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

Lu Yinlin took a breath and looked at Duan Rong, asking, "Have you refined that divine demon mark these past few days? Do you know what kind of supernatural power it is?"

Duan Rong was about to ask Lü Yinlin about this matter when he saw him ask, so he immediately replied, "In the past few days, I have refined a small part of it. This divine power is called: Blood Light Divine Shadow Escape."

"Bloodlight Divine Shadow Escape? A kind of escape technique?!" A look of surprise flashed across Lü Yinlin's face, and upon hearing this, he gave Duan Rong a deep look.

Duan Rong was momentarily unable to comprehend the meaning behind Lü Yinlin's glance at him. Was it that this kind of escape technique was too powerful, or too weak?
Duan Rong couldn't help but ask, "Ancestor, aren't some of these escape techniques rather useless?"

Lu Yinlin said, "It's hard to say. You'll only know after you refine it and use it yourself. Over the past ten thousand years, there have been fewer than a hundred kinds of supernatural abilities that have emerged in the Nine Provinces. And none of them are the same. Escape techniques are the rarest. Even if you include your Bloodlight Divine Shadow Escape, there are only three kinds in total."

"There are only three kinds in total?!" A look of astonishment flashed across Duan Rong's face.

Lu Yinlin said, "The last time a supernatural ability like escape techniques appeared was when the ancient ancestor of the Qingyang Sect passed away. His name was Fan Shangbai. Thousands of years have passed, and there are no records of how powerful that escape technique was. But the Qingyang Sect rose to prominence under his leadership, dominating two states and remaining prosperous for ten thousand years, thus becoming the number one sect in the Nine Provinces."

"As for another, more ancient escape technique, it was performed by a Nascent Soul cultivator within the Annihilation Sect, and that remains even more unclear."

"What remains in the world now are just the names of those two escape techniques: Shadow Raven Escape and Illusion Butterfly Escape. Their specific power is no longer verifiable."

Duan Rong was greatly disappointed after hearing Lü Yinlin's account. He had hoped to gain some useful information from Lü Yinlin, but instead only heard the names of two escape techniques.

Moreover, according to Lü Yinlin's account, one of these two people with the ability to escape is still the number one sect in the Nine Provinces, while the other's sect has been completely wiped out.

It's like comparing heaven and earth; there's simply no way to judge the true power of this kind of escape technique. No wonder Lü Yinlin said that only by using it himself would he know its power.

Duan Rong asked, "It has been thousands of years since that ancient ancestor of Qingyang Sect passed away. Does that mean that no supernatural abilities of the escape technique have appeared in the Nine Provinces for thousands of years?"

“Not bad,” Lü Yinlin said. “If it were other types of supernatural abilities, we could refer to it. But for escape techniques, there is really no comparable one.”

“However, you don’t need to worry.” Lu Yinlin changed the subject and said, “According to records, all supernatural powers have their extraordinary aspects.”

Duan Rong's eyes flickered, and he asked, "May I be so bold as to ask what kind of supernatural power you possess, Ancestor?"

Lu Yinlin smiled slightly, stood up, and said calmly, "The supernatural power I possess is called Shadow Clone."

"A clone!?" A look of doubt flashed across Duan Rong's face.

Just then, Lü Yinlin suddenly split into three, and three identical figures stood before Duan Rong. All three figures looked like Lü Yinlin, as if by magic. Moreover, all three figures smiled faintly at him, and their expressions and demeanor were exactly the same.

Seeing Duan Rong's astonished expression, as if petrified, the three Lü Yinlin spoke almost simultaneously, their three voices echoing eerily from the depths of the cave.

"Of these three figures, only one is my true form; the other two are illusory clones. This is a supernatural illusion, difficult to discern. It can confuse the enemy in attack, and even more so in escape. Throughout my life, I have relied on this ability to create clones to escape countless crises."

Then, right before Duan Rong's eyes, two of the clones suddenly vanished without warning. The only remaining clone, Lü Yinlin, sat down, raised his bamboo cup, and sipped some water.

Duan Rong stood there, still reeling from the shock. He felt that his ancestor Lü Yinlin's ability to create clones was far more powerful than his own Bloodlight Shadow Escape technique.

As Lü Yinlin said, not only can it confuse the opponent with its true form during an attack, but it can also suddenly transform into three and escape in three different directions during an escape, greatly increasing the probability of survival. This supernatural power is truly wondrous!
Compared to this, his Bloodlight Shadow Escape technique seems incredibly weak. It's merely a mere escape technique.

Seeing the disappointment on Duan Rong's face, Lü Yinlin said, "Duan Rong, having a kind of escape technique can at least save your life. With your talent, as long as you don't perish, you will definitely be able to advance to the Nascent Soul stage one day."

