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

Chapter 413: Fish Dragon Leaps
As soon as Duan Rong finished speaking, Ge Rushong stood up with a cold face and walked directly out of the hall.

Many of the hidden elders of the sect also stood up and walked out. Some of them stood up and walked away with a cold and arrogant look on their faces, while others smiled and congratulated Zhu He before turning around and leaving.

There was an old man with white beard and crane skin. When he walked past Duan Rong, a trace of disgust flashed between his brows and he said softly, "At such a young age, you already know how to curry favor with the powerful. You are indeed a fame and fortune maniac!"

Although his voice was not loud, several people passing by heard it. They all looked at Duan Rong meaningfully.

Duan Rong naturally heard it carefully.

But he didn't even turn his head, just sneered in his heart.

In his two lifetimes, he has seen many people who pretend to be noble.

A man who only cares about fame and fortune?! Even gods fight for a stick of incense! What’s more, you are not a god yet.

Although two-thirds of the people left the hall in an instant, nearly one-third remained, including Yang Sixian and Lin Youjian.

After choosing a master, one must perform the real ceremony of paying homage to the master according to ancient rituals.

Some of the people who stayed behind were like Lin Youjian, who thought that since they were here, they could just watch the fun. Some were like Yang Sixuan, who thought that since they were here, why not do Zhu He a favor?

Then, under Lao Sheren's arrangement, the Dragon Fish Hall was redecorated.

Zhu He sat on a high chair with a smile on his face, accepting Duan Rong's kowtow and offering him tea. Above his head was a plaque hanging in the south of the Dragon and Fish Hall, with four large characters "Fish and Dragon Leaping" written on it in a vigorous and powerful manner.

The complicated rituals in the hall lasted for a stick of incense before finally coming to an end.

Zhu He took Duan Rong's hand and said enthusiastically, "Disciple, I am very happy today."

Zhu He smiled, but suddenly turned his head to look at the plaque high behind him, and said: "Master, I feel that although the four characters of 'fish and dragons diving' have a good meaning, they are still not suitable for you. It's better to use the other four characters!"

Duan Rong's heart was slightly moved. Zhu He's words at this time sounded like an old scholar showing off his knowledge. However, he still smiled and continued, "I wonder which four words Master said?"

Zhu He said: "Disciple, do you know what the hexagram of Qian Jiuwu is?"

Duan Rongtong had read the Taoist Canon and naturally understood it clearly, but he just smiled and did not answer.

Zhu He smiled and said, "In the hexagram of Qian, the words 'flying dragon in the sky' are more appropriate, aren't they?"

Duan Rong looked at Zhu He's deep and reserved gaze, and his heart suddenly trembled. Just now he thought that Zhu He was showing off his knowledge, but now he woke up and suddenly knew what Zhu He was talking about.

The hexagram of Qian Jiuwu contains more than just the four words "飞龙在天". In the hexagram, after "飞龙在天", there are four more words, which are "利见大人" (profit to see great people).
Zhu He seemed to be using the four words "flying dragon in the sky" to praise Duan Rong's outstanding talent. In fact, what he said was not the point. What he didn't say behind the scenes was more important. What Zhu He really wanted to say was that it would be beneficial to see the adults!

This adult is actually himself!
This old man is so powerful!

Those who didn't know the deep meaning of this first sentence when they met might think he was showing off his knowledge. But Duan Rong saw at least four layers of meaning at this time.

The four words "flying dragon in the sky" have two meanings. The first is that you can fly like a dragon in the sky, which is a compliment to Duan Rong's outstanding talent and a talent that can be cultivated. The second is that I can make you fly like a dragon in the sky, which means that if you worship me as your master, you will not lack any resources for cultivation as long as you need them, and I will also guide you in cultivation.

The unspoken meaning of the phrase "Benefiting the Master" has two layers of meaning. The first layer is that as long as you are loyal to your master, you will naturally be able to soar high. The second layer is that even if you fly high, you should not forget the cultivation of your master. Without benefiting the Master, how can you soar high?

This seemingly casual short sentence has four layers of meaning, including admonition, gratitude, encouragement and warning.

Moreover, there is another deeper meaning. This is actually a test. Zhu He is trying to see if Duan Rong can understand what he means. This is to see his character and his experience in human affairs.

Duan Rong's eyes suddenly became deep, and he immediately clasped his fists and said, "How dare I? Master, I will never forget your kindness!"

The atmosphere was originally relaxed and joyful, but Duan Rong suddenly became solemn and said such weighty words that shocked the old man beside him.

He thought that Duan Rong had been troubled by the complicated ancient rituals for too long and his mind was confused, so he suddenly uttered such a confusing sentence.

