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

Chapter 525 The Origin of the Dao Body
Lü Yinlin entered the cave.

Duan Rong stood there, looking at the more than thirty phosphorescent flying needles that were still suspended in the air not far from the ancient pine tree. They remained motionless, gleaming with a white, cold light under the moonlight, which was quite eerie!
He walked over slowly, and just then, the thirty-odd phosphorescent needles suddenly merged into one bundle and hovered in front of him.

It was as if an invisible ghost had gathered up all the phosphorescent needles for him.

Duan Rong's eyes widened slightly. He turned his head to look at Lü Yinlin's cave, took the bundle of flying needles, and put them away.

He put away the flying needles and turned around, only to see that Lü Qingzhu was already standing there in the moonlight not far away.

Lu Qingzhu was meditating and practicing her skills in the cave when Duan Rong broke through his bottleneck and let out a long roar that shook the valley, which startled her. She then came out of the cave to see what was going on.

As soon as Lü Qingzhu stepped out of the cave, she heard the patriarch Lü Yinlin comment on Duan Rong: "With this kind of diligent cultivation, he will surely enter the Cave Nether Realm within three years!"

Hearing the old ancestor's evaluation, Lü Qingzhu was quite unsettled.

Just over ten days ago, she and Duan Rong were in the Dark Forest, fighting an adult Xuanbing Turtle together for the shell of the Xuanbing Turtle, an auxiliary medicine for the thirteenth level of the Fetal Treasury Sutra.

The two eventually joined forces to kill the ice turtle, but they were quite disheveled throughout the process.

At that time, Lü Qingzhu felt that the difference in strength between her and Duan Rong was not that great.

How come the ancestor gave Duan Rong such a high evaluation after he only went to the Myriad Manifestations Cave once and only ten days have passed?
Having just advanced to the Qi Cyclone stage, is he already aiming for the Cave of Clarity realm?

Lü Qingzhu simply couldn't believe it!
Duan Rong looked at Lü Qingzhu, whose temperament was aloof under the clear moonlight.

She is like a cold plum blossom, standing proudly alone, with a waist as sharp as a sword!
Lu Qingzhu frowned, looking at Duan Rong with hostility. Suddenly, she drew her long sword with a whoosh, pointed it at Duan Rong, and said coldly, "Let's fight!"

Although the old ancestor's evaluation was high, she still needed to experience Duan Rong's skills herself to know for sure.

Duan Rong's gaze swept over Lü Qingzhu's beautiful yet cold face, and he said with a faint smile, "Miss Lü, it's not that I'm being arrogant, but I'm afraid you wouldn't last a single move against me."

"Yeah?!"

Lu Qingzhu gave a cold rebuke, thrusting her longsword forward, and the sword light suddenly burst forth!
The moment he made his move, he unleashed his full power!
Lu Qingzhu showed no mercy, her long sword flashing coldly as she thrust it toward Duan Rong's face.

Duan Rong's eyes flickered slightly. After ten days apart, Lü Qingzhu's sword intent seemed to have become more solid and refined.

The sword light was still three inches away from Duan Rong's face. Lü Qingzhu's eyes were cold, and her gaze, like the sword in her hand, shot towards Duan Rong without any emotion.

Duan Rong suddenly swayed, his hands, clad in phosphorescent gloves, moving with eerie speed, as fast as a ghost.

Lu Qingzhu only felt a blur before her eyes. She didn't see Duan Rong's movements clearly at all, but she felt two white lights flash before her eyes.

Her longsword had already left her hand!
Lu Qingzhu didn't see how Duan Rong made his move, but in that instant, she clearly sensed the force he used.

One force struck the base of the sword at the base of her hand, while another force bounced off the tip of the sword.

With alternating force, like a spinning wheel, she directly lost her longsword!
The force that struck the tip of her sword was so precise and delicate that it immediately disrupted her swordplay and internal energy.

Then, at the base of the sword in the tiger's mouth, another force, in that moment of chaos, crossed and deflected, and the longsword slipped from the hand.

Just one glance!

Duan Rong's movements were not only incredibly fast, but what truly astonished Lü Qingzhu was his masterful control of the finest details.

