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

Chapter 593 Phantom of Gods and Demons
Guo Tian and the others sat there cross-legged, their faces solemn and clear.

Whether it was the roar like a lion's bellow before, or the soft murmur now, both were washing away the distracting thoughts in their minds.

After the exhilarating roar of the lion, and the gentle, flowing murmurs that followed, their hearts were now clear and illuminated.

Everyone's face was calm and peaceful, and even their cross-legged sitting posture became quiet and dignified.

Love comes from the heart!

Guo Tian and the others remained in this state for almost the time it takes for an incense stick to burn before they opened their eyes one after another.

When they opened their eyes, a cool sensation ran down the back of their heads, like sweet dew, leaving them feeling refreshed and clear-headed!

At that moment, needless to say, they all knew very well that they had gained immense benefits.

The moment Guo Tian and the others opened their eyes, they suddenly looked up, their faces filled with astonishment!

Above the golden coffin, which rose like Mount Tai and blotted out the sky, sat a huge, illusory figure.

The illusory figure was as tall as a mountain, but its form was blurry, like a wisp of fog that might dissipate at any moment...

It was actually a phantom of a god or demon emerging from the golden coffin. Its outline was blurred and its features were indistinct, but as such, the sheer majesty and oppression it exuded made Guo Tian and the others feel their hearts pound with fear the moment they looked over. They immediately lowered their eyes, not daring to look directly at the phantom of the god or demon.

Although they only glanced at the phantom of the god and demon, they vaguely sensed that the phantom nodded slightly, as if looking in a certain direction.

Soon, Guo Tian and the others followed the direction of the gods' and demons' gazes in their memories, and they all looked at Duan Rong, who was sitting cross-legged on the far east side.

The mountain-like phantom of a god or demon sitting cross-legged on the golden coffin nodded slightly, looking directly at Duan Rong.

Unlike Guo Tian and the others, Duan Rong was still sitting cross-legged, his face clear and serene...

Guo Tian and the others exchanged glances, their eyes filled with disbelief.

They all opened their eyes almost simultaneously, quite surprised and fascinated by the state of mental clarity and enlightenment they had just entered.

That state isn't just comfortable, it's a feeling of ease!
Only those who have truly experienced freedom can understand that freedom is not the same as comfort.

Comfort means being able to do whatever I want. If I want a pillow, it appears instantly; if I want a beautiful woman, she appears instantly; I sleep however I feel comfortable. That's what comfort is!
But true freedom is about not wanting any of these things at all. It's a kind of undesirability that comes from a clear and luminous mind, not just verbal refusal. I simply don't need these things.

You are inherently complete, that is true freedom!
(Taking smoking as an example, is it true freedom to smoke Zhonghua cigarettes whenever you want, or Su cigarettes whenever you want? Or is it true freedom to not want to smoke at all?)
The state of mental clarity and enlightenment they experienced just now, though only lasting for the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, provided Guo Tian and the others with a peak experience. Not only did their spiritual souls undergo a qualitative improvement, but it will also greatly benefit their future spiritual cultivation.

In that instant, it was as if they had entered the meditative state of a high monk, and in their spiritual experience, they had comprehended a sacred realm.

However, they had all woken up by this time, but Duan Rong was still stuck in that realm, and even the phantom of the gods and demons was looking at him.

How long will Duan Rong stay?

They only entered that state for the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, and they gained immense benefits. If the time continued, what kind of state would they enter?

At this moment, Guo Tian and the others looked at Duan Rong, who was still sitting cross-legged, with a peaceful and serene expression, like a high monk in meditation, and they were all filled with envy!
Who wouldn't want to linger a little longer in that state of mental clarity and tranquility?

A moment in this realm is priceless!

At this moment, within Duan Rong's spiritual sea of ​​consciousness, the clear, glassy body seated cross-legged in the center of the sky was covered with countless ancient runes, shimmering with a faint golden light, flowing around it...

As the ancient runes, shimmering with a faint golden light, flowed, they gradually surged into the cloud of spiritual energy at the center of that clear, glassy body's brow...

The cloud of spiritual energy continued to churn, and the ancient runes that shimmered with a faint golden light disappeared as soon as they entered the churning cloud of spiritual energy, as if they were being swallowed up...

As the dense, ancient runes were swallowed up by the cloud of spiritual energy, the cloud of spiritual energy slowly began to emit a five-colored glow...

Initially, only the outer edge of that ethereal cloud formation shimmered with faint five-colored light.