Duan Rong clasped his hands in thanks and said, "Thank you for your encouragement, Ancestor."

Lu Yinlin said, "Refine the divine power as soon as possible. Then, Duan Rong, I will give you a year to advance to the Cave-Ming Realm."

"The Cave-Nether Realm?! In just one year?!" A look of shock flashed across Duan Rong's face. He felt as if this old ancestor was talking about advancing to the Cave-Nether Realm as if he were buying vegetables at the market, advancing just like that.

Lu Yinlin said, "You received nourishment from the whispers of gods and demons within the ruins of gods and demons, resulting in a qualitative improvement in your soul. As long as you concentrate on your cultivation, it should be about a year. If you need any resources, just ask Chu Wushang, and I will inform him. He has the authority to allocate resources within the Taiyi Sect. You just need to focus on your cultivation."

"Yes, Ancestor!" Duan Rong replied, clasping his hands in a fist salute.

What Lü Yinlin said was equivalent to the entire Taiyi Sect's resources, which he could use at will, on the condition that he advance to the Cave Nether Realm within a year.

Duan Rong had no reason to refuse, and since Lü Yinlin had said so, he was actually quite eager to try. Advancing to the Cave-Ming Realm would indeed be no obstacle for him. At this moment, Duan Rong suddenly remembered that at the central altar of the God-Demon Ruins, when he was nourished by the whispers of the gods and demons, his spiritual cloud condensed into a five-colored Ruyi Pearl residing between his brows.

He hadn't had time to investigate the wonders of the bead. He hadn't discovered anything unusual during their mental communication either.

But now that I think about it, the five-colored wish-fulfilling bead clearly represents that he has taken another step forward in his understanding of the conception. The deeper his understanding of the conception, the closer he gets to the power of the law, and the smoother his advancement to the Cave of Enlightenment Realm will be.

After a year, Duan Rong was still very confident in advancing to the fourth level of the Qi Cyclone Realm.

After all, with sufficient resources, his divine soul is powerful enough. Furthermore, by devouring artifact spirits, he has become intimately familiar with the intricate circuits of vital energy circulation within his meridians. Therefore, condensing the fourth level of Qi vortex seems not difficult for him; he could definitely complete it within a year.

However, the difficulty lies in the hurdle of advancing to the Cave-Ming Realm. Countless cultivators across the Nine Provinces have been stuck in the Qi Cyclone Realm their entire lives, unable to break through.

However, Duan Rong had a feeling that Lü Yinlin was not forcing him by giving him a year, but genuinely believed that he could complete the task.

In other words, Lü Yinlin felt that the barrier of the Cave of Clarity Realm couldn't stop him at all. And Lü Yinlin's judgment naturally came from Duan Rong's profound understanding of the artistic conception.

After Duan Rong emerged from the Myriad Manifestations Cave of Wuliang Cliff, he demonstrated his enlightenment to Lü Yinlin. In the deep valley, Duan Rong had told Lü Yinlin that humans were the most powerful divine weapon in the world.

From that time on, his only weapon was a phosphorescent glove.

Now, at the central altar of the divine and demonic ruins, nourished by the whispers of the gods and demons, his cloud of spiritual energy condensed into a five-colored auspicious bead residing between his brows. Although he didn't yet know the specific wonders of that bead, it was clear that his understanding of spiritual energy had deepened. In other words, he was now finding it easier to break through the barrier of the Cave of Illusion than when he first emerged from the Myriad Manifestations Cave…

As Duan Rong slowly walked out of Lü Yinlin's cave, he still felt a heavy weight in his heart. In fact, even if Lü Yinlin hadn't said anything, he had already planned to enter a period of arduous cultivation to break through to the Cave Nether Realm.

After all, there was still a senior figure from a sect at the Cave-Nether Realm lurking in the shadows. Only by advancing to the Cave-Nether Realm as soon as possible could he completely guarantee his safety.

However, he dared not say that he could advance to the Cave-Ming Realm in a year. After all, all sorts of unpredictable and complex situations can arise during cultivation, especially when breaking through to a higher realm, which is a completely different level with each step. Nevertheless, since Lü Yinlin said so, he was indeed willing to give it a try.

Duan Rong emerged from the valley and took flight on the wind, heading towards the hilltop of the Lü family residence.

The steward of the mansion was already waiting at the gate. As soon as Duan Rong arrived, he immediately led him into the flower hall in the backyard.

Duan Rong entered the flower hall and saw that a large table of dishes had already been laid out there.

Lü Zhongtang, Lü Qingzhu, and Lü Qingzhu's aunt Li Baoyue were all sitting there.