That second force at the base of her sword, between her thumb and forefinger, would have prevented her from losing her grip if it had been even a fraction of a second earlier or later.

The first force that struck the tip of her sword, if the timing and direction were slightly off, would not have disrupted her aura even slightly!
In that brief moment of chaos, Duan Rong, in a single exchange, disarmed her with his bare hands!
Lü Qingzhu stood there, her face deathly pale!

She turned her face away, but Duan Rong was already gone, and her long sword was stuck in the ground not far away! The cold moonlight shone on the cold blade, giving off a pale, cold light!
Lu Qingzhu drew her longsword and watched Duan Rong's figure disappear into a secluded corner of the deep valley. Her gaze was cold, but deep in her heart, for the first time in her life, a subtle feeling of admiration for strength arose.

Duan Rong returned to his cave dwelling in the deep valley.

On the stone walls deep inside the cave, there grew strange mushrooms that emitted a faint glow.

Duan Rong sat there, exhaled a breath of stale air, and only then did he put away his phosphorescent gloves.

It's my first time using it, and it's actually quite handy.

He sat for a while, then lifted the kettle on the stone table; it was empty.

Duan Rong was very thirsty after his practice session, so he took his water jug ​​and went to fetch water from the spring in the deep valley.

He picked up the kettle and walked into the deep valley. Lü Qingzhu was no longer there; the cold, empty valley was deserted.

I walked slowly to the spring, where I saw a crescent moon reflected in the bubbling water, its light shimmering white.

Duan Rong dipped the kettle into the cold light, as if he had poured a kettle of moonlight into it.

Lifting the jug, Duan Rong poured the remaining water over the jumbled glare, glanced at the shimmering cold light, and turned to leave.

Duan Rong returned to his cave and drank three cups of water from a bamboo tube.

For some reason, the image of that cold, floating light from the spring kept replaying in his mind.

Just then, he suddenly looked up and his eyes met the calligraphy of the ancient Daoling hanging on the stone wall.

In that instant, the cold light in my mind and the calligraphy of Gu Daoling strangely merged together.

The shattered, shimmering moonlight resembled layers upon layers of bird-script characters for "knife," piled up together...

Because of this eerie illusion, the calligraphy on the ancient tombstone before them melted and spread like water...

Duan Rong seemed to be surrounded and enveloped by that melted calligraphy...

He didn't see the shards of the cold moonlight; he saw the vast Milky Way, layer upon layer, boundless and endless!

Even beyond the starlight, there is still starlight!
At the end of the Milky Way, there is still the Milky Way!
He suddenly remembered the discussion he had with Gu Daoling outside Shenyun Mansion!
Enter the Dao through celestial phenomena!
When danger lurks in the heavens, the stars shift and change! When danger lurks on earth, dragons and snakes rise to the surface!

At this moment, a murderous intent suddenly surged forth in that vast and endless starry river!
That killing intent was far deeper and more turbulent than that within the Myriad Manifestations Cave. It surged from the deepest part of the endless starry river, vast and boundless, like the Dao of Heaven! Formless yet penetrating everything!
Duan Rong felt a tearing pain in his head!
He awoke in pain from a dreamlike state amidst the starry sky, only to find his back soaked in cold sweat!
Duan Rong glanced fearfully at a corner of the calligraphy on Gu Daoling's head, then immediately turned his head away.

In that instant, the clear, crystal-like body within his spiritual sea of ​​consciousness shattered instantly! In the center of the sky, a blurry, swirling gray phantom!

If his soul had been weaker, he would have been completely destroyed in that instant!

Duan Rong struggled to his feet, lowered his head, walked over, rolled up Gu Daoling's calligraphy, and put it away!
He can no longer look at this calligraphy!

In that instant, he actually glimpsed the origin of Gu Daoling's Dao body, which was the source of the power of law he comprehended.

Although he only saw the surface and did not glimpse the depths of the Dao body's origin, even Gu Daoling himself probably could not see the true nature of that deepest depth!

The origin of the Dao body is not the origin of the realm of intent. With Duan Rong's current spiritual strength, he simply cannot withstand it!
However, Gu Daoling was able to imprint the manifestation of the Dao body's origin that he had comprehended into the deepest part of this calligraphy, which is truly a masterpiece!