As more and more runes flowed and devoured each other, the entire cloud of artistic conception transformed into a five-colored auspicious cloud, which slowly began to glow with boundless light!

At this moment, a dazzling radiance emanated from the center of that clear, glassy body's brow...

The ancient runes, shimmering with a faint golden light, surged even more wildly, like swarms of tadpoles, toward the radiant glow between the eyebrows of the clear, glassy body...

At this moment, Guo Tian and the others who were sitting there with envy and admiration turned bitter and alarmed!

Duan Rong had been immersed in that state of mental clarity and enlightenment for nearly an hour!

An hour of peak experience! It was like being struck by lightning!

In fact, not only Guo Tian and the others were astonished, but even the illusory god and demon sitting cross-legged on the golden coffin had a look of doubt on its blurry face.

Guo Tian and the others couldn't see it, but the phantom of the god and demon could see into Duan Rong's spiritual sea of ​​consciousness. At this moment, the radiant light was like the rising sun breaking through the clouds!
Countless ancient runes are still densely surging into the rosy light!
Suddenly the rosy light flashed brightly for a moment, then faded into darkness!
As the rosy glow faded, a small, five-colored, shimmering pearl of light appeared prominently at the center of that clear, glassy body's brow.

The original cloud formations that evoked the atmosphere have disappeared.

The five-colored Ruyi bead perched between the eyebrows was perfectly round, with its five colors flowing and alternating, making it quite extraordinary!

After absorbing a large number of ancient runes, Duan Rong's cloud of intent actually condensed into this bead. At this moment, Duan Rong had no time to carefully feel the bead, because he could feel the oppressive feeling of being stared at by gods and demons, which made him even more terrified than when Lü Yinlin's nascent soul entered his spiritual sea of ​​consciousness!

It seemed as if his soul had been completely pierced by a perception, just like standing naked on the street.

Without hesitation, Duan Rong made his decision instantly!
The moment he opened his eyes, he saw Guo Tian and the others staring at him in a daze. However, he only glanced at Guo Tian and the others before raising his eyes to look at the mountain-like phantom of a god or demon sitting cross-legged on the golden coffin.

Seeing Duan Rong awaken, the phantom of the god and demon looked even more puzzled. Suddenly, the phantom raised its hand and pointed at Duan Rong, its lips slightly parted as if to utter a sound. But at that moment, another roar echoed from within the golden coffin. With this roar that resounded through the heavens, the phantom of the god and demon seated upon the golden coffin began to crack inch by inch, dissipating into a cloud of mist…

In the instant it dissipated, a hint of resentment flashed across the face of the illusory god-demon as it looked at Duan Rong.

Duan Rong saw all of this.

The reason the illusory god-demon was like this was because he had just condensed the cloud of intent into the five-colored Ruyi Pearl that was coiled between his brows! He did not yet know what wonders this pearl held, but it was clear that the pearl had attracted the attention of the illusory god-demon.

Just now, the phantom of the god and demon pointed at him in mid-air and seemed to be making some kind of sound. Duan Rong didn't know what it wanted to do, but fortunately, it had been interrupted.

The phantom of the god or demon was clearly under immense restriction and could not appear at will. Inside the golden coffin, something seemed to be controlling it…

At this moment, the wisps of mist that had dissipated from the illusory figures of gods and demons seemed to be drawn in by something, seeping into the interior of the golden coffin through the cracks...

Just after all the mist was absorbed by the coffin, the golden coffin, which was as large as a mountain, trembled and then crashed down!

With a loud bang, it crashed into the deep pit right in front of Duan Rong and the others!
The impact caused the altar to tremble slightly, and Duan Rong and the others were all knocked to the ground, their faces filled with terror!

The deafening bang just now felt like it was about to pierce their eardrums. That sound was purely physical, completely different from the soul-piercing roar of the lion they had just heard!
After such a loud noise and such a huge tremor, the altar did not have a single crack, which shows that it is not an ordinary material. No wonder there are countless cracks like spider webs on the surrounding square, but the central altar is flawless and without any cracks! It is clear that the material of this altar is extraordinary!

It took Guo Tian, ​​Duan Rong, and the others a long time to recover from their astonishment!
They brushed the dust off their clothes and stood up.

Standing at the edge of the deep pit, looking at the enormous golden coffin inside, they knew that the nourishing blessings from the whispered gods and demons on this journey had come to an end.

Everyone gained a lot, but at this moment, everyone's eyes couldn't help but turn to Duan Rong.

