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

Xiao Yu had already run out of the pavilion and was running towards Duan Rong, who was standing by the lake.

It has been more than a month since we last met, and his fate is uncertain.

At this moment, both of them were somewhat moved, and they embraced and kissed by the lake. Zhu Xiaoqi, who was standing in the pavilion, blushed.

The two kissed for a long time before stopping. A blush flashed across Xiao Yu's face. She took a step back, gathered her skirts, and curtsied. She said softly, "Husband, please don't be offended. I was a little out of line just now."

It was indeed Xiao Yu who threw herself into Duan Rong's arms just now, and it was she who offered her fragrant lips first.

Duan Rong smiled and immediately helped Xiao Yu up, saying with a laugh, "It's not you who's been impolite; it's clearly me who's been impolite!"

Xiao Yu looked at Duan Rong with a puzzled expression.

Duan Rong stroked his chin as he said, "I haven't bathed for over a month. I'm unshaven, stink, and my hair is a mess. Isn't that disrespectful enough?"

His actions, combined with his tone of voice, made Xiao Yu and Zhu Xiaoqi laugh.

Zhu Xiaoqi chuckled in the pavilion, because Duan Rong did indeed look somewhat comical at that moment.

The three looked at each other, and in an instant, a feeling of kinship filled the air between them.

"Only you don't mind me." Duan Rong looked at Xiao Yu, then glanced at his own reflection in the lake, and said, "Even I couldn't bring myself to eat myself when I saw myself like this."

Seeing that Duan Rong's joke had gone a bit too far, Xiao Yu stopped responding and just smiled faintly.

Seeing that Xiao Yu didn't respond, Duan Rong leaned closer, touched the stubble on his chin, and deliberately said, "Did I prick you just now?"

Xiao Yu blushed and said softly, "A little..."

Suddenly, Duan Rong placed his hand on Xiao Yu's shoulder and pulled her into his arms, startling Xiao Yu so much that her heart pounded. Duan Rong looked at Zhu Xiaoqi in the pavilion and said, "Xiaoqi, go and boil some hot water. My wife wants to serve me a bath."

Zhu Xiaoqi's eyes flickered, and he respectfully curtsied, saying, "Yes, son-in-law!"

Zhu Xiaoqi went to the kitchen to boil water.

Duan Rong and Xiao Yu then went to the bathing room, where they stayed for nearly an hour. When they came out, dusk had fallen, and lanterns were hanging under the eaves, their light illuminating Xiao Yu's rosy, delicate face...

Zhu Xiaoqi had already prepared a table of dishes in the hall, and even cooked the sour mushroom soup that Duan Rong loved to drink.

Duan Rong and Xiao Yu sat down in the hall, and Zhu Xiaoqi served each of them a bowl of soup.

Duan Rong took a sip of the sour mushroom soup; it tasted quite good. Zhu Xiaoqi's cooking skills were truly superb.

Xiao Yu would occasionally serve Duan Rong food, but Duan Rong only slowly drank the soup and didn't eat much of the food.

Duan Rong took a sip of the rich soup with his spoon, then, as if suddenly remembering something, looked at Zhu Xiaoqi and asked, "Where is Shen Mizhi? Isn't she in the courtyard?"

Zhu Xiaoqi stuck out her tongue and said, "That person just locks herself in her room and practices asceticism every day. When I occasionally see her, she's practicing her forms in the courtyard. She only eats one meal a day, lunch. I was just telling Miss Shen that if Miss Shen continues practicing like this, she'll definitely go crazy!"

"Is that so?" Duan Rong's eyes flickered slightly upon hearing this.

He kept Shen Mizhi in this courtyard, unlike Ximen Kankan who sent her to Yunfu Peak to do errands. Firstly, he wanted her to act as a guard in this courtyard, so that she could look after Xiao Yu and Zhu Xiaoqi if anything happened. Secondly, he felt that she and Xiao Yu had a good relationship and got along well, so having her stay in this courtyard would also keep Xiao Yu company.

After all, Duan Rong's mind was almost entirely focused on cultivation at the moment, and once he started cultivating diligently, he might not be able to attend to Xiao Yu's feelings. But unexpectedly, Shen Mizhi was also so focused on cultivation, which made Duan Rong look at her with new respect.

Of the group of people who came from Xiangu County, Xiao Yu had limited talent, Ximen Kankan was too playful, and in the end, it was the stubborn Shen Mizhi who possessed both talent and temperament, making her a promising talent to be cultivated in the future.

After finishing his bowl of soup, Duan Rong said, "Xiao Qi, go and call Shen Mizhi. I have something to tell her."

Zhu Xiaoqi immediately got up and brought Shen Mizhi over.

While Duan Rong and Xiao Yu were bathing, Shen Mizhi already knew that Duan Rong had returned, as the red waves were rolling and the soft moans were incessant.