Duan Rong carefully put the calligraphy away!
Although his soul was damaged, he was very tired tonight, so he decided to take a nap first and repair his soul after he had enough sleep.

Fortunately, the tree spirits of the ancient trees in these endless mountains are inexhaustible. In the two days since he left the Myriad Manifestations Cave, the sea of ​​tree spirit light within his spiritual consciousness has already been replenished. He only needs to sleep well and then use the azure light threads of the tree spirits to repair his soul.

Duan Rong climbed onto the stone bed, wrapped himself in the animal skin blanket, and instantly fell into a deep sleep. When he woke up the next day, Duan Rong used the tree spirit's azure light threads to circulate the Embryo Sutra technique and reforged his shattered, clear, and crystalline body.

In the following days, Duan Rong secluded himself in his cave in the deep valley to cultivate and thoroughly digest the gains of the past few days.

Five days later, as Duan Rong stretched and walked out of the cave, he happened to see Lü Qingzhu practicing her sword in an open space opposite the deep valley. The sword light flashed, and her figure was as swift as a rabbit and a falcon.

Duan Rong glanced at it a few times and then secretly shook his head. With his current perspective, he felt that any martial art in the world was full of flaws.

He now finally understands that the highest level of spiritual practice is to get back to the source and start all over again!

All the paths I've walked before were just stepping stones!
Those patriarchs who achieved the Cave-Ming Realm actually knew all this, but they didn't say it!
Because you wouldn't understand even if I explained it to you!
Spiritual practice is about using the false to cultivate the true. When you glimpse the origin, all illusions will vanish like smoke!
Even if I explain things to you in the most eloquent way, you will still remain deluded and confused if you haven't grasped the essence of things!

Therefore, it is best to continue down that path. Perhaps at the end of the fog, you will be able to glimpse the truth for a moment!
Thinking of this, Duan Rong stopped looking at Lü Qingzhu's swordsmanship and stared at her graceful waist for a while.

Lu Qingzhu paused, her sword still, and turned to look at Duan Rong, her eyes filled with anger!
She had already noticed where Duan Rong's gaze was directed.

Duan Rong yawned, turned his head, and muttered to himself, "With not a cloud in the sky, it's definitely a good day!"

As he spoke, he walked out of the deep valley as if he hadn't seen Lü Qingzhu.

Lu Qingzhu stood there, glared at Duan Rong's retreating figure, and went back into her cave.

Duan Rong emerged from the valley and rode the wind, passing through the misty valley, landing like a great eagle in the dense forest on Shang Xiangyu's mountain.

From high above, he could see many figures busy near the pool on the mountaintop.

Duan Rong landed not far from the pool and saw many people cutting down trees, while Xiao Yu and Ximen Kankan were gathered with several historians, discussing something.

One of the historians held up a blueprint. The other historian pointed at the blueprint and said something to Xiao Yu.

Duan Rong walked slowly toward Xiao Yu.

Those who were cutting down trees all looked at Duan Rong with curiosity.

These people were all disciples transferred from the lower academy by the Imperial Censor, and none of them knew Duan Rong.

Before Duan Rong arrived, Xiao Yu looked up casually and suddenly saw him.

"Husband!"

Xiao Yu's eyes lit up with joy, and she ran towards him.

Duan Rong smiled slightly and said, "I haven't been here for a few days, and it's already in this state."

Duan Rong was right; this place is bustling with activity right now!

When the historians saw Duan Rong arrive, they immediately stepped forward and bowed to him one by one.

The disciples who were cutting down timber looked at Duan Rong with curiosity when they saw that even the supervisor who had been bossing them around were bowing respectfully to him.

After Duan Rong greeted the historians, Xiao Yu and Ximen Kankan took the blueprints and began to explain their preliminary plan to him.

Xiao Yu pointed to the blueprints and laughed, "There's a lake here!"

"A lake?!" Duan Rong's eyes widened in surprise. He saw a lake in the courtyard depicted on the blueprint, with a pavilion beside it.