When Zhu He saw Duan Rong like this, he immediately clenched his fist and said with a smile: "Haha. Good disciple. Really a good disciple! Let's go back with the master!"

Duan Rong's reaction showed that he obviously understood what he meant.

The talent for cultivation is important, but if one lacks in character and human nature, one will often stumble at the most critical juncture. This is why inner disciples must undergo three years of training in secular tasks.

Duan Rong followed Zhu He out of the hall. He then wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. At that moment just now, he almost couldn't react.

Although this was not the first time he had dealt with Zhu He, and he had long known how scheming this old man was, he found that he had still underestimated the mind of his master.

This old man's skills are really too deep! As soon as they met, he gave him an invisible beating!

Amid the laughter of the crowd, the master and disciple had already completed an interaction, or in other words, Zhu He had completed a test and examination of him.

This kind of confrontation or probing is actually no different from the flashing of swords and sabers. Is this a master testing the depth of his new apprentice?

Although Duan Rong was somewhat grumbling in his heart that this master seemed to be a bit unkind, doing this to him out of the blue the moment they met, on the other hand, he felt that with this man's scheming mind, he would have a great chance of winning the battle for the sect leader.

When Duan Rong stepped out of the Dragon Fish Hall, he felt a mixture of worry and joy.

The old man escorted all the elders out of the Dragon Fish Hall, then he breathed a sigh of relief and walked slowly towards the back hall.

Lao Sheren walked into the back hall and saw the other three people who came with Duan Rong still standing there.

The front hall was so lively just now, and they also heard the noise. Knowing that Duan Rong had taken Lord Zhu He as his master, the three of them were very envious!

The old man came in, coughed, and said, "You three, come in with me."

Lao Sheren led the three people to the back of the screen and pulled open the curtain in front of the shrine on the south wall. In the shrine, there was a portrait of an old Taoist priest with a fairy-like appearance.

Lao Sheren lit three incense sticks and inserted them into the incense burner in front of the shrine. Then he stood upright beside the shrine and looked at the three people and said, "Kneel down."

The three of them then knelt before the shrine.

Lao Sheren then read out a long, grandly titled speech, which roughly said how profound the Taiyi Sect was. Now that you have entered the sect, you should practice diligently to be worthy of the kindness of the ancestors.

In short, he said a lot of things, some of which were not, and then told the three people that they could get up. From today on, they were inner disciples. Then he gave them each a post and asked them to take it to the other courtyard at the foot of Cuiwei Peak and hand it over to the supervisor there. After that, the three people were urged by the old shepherd to leave the Dragon Fish Hall.

After a busy day, his bones were almost falling apart. After everyone was sent away, the old servant immediately slumped down on an armchair and called a few younger servants to bring him tea and water and massage his back and legs.

When no one is around, he is the local tyrant in the Dragon Fish Hall. But it is a pity for the young servants. After serving the elders and seniors with great difficulty, they still have to serve this old guy.

The three of them took the invitation and turned a corner of the pavilion. From afar, they saw a group of elders and seniors saying goodbye to Zhu He at the stairs.

The three of them stopped immediately. One of them said, "Let's wait here for a while. When the adults are far away, we can go over." The other two agreed, and they returned to the corner of the building, only half of their bodies were exposed, and watched from a distance.

After bidding farewell to Zhu He, the elders and seniors transformed themselves into black rays of light, which flashed across the blue sky like meteors and went to various places in the vast mountains.

At this time, only Zhu He and Duan Rong were left at the stairs.

Zhu He said: "Disciple, stand firm. I will take you for a ride."

Duan Rong's eyes flickered, and he pulled off the heavy dress on his body and said, "Master, the supervisor of the other courtyard at the foot of the mountain has instructed me to go to the other courtyard and return the dress to them after I finish my work."

Zhu He smiled and said, "Don't bother with them. Come back with me and take off your formal attire. They will come and take it away. Don't forget that I am the head of the Internal History Department. Since you have become my disciple, some of the affairs of the Internal History Department will be handed over to you. You are still bothering those historians. Are you really giving them face?!"

After Zhu He finished speaking, he suddenly put his hands behind his back, and flew up into the air. Duan Rong, who was standing beside him, also felt that his body was supported by something invisible, and he slowly rose up.

The two of them flew on the wind under the blue sky!

Zhu He could naturally transform into a black light and flash past like the other elders, but he was with Duan Rong after all, and he didn't want to scare Duan Rong, so he slowed down.

It seems that this master still knows how to cherish his disciple.