After finishing his soup, Duan Rong sat in the hall, eating the dishes Xiao Yu had given him while sipping a few mouthfuls of aged wine.

Shen Mizhi entered, saw Duan Rong, respectfully clasped her hands in a salute, and then got straight to the point, saying, "Sir, did you summon Mizhi here because you have something to instruct me?"

Duan Rong was taken aback by Shen Mizhi's illogical opening remarks, and said, "It's been more than a month since we last met? You didn't even bother to ask how I was doing? What if I died in the ruins of gods and demons?"

Shen Mizhi glanced at Duan Rong silently, as if to say, "Aren't you sitting here properly?"
Duan Rong waved his hand and said, "Never mind, never mind. I heard from Xiao Qi that you've been training hard these past few days. Come on, let's go to the courtyard. Let me show you the routines you've been practicing."

Upon hearing Duan Rong's words, Shen Mizhi's eyes lit up immediately. Duan Rong's previous guidance had greatly benefited her.

During this time, she had been secluded and focused on her cultivation, not asking about anything else, because she had encountered a bottleneck in her cultivation. Judging from the meaning in Duan Rong's words, she had roughly guessed that he wanted to give her some guidance.

Shen Mizhi glanced at Duan Rong with gratitude before heading into the courtyard.

The courtyard was dimly lit. Shen Mizhi stood not far from the entrance of the hall. Two lanterns under the eaves illuminated the entrance slightly.

Shen Mizhi held her sword in her hand and said in a deep voice, "The night is dark, please enlighten me, sir!"

Duan Rong said, "Just keep practicing, I'll be watching."

With Duan Rong's current level of skill, he can see the whole picture from a single glimpse. Moreover, he has already mastered the sword technique that Shen Mizhi has learned.

Upon hearing Duan Rong's words, Shen Mizhi drew her longsword with a whoosh. In the dim night, a cold light flashed, and her figure moved swiftly, like a ghost.

Xiao Yu and Zhu Xiaoqi were also standing behind Duan Rong. Both of them were martial arts practitioners, and they were shocked when they saw him.

Zhu Xiaoqi had initially been quite dissatisfied with Shen Mizhi's coldness and eccentricity, but those feelings had completely vanished at this moment. Therefore, the speed, complexity, and unpredictability of Shen Mizhi's swordsmanship far exceeded her experience and even her imagination.

Zhu Xiaoqi exclaimed in surprise, "So Miss Shen is this amazing!?" Xiao Yu's eyes were filled with envy and sadness. In such a short time, Shen Mizhi's martial arts skills had clearly improved significantly, even to the point of breaking through.

But Duan Rong, standing under the eaves, frowned deeply, his face growing increasingly grim.

"Alright, that's enough!" Duan Rong suddenly called out to Shen Mizhi in an impatient tone.

Not only Shen Mizhi froze, but she also looked at Duan Rong with surprise.

Xiao Yu and Zhu Xiaoqi were also quite puzzled, because in their view, Shen Mizhi was just getting to the exciting part of the fight, her sword light was like a bolt of lightning, and she had the momentum of a rainbow piercing the sun, but suddenly Duan Rong called her back.

Duan Rong said, "All show and no substance! Are you performing or killing the enemy?!"

Shen Mizhi didn't understand at first and stared blankly at Duan Rong.

Seeing her puzzled look, Duan Rong explained, "In this fight, you only focused on unleashing your full power, and there was no room for improvisation in your sword moves. Every move was just reckless force! The power of a sword lies in its concealment! A good sword is one where killing intent emerges from the seemingly ordinary!"

"Shen Mizhi, can you understand what I'm saying?" Duan Rong suddenly asked.

Duan Rong's words sent a chill down Shen Mizhi's spine. Although she couldn't quite grasp them at first, she could vaguely sense that Duan Rong had hit the nail on the head regarding her weaknesses.

She looked up, her eyes a mixture of confusion and clarity.

Duan Rong said, "Go down and figure it out for yourself. Also, go to Yunfu Peak now and call Ximen Kankan over. I have something to ask him."

"Yes, my lord!" Shen Mizhi clasped her hands in a salute, then sheathed her sword, turned and left, her figure disappearing into the vast night.

After Shen Mizhi left, Zhu Xiaoqi stared blankly at Duan Rong and asked, "Young Master, did Miss Shen not do a good job?"

Duan Rong said, "It's not that it's bad. It's that it's not good enough. The level of martial arts is like climbing a mountain. With each peak you pass, your horizons broaden. Shen Mizhi is currently stuck at a peak. Once she passes this peak, she will make great progress."

Duan Rong's words left Zhu Xiaoqi completely bewildered, only half understanding them. She simply responded with a soft "oh."

Xiao Yu looked at Zhu Xiaoqi and smiled. She knew that Zhu Xiaoqi hadn't understood because she hadn't either.

