was really practicing the Taizang Sutra, he would not be able to achieve anything in three years.

Because the Taizang Sutra is so difficult to practice. He has a deep understanding of this point. It is impossible to achieve any level without three or four years of hard work.

Just as Yang Sixuan was deep in thought, Chu Qiushan suddenly turned his head, looking past everyone and staring at Yang Sixuan. "Sixuan, I remember you fainted on the altar that year, right?"

Yang Sixuan clasped his fists and said with a smile: "Master, you have a good memory. I really don't want to talk about my ugly behavior back then."

Chu Qiushan also smiled slightly. He only smiled occasionally when he was talking to Yang Sixuan.

Yang Sixian was Chu Qiushan's confidant who was promoted and cultivated by Chu Qiushan. If he had not been too inexperienced, the next leader of the sect would definitely be his.

How could it be Zhu He and Lu Zhongtang's turn to fight for it?

Chu Qiushan said: "This boy's spirit and soul may be comparable to yours in the valley back then. But in terms of the firmness of his heart, he is far inferior to you!"

Chu Qiushan could see that Duan Rong's spirit had reached its limit when he only lifted his head slightly in the last half step. At that moment, he must have experienced a deep fear of death.

But in the end he chose to back off.

But when the same experience happened to Yang Sixuan, he took the last half step without fear of life or death.

However, he ultimately failed to step onto the stage and instead fell unconscious on the altar.

But his determination to pursue the Tao is as strong as iron. In Chu Qiushan's opinion, this point is probably more important than his spiritual and mental talent.

Chu Qiushan said: "This boy has a mediocre mind. I predict that in thirty years, he will be just like everyone else."

Yang Sixuan said, "I think that if you are too persistent on the path of cultivation, you will easily lose yourself. If you have a peaceful mind, you can sometimes see more clearly the delicate relationship between yourself and the world in their mutual operation."

Chu Qiushan was slightly stunned. Yang Sixuan never said a word of falsehood in front of him. What he said at this time must be what he thought deeply in his heart.

This is also the reason why he likes Yang Sixuan so much.

Chu Qiushan pondered Yang Sixuan's words and was slightly moved. "Are you lost in it?"

He couldn't help but ask himself, "Have I been too persistent all these years?"

Zhu He listened to Yang Sixian's words, stood beside Chu Qiushan, and looked up at Yang Sixian. He felt that Yang Sixian's words were very much in line with his heart, but if he were to say it, he couldn't say it as thoroughly as Yang Sixian.

"This Yang Sixuan is not simple!" Zhu He said in his heart.

Zhu He secretly felt that although Yang Sixuan was too inexperienced to compete for the next leader in six years, in another fifty years, the position of leader would surely be in this person's pocket.

Duan Rong's eyes were filled with intense fear. On the altar, Jiang Hanyan woke up as if from a dream.

After Duan Rong took a half step back, the fanaticism in her eyes gradually faded away, and the look she gave Duan Rong became cold again.

Jiang Hanyan was about to continue playing the zither when a distant and powerful horn sounded suddenly in the valley. This horn sounded the end of the first test.

At the moment the horn sounded, suddenly several teams of people, holding crossbows, rushed into the valley as fast as ghosts.

Judging from the clothes and badges on these people’s waists, they are the people from the Zongzhengsi.

At the entrance of the canyon where Duan Rong was, there were two teams guarding the red line and the white line respectively.

Yang Yi strode towards a bluestone, stood on it, and shouted, "Stand still! No one should move! If anyone moves again, we, the Zongzheng Division, have the right to execute them on the spot!"

The crossbow arrows in those crossbow machines actually have limited killing power against these warriors, but those crossbow arrows are coated with powder, and whoever they are shot at will leave a mark on their body.

Only Yang Yi could come up with such a weird idea.

After Yang Yi finished shouting, he turned his head and glanced at Duan Rong's back at the altar, muttering: "Is this guy so powerful?"

Yang Yi never expected that Duan Rong, who looked ordinary, almost stepped onto the altar and became the first person in 180 years.

Although he was only half a step short, he had already left many people behind.

With this kind of talent, it should be no problem for him to enter the Elders' Council in the future. If he enters the Elders' Council, he will become a high-ranking official in the sect like his second uncle Yang Sixian.

Before that, while investigating the cases of Shang Xiangyu and Pan Yong, Duan Rong was imprisoned in the dungeon for more than a month.

Will this guy hold a grudge against me?

No! It seems that I have to find a chance to curry favor with him.

At the moment when the horn of the end sounded.

At the four huge statues in the valley, the sixteen figures sitting cross-legged on the heads, shoulders, feet and ground of the statues suddenly opened their eyes and stopped chanting and making seals.

They picked up the incense burner in front of them that was emitting smoke and twisted it gently. An iron lid appeared on the inner wall, covering the incense burner tightly. Only wisps of smoke came out from the edge of the incense burner and dissipated in the wind.