Du Wan couldn't help but exclaim, "Duan Rong, you actually stayed in the realm of clear and bright illumination blessed by gods and demons for more than an hour!"

Duan Rong touched his nose and said, "Really? How long have you been here?"

“We’ve all been burning for about an incense stick’s time,” Du Wan said. “Duan Rong, how did you manage that?”

Duan Rong smiled faintly and said, "I don't know either. Maybe that illusory god or demon took a liking to me. After all, I was just performing the ritual according to the proper procedures!"

Everyone's eyes flickered. Duan Rong was right; he was performing the same ceremony as them!
Guo Tian suddenly said in a deep voice, "Stop asking these useless questions! The blessings from the whispered gods and demons are over, it's time for us to head back! Let's go, let's get off this altar first. Standing near this golden coffin gives me the creeps!"

Guo Tian's words reflected what everyone was thinking. They also wanted to stay away from the golden coffin. The mountain-like phantom of the god and demon was simply too oppressive and awe-inspiring. And that was just a phantom; if it were the real thing, wouldn't a single glance from it be enough to make their hearts explode?

They had no way of knowing what was inside that golden coffin.

In short, there was clearly a power within the golden coffin on the altar that they could not resist. Humans, by nature, want to stay far away from anything they cannot resist.

Duan Rong and his group left the deep pit and walked to the edge of the central altar. They then climbed down the steps and returned to the plaza below the central altar several hours later.

The moment their feet touched the ground, everyone felt a sense of peace. They wiped the sweat from their brows and glanced at the massive altar with fear in their eyes.

Compared to gods and demons, their lives are truly like those of ants!
Fortunately, gods and demons have disappeared from this world; only some remnants remain within these ruins, subject to severe restrictions.

After their climb, they were all panting heavily, so they sat down on the ground in the square to rest for a while.

Guo Tian took out a map from his backpack and flipped through it while resting. Suddenly, he spread the map out on the ground in front of everyone, pointed to it, and said, "I think we need to make some changes to the return route. For example, this area is where the Corpse Fiend is active, so we'd better avoid it. However, this way, we'll have to take a longer route, which I estimate will take about a day."

Lu Chu said, "We still need to avoid that Yellow Springs Fiend Water. Even if it wastes a day's journey, it's worth it. Besides, our return trip isn't that rushed."

"Yes! That corpse demon is not easy to deal with; it could very well result in deaths!"

Everyone clearly agreed with Guo Tian's suggestion. After all, the Corpse Fiend's body was as hard as iron, impervious to blades and spears, and it was adept at flying with a bizarre form. Furthermore, it could spew poison. Such an evil spirit, if encountered, would likely result in death; who could guarantee that it wouldn't be the one to die?
Jiang Hanyan suddenly looked at Guo Tian and asked, "Can we bypass that ghost infant?"

That ghost baby caused Jiang Hanyan a lot of harm, leaving her with psychological trauma.

Upon hearing this, Guo Tian shook his head and said, "As soon as we entered the ruins, we encountered the ghost bride and the ghost baby, which shows that their activity range is near the entrance to the ruins. There's no way to avoid them!"

Jiang Hanyan frowned slightly when she heard Guo Tian say this, but she also knew in her heart that Guo Tian was right and that the ghost infant was indeed unavoidable.

Their return journey was to get back to the vicinity of where the passage had opened! And they had to get back there before the passage opened.

Once the grand formation outside the ruins of gods and demons is set up, it will not move.

If the array flags or array plates of the great array are moved even slightly, the location of the passage within the ruins of gods and demons will change.

Therefore, on their return journey, they must go back to the very spot where they first entered the ruins of gods and demons.

Twenty days after they enter the ruins, the great array passage back to the Nine Provinces Continent will reappear at that location.

Since we need to return to that location, how can we avoid the ghost baby and the ghost bride?
However, both the ghost infant and the ghost bride are quite wary of Duan Rong's Soul-Stabbing Technique. As long as they act carefully and do not provoke the ghost infant and the ghost bride, they should be able to coexist peacefully.

Guo Tian pointed to the map and said, "Then we'll just travel for one more day, bypassing that Yellow Springs Water, and then return to the route we came from. After all, we've already traveled it once, so we're quite familiar with it."

"it is good!"

"can!"

Everyone agreed with Guo Tian's idea.

Seeing that no one had any objections, Guo Tian rolled up the map, stood up, and said, "Then let's set off. After all, it's going to be an extra day's journey, so it's best to get going as soon as possible!"

(End of this chapter)