They had almost finished their dinner, so Zhu Xiaoqi cleared the dishes away.

Xiao Yu then brought over some tea and dried fruit. She poured tea for Duan Rong, and the two sat in the hall, sipping tea and chatting. After a while, Zhu Xiaoqi finished cleaning up the kitchen and came over. Duan Rong then began to tell them about the evil spirits within the ruins of gods and demons, describing the terrifying aspects of the ghost bride and ghost baby, which terrified Xiao Yu and Zhu Xiaoqi. Both were filled with fear yet also wanted to hear more, a truly conflicted feeling.

When Duan Rong recounted how the ghost bride stuffed the ghost baby into her belly, Xiao Yu and Zhu Xiaoqi's lips trembled and their eyes widened. Just then, Ximen Kankan ran in, carrying a lantern, and called out, "When did you get back?"

Xiao Yu and Zhu Xiaoqi were listening to the terrifying story when they were suddenly interrupted by Ximen Kankan. The two were both disappointed and relieved.

Zhu Xiaoqi stood up, her eyes still flashing with lingering fear. She said, "Young Master, it was too creepy to tell the story at night. Let's tell the rest tomorrow during the day."

Ximen Kankan asked, "What are you talking about?"

Duan Rong said, "A ghost story."

"What ghost story? I love ghost stories!" Ximen Kankan immediately perked up.

Duan Rong said, "You're everywhere?! Kankan, sit down, I have something to ask you."

Seeing Duan Rong's solemn expression, Ximen Kankan took a seat in the hall. Xiao Yu poured tea for Ximen Kankan, then curtsied and led Zhu Xiaoqi to the inner room, leaving Ximen Kankan and Duan Rong to talk in the hall.

Duan Rong took a sip of tea and asked, "Did anything happen while I was away for over a month?"

Ximen Kankan said, "In this past month, there have been at least two major changes! One is the change in the overall situation of the Nine Provinces, and the other is the change in the sect leaders."

Duan Rong's eyes widened, and he asked, "A change in the sect leader?! My master is already the sect leader?"

Ximen Kankan said, "That's right! Sect Master Chu stepped down ahead of time, and Elder Zhu He has been the Sect Master of Taiyi Sect for half a month now."

Although this turn of events was unexpected, it was actually just brought forward. Zhu He taking over as the next sect leader was already a consensus within the sect.

Duan Rong asked, "What changes have occurred in the overall situation of the Nine Provinces?"

Ximen Kankan said, "The alliance between Taiyi Sect and Tianyan Sect is now only in name."

A look of confusion crossed Duan Rong's face. The alliance between Taiyi Sect and Tianyan Sect was a self-defense measure against a powerful enemy. How could it become a mere shell of its former self so quickly? Unless something unexpected happened to that powerful enemy.

Duan Rong asked, "Is there something wrong with the Divine Will Sect?"

Upon hearing this, Ximen Kankan's expression changed in surprise, and he said, "You've hit the nail on the head!"

If he hadn't known that Duan Rong only emerged from the ruins of gods and demons at dusk, he would have suspected that Duan Rong knew in advance, how could he have guessed so accurately?

Ximen Kankan continued, "The patriarch of the Divine Intent Sect has passed away, and Zhuang Tairu, a Nascent Soul cultivator, has succeeded him as the sect's patriarch. Now, Zhuang Tairu is the patriarch of the Divine Intent Sect, and he is also the only Nascent Soul cultivator in the sect."

A look of astonishment flashed across Duan Rong's face.

This is a complete reversal! We originally thought that the Divine Will Sect had two Nascent Soul Realm cultivators, which was why they posed a strong threat to the Taiyi Sect and the Tianyan Sect.

But in just two short months, the patriarch of the Divine Will Sect passed away. No wonder the alliance between the Taiyi Sect and the Tianyan Sect is now merely a formality. With no powerful external enemies, and Zhuang Tairu having just condensed his Nascent Soul, and with a new emperor bringing in new officials, the Divine Will Sect will likely face a period of turmoil and transition. Both sects are probably busy putting pressure on the Divine Will Sect and extracting as much benefit as possible, so they don't care about the issue of an alliance.

Perhaps the two sides are even more at odds over many interests.

Duan Rong looked at Ximen Kankan and asked, "How did the patriarch of the Divine Will Sect die?"

Ximen Kankan said, "According to our investigation, the patriarch of the Divine Intent Sect suffered severe injuries many years ago while practicing, which even affected his lifespan. Therefore, he risked exhausting his remaining cultivation to help Zhuang Tairu condense his Nascent Soul. This was also to ensure that the Divine Intent Sect would not decline after his lifespan ended. These were originally mysteries; if the patriarch of the Divine Intent Sect hadn't already passed away, this information would never have spread." (End of Chapter)