The wolf smoke dissipated, and the eyes of the four huge statues were empty, and no longer emitted the faint blood light.

As for the registered disciples in the valley, their spirits suddenly relaxed, and the pressure that had been suppressing their spirits disappeared in an instant.

Xiao Yu let out a breath. She really wanted to run over to see Duan Rong, but at the red line three meters away, a team of people from the Judgment and Rectification Division were holding crossbows and staring at them hungrily.

And on the white line not far behind them, there was another group of people.

Just as the smoke dissipated, a black light suddenly flashed from the peak in the southeast, like a shooting star, and landed on the altar in the center of the valley.

Lin Youjian was dressed in a plain robe and had a stern expression. She stood beside Jiang Hanyan and stared at Duan Rong.

Duan Rong stood on the eighth stone step. Almost at the moment when the spiritual pressure dissipated, the person in front of him suddenly appeared.

Duan Rong looked at Lin Youjian. He knew that this man was a strong man in the Dongming Realm and must be one of the elders of the Council of Elders.

The pressure from the spirit and soul dissipated, and Duan Rong's body had recovered as normal. He clasped his fists and said, "Greetings, Senior!"

Lin Youjian looked at Duan Rong's well-behaved appearance and nodded slightly, saying, "He has good talent, but he is a little ugly."

Duan Rong was slightly stunned and twitched the corner of his mouth. He didn't expect that this stern-looking female elder would start commenting on his appearance as soon as they met.

Under the veil, Jiang Hanyan looked at Duan Rong with obvious interest and smiled slightly.

She stood up, clasped her fists towards Lin Youjian and said, "Master."

"Hanyan, you stand aside and watch carefully." After Lin Youjian said this, he sat cross-legged in front of the black guqin that Jiang Hanyan placed on the altar.

Lin Youjian's fingers were hanging on the zither, steady as a rock and agile as water. This was Duan Rong's true feeling at the moment, and he didn't know why those fingers gave him such a strange feeling.

Duan Rong's eyes suddenly jumped. Is it the power of law?
At this moment, Lin Youjian's fingertips plucked the strings.

A short, high-pitched chant rose from the altar in the valley and soared into the sky.

Everyone in the valley was silent.

They all felt a sense of joy in their minds.

It was in this silence that Lin Youjian dialed the second time.

The two sounds of the piano were still short, but they did not rise upwards, but echoed in the valley...

Just like dropping a stone into a quiet lake, ripples spread out...

In the valley, everyone who heard the sound of the piano instantly became clear-headed.

Just after the second sound of the piano spread out, all the people who had fainted in the valley woke up slowly.

Lin Youjian just plucked twice, and those were just two syllables without a tune, yet they had such tremendous power.

Duan Rong stood at the altar, looking at the people on both sides of the ground who had suddenly woken up, his eyes full of horror.

The power of law, how miraculous is it? !

On the altar, Jiang Hanyan looked at her master with admiration.

Lin Youjian slowly stood up, looked at Jiang Hanyan, and said, "Hanyan, let's go."

"Yes." Jiang Hanyan put the guqin on the ground on her back. When she stood up, she couldn't help but glance at Duan Rong.

Lin Youjian hugged Jiang Hanyan and turned into a black light. He flashed suddenly like a meteor and crossed the valley from the southeast sky.

Duan Rong stared blankly at the place where the two people disappeared, his eyes fascinated.

He was not thinking about Jiang Hanyan's beauty or Lin Youjian's grace, he was thinking about the black guqin, and he didn't know what level of instrument spirit it was. Could he devour it?

He was so curious about the spiritual art of the piano music!

Soon, Yang Yi, together with the people from the Judgment Department, divided the registered disciples in the valley into three groups.

Duan Rong and his group of people who had crossed the red line were a group, gathered on the altar, there were only eleven of them in total.

The second group was people like Xiao Yu, Shen Mizhi and Ximen Kankan who had crossed the white line and were standing around the altar.

The remaining third group of people are those who gathered at the entrances of various canyons. These are the people who failed the first assessment.

The third group of people was the largest, with almost 70% of the registered disciples gathered at the entrance of the canyon.

The people from the Internal History Department were standing on the big bluestone, shouting to them, telling them that they had been eliminated and could leave the sect.

Many people had dull eyes and pale faces.

Duan Rong stood on the altar, looking at the dark crowd gathered at the entrance of the canyon.

These people are just cannon fodder or just forced labor.

Because this first test can be carried out when they first enter the sect, the results will hardly change.

But if that happens, there will be 70% less people doing hard labor for the sect.

Of course, these people did not gain nothing. At least they obtained the martial arts secrets of the True Qi Realm in the sect, and they could also exchange pills with contribution points to assist in their practice. Once they left the sect, the pills would not circulate in the secular world at all.

Less than a month after these people left, another group of registered disciples came into the mountain from various places to fill the vacancies left by their departure.

Just like cutting leeks, one crop after another.

(End of this chapter)