Xiao Yu said, "This was Ximen Kankan's idea. He said he wanted to make a lake so he could raise fish. After discussing it, the historians said they would build a culvert from the other side of the pond to bring the water over. It's not far, so it's not a difficult task."

"Really?" Duan Rong hadn't expected them to even create a lake.

Then, Xiao Yu pointed to the blueprints and introduced the various buildings in the courtyard to Duan Rong.

After listening, Duan Rong touched his nose and said, "This design is acceptable. However, we shouldn't build a two-story main building; a one-story building will suffice. What do you say?"

Duan Rong looked at Xiao Yu in a questioning tone when he spoke, and Xiao Yu immediately accepted his opinion, saying, "I also think one layer is enough."

"You really are a weathervane! I told you before that one floor was enough. You insisted on two floors, saying the view would be better and you could see far and wide. What's wrong now? You changed your mind as soon as your master Duan said so. You don't want to see far and wide anymore?"

Ximen Kankan's mouth was like a machine gun, sarcastically mocking Xiao Yu, especially his tone and expression, which were quite comical.

"Ximen Kankan, I'll twist your mouth off!" Xiao Yu was so angry at Ximen Kankan that she trembled violently. She rolled up the blueprints, threw them at Ximen Kankan, and was about to twist his mouth.

Ximen Kankan leaped backward and shouted, "Duan Rong, you better control your shrewish wife!"

Duan Rong shrugged and laughed, "You caused this mess yourself, so you'd better sort it out yourself."

Duan Rong smiled, and suddenly saw a figure flickering in the dense forest beside him, through the sparse branches and leaves.

Duan Rong stopped smiling and walked over slowly, only to see Shen Mizhi practicing her martial arts in the dense forest, her sword flashing.

Shen Mizhi had just entered the Yuanqi Realm, and her swordsmanship was several levels below Lü Qingzhu's. In Duan Rong's eyes, it was like a child's juggling.

However, despite the noise outside, Shen Mizhi was still able to concentrate on practicing her skills here, which shows her strong will!

As Duan Rong stepped out of the shadows, Shen Mizhi caught a glimpse of him out of the corner of her eye.

Shen Mizhi practiced for a while, finishing one round of routines, before sheathing her sword and turning around. She suddenly looked at Duan Rong, her forehead and neck covered in sweat, panting, her chest rising and falling slightly, and asked, "How did I do?"

Duan Rong looked into Shen Mizhi's sparkling eyes, touched his nose, and said, "It's alright."

Upon hearing this, Shen Mizhi responded with an "oh," a hint of disappointment flashing in her eyes. Her earlier question was naturally intended to offer Duan Rong some guidance. Just like when they were both disciples, Duan Rong's few words often hit the nail on the head.

Duan Rong saw Shen Mizhi's eyes dim and laughed, "Do you know what your problem is with your sword practice?"

"What is it?" Shen Mizhi looked up again, her eyes sparkling as she stared at Duan Rong when he asked this question.

Duan Rong laughed and said, "Practicing techniques is not about fighting! When you practice, don't tense your body so much as if you're facing a formidable enemy. Focus your mind and relax your body; only then can you feel the subtle changes in the sword moves. Over time, you'll become proficient and figure out the subtle and skillful power within the sword techniques! Only then can you achieve a seamless flow of energy when facing an enemy!"

"If you always practice with such tension, even if you are diligent, you will only have a reckless drive and your progress will be very limited!"

Duan Rong's words left Shen Mizhi speechless for a long time.

She did have a fierce determination when practicing her skills, but as Duan Rong said, it was too tense. If Duan Rong hadn't pointed it out, she wouldn't have realized it herself.

Shen Mizhi carefully pondered Duan Rong's words, and the more she thought about them, the more enlightened she felt.

These words were a wake-up call!

PS:
I'd like to recommend a friend's book: "The Journey of the Sect Leader".

A Xianxia (fantasy martial arts) novel with the title of "Sect Leader," 240 million words long, already quite substantial and ready to be devoured. It consistently ranks high on the Xianxia bestseller list, receiving strong endorsements from numerous alliance leaders. The novel features detailed descriptions of military struggles, intrigue, magical battles, and characters. It has no system, avoids repetitive plot devices, and has garnered positive reader reviews.

(End of this chapter)