Duan Rong was behind Zhu He, floating like in a dream. He was in mid-air, and the vast mountains were like bonsai at his feet. Although Zhu He slowed down, he was still much faster than he usually was. But Duan Rong didn't feel any wind on his face, and even his hair was hanging down naturally. There was a strong wind whistling in the mountains under his feet. Although he followed Zhu He's wind and couldn't feel the wind, he could hear the sound of the mountain wind whistling in the mountains under his feet very clearly, as if it was right next to his ears.

"The power of the law?! The cave realm!?"

This was the first time that Duan Rong felt the power of the law so truly and felt the incredible power of the so-called powerful people. His eyes flashed with deep thought.

Zhu He brought Duan Rong to atop a towering peak.

This mountain is completely different from the low peaks such as Cuiwei Peak where Taiyi Pavilion and the Elders' House are located. This peak is steep and reaches straight into the sky. The top of the mountain is surrounded by white clouds, so it is named Yunfu Peak.

The two of them landed in front of a pavilion somewhere inside the mountain.

Zhu He first led Duan Rong to a room. Duan Rong took off his heavy dress and placed it on a table there. Then he followed Zhu He, walked along the corridor for a while, and went into another room.

The room was not very big and its layout was very simple. In front of a magnificent screen with a picture of beautiful mountains and rivers, there was an armchair placed quite casually. Next to it was a square coffee table which looked a bit out of place. Below it were two rows of armchairs and a desk.

When Duan Rong followed Zhu He into the room, there were already three people sitting on the two rows of armchairs in the room, two men and one woman.

When Zhu He walked in, the three of them immediately stood up, but their eyes were instantly focused on Duan Rong.

Zhu He walked straight to the screen, sat down casually, and waved to the three people, saying, "Everyone, sit down." Then he turned his head to look at Duan Rong and said, "You sit down too."

Duan Rong then sat down in a seat at the back.

Zhu He looked at Duan Rong and said, "These are my other disciples who entered the sect earlier than me. They are your senior brothers and sisters. This is your senior sister Fan Hongjiao, your second senior brother Wu Shidao, and your third senior brother Lu Geng."

Zhu He paused, looked at Wu Shidao, and asked, "Where is Wang Yue? Why didn't he come?"

Master Wu said, "He went to Shenyun Mansion."

Zhu He's eyes moved, as if he remembered something. He continued to look at Duan Rong and said, "There is another junior brother named Wang Yue. He is not here today. You can meet him when he comes back. Oh, that's not right. Now that you are here, that guy is not the junior brother anymore. You are the junior brother. You have to call him Fourth Senior Brother."

Zhu He smiled slightly, looked at Fan Hongjiao, Wu Shidao, and Lu Geng, and said, "This is my new disciple, Duan Rong. You two should get to know each other."

When Duan Rong came in, he had already guessed the identities of the three people. Based on the positions where they sat, he could also roughly tell the order in which they would enter.

Fan Hongjiao sat in the first seat at the top. She was the only woman in the room. She had bright eyes, light eyebrows, a graceful waist, and especially a well-proportioned chest.

Wu Shidao had the temperament of a scholar, but his eyes were deep and he was calm and composed. For some reason, he suddenly reminded Duan Rong of those Yingchuan counselors.

The third senior brother, Lu Geng, was of burly build and looked strong and robust. He was also the only one among the three who looked at him with a smile.

When Duan Rong heard Zhu He introduce himself, he immediately stood up and bowed to the three of them one by one, saying, "Hello, Senior Sister! Hello, Second Senior Brother! Hello, Third Senior Brother!"

Fan Hongjiao smiled slightly, revealing a dimple on her face, and said, "What a well-behaved little junior brother!"

Seeing Fan Hongjiao like this, Wu Shidao and Lu Geng exchanged glances.

Zhu He suddenly flicked his sleeves on the coffee table beside him, and two porcelain bottles appeared on the coffee table.

Zhu He said, "Duan Rong, I haven't prepared anything good. These two bottles are the bone marrow gray matter from the spine of the Yuan Beast. They should be of some benefit to your cultivation. Consider them as a welcome gift from me."

"The bone marrow gray matter of the Yuan Beast's spine?!"

Upon hearing this, Fan Hongjiao, Wu Shidao and Lu Geng's eyes changed.

You mean you haven't prepared anything decent?!
The master dotes on me too much. As soon as I enter the door, he gives me two bottles of bone marrow ash.

The bone marrow gray matter of the Yuan beast's spine is extremely rare.

Only high-level Yuan Beasts can have bone marrow gray matter in their spine, and it is very difficult to extract.

How can this thing be said to be of some benefit? It is clearly of great benefit!

The bone marrow gray matter in the spine of this Yuan Beast, after being absorbed by the human body, can slowly improve the body's affinity to the Yuan Qi of heaven and earth. This change can be said to be a fundamental blessing for cultivation.

(End of this chapter)