Li Baoyue was holding Lü Qingzhu's hand, smiling as she talked about Lü Qingzhu's childhood. For some reason, as she spoke, Li Baoyue began to wipe away tears.

Lu Zhongtang glared at her and said, "Today is such a wonderful day, a time for family reunion, and you're crying and wailing again?!"

Li Baoyue smiled and said, "I'm just happy..."

Just then, Duan Rong walked in.

Lu Zhongtang immediately laughed and said, "Kid, if you're any later, the food will get cold!"

Duan Rong smiled faintly and said, "Father-in-law, please don't be offended. It was my rudeness."

Li Baoyue then chimed in, "It's alright, I'll just heat it up for you when it gets cold."

Duan Rong turned to look at Li Baoyue and saw her holding Lü Qingzhu's hand as she sat there. He knew that she was the Aunt Yue that Lü Qingzhu had mentioned. He immediately bowed to Li Baoyue and said, "Thank you for making such a big table of dishes, Aunt Yue."

Li Baoyue rose to return the greeting, looking at Duan Rong with a smile in her eyes, and said, "Please take your seat, son-in-law."

Lü Qingzhu stood up, and Duan Rong sat down next to her.

A servant came over to pour wine, and Lü Zhongtang said, "Young Duan, you're late. You should punish yourself with three cups first."

Duan Rong laughed and said, "Of course I should be punished. But let's postpone the punishment. Since this is my first visit, I'd like to offer a toast to my father-in-law and Aunt Yue first."

Lü Zhongtang's eyes lit up immediately, and he praised, "You know proper etiquette!"

Afterwards, Duan Rong toasted Lü Zhongtang and Li Baoyue with a cup of wine each, and the two of them drank it all in one gulp.

Then Lü Qingzhu also toasted Lü Zhongtang. This was the first time in so many years that Lü Qingzhu had sincerely toasted him, and there was no resentment between the two.

"The kindness of giving birth and raising is greater than heaven. Qingzhu respects her father. May you have boundless happiness."

Lu Zhongtang took the wine glass, looking at Lu Qingzhu's clean and sincere face, his hand trembled slightly. "Qingzhu, drink this glass of wine, and my daughter and I will reconcile our past grievances and live happily ever after..."

Lu Qingzhu's eyes also reddened slightly as she said, "In the past, it was Qingzhu's fault for being unfilial and making you angry."

"Qingzhu will not say anything more. Father has also made many mistakes. I will drink this cup of wine and then let bygones be bygones."

Li Baoyue suddenly said, "Then why don't you drink it? If you keep holding it up, Qingzhu will have to say something."

"Don't I know how to drink? Do you need to urge me?!" Lu Zhongtang glared at Li Baoyue and then downed the drink in one gulp.

Afterwards, the family enjoyed drinking and chatting together in a harmonious atmosphere. Duan Rong and Lü Qingzhu also toasted each other a few times.

During the meal, Li Baoyue suddenly said, "Son-in-law, the Lü family mansion is quite large, and there are several other courtyards over there. The Lü family line isn't very large, so the mansion is mostly empty. I'll have someone prepare a courtyard for you, and you can live next door from now on. That way, it will be more convenient for the whole family to visit each other, won't it?"

Upon hearing this, Duan Rong's eyes flickered slightly.

He had always been somewhat worried about the safety of Xiao Yu and Zhu Xiaoqi. Although he had sent Shen Mizhi there, Shen Mizhi's cultivation level was only at the Yuan Qi Realm. If anything happened, she probably wouldn't be able to handle it.

Moreover, he currently has no enemies within the sect, and his biggest threat is Shen Tu Ying, who is at the Cave-Nether Realm. Although Duan Rong has the Dew-Drinking Cicada, which makes him temporarily fearless, he cannot guarantee the safety of Xiao Yu and Zhu Xiaoqi, and he cannot always be by their side to protect them.

If they could be moved into the Lü family mansion, their safety would be basically guaranteed.

After all, this Lu family residence is the dwelling place of the ancestor's bloodline, and it is guarded very tightly within the sect.

Duan Rong then glanced at Lü Qingzhu, then clasped his hands in a fist and said, "That's very good, then I'll have to trouble Aunt Yue."

Li Baoyue laughed and said, "What's the trouble? I'm more than happy to tidy up your house."

Afterwards, Lü Qingzhu and Li Baoyue drank a few more cups of wine, then stopped drinking and simply sat together chatting.

Duan Rong and Lü Zhongtang, however, drank increasingly heavily, eventually even engaging in a drinking contest. Lü Qingzhu and Li Baoyue tried to dissuade them several times but to no avail, so they eventually ignored them and went to their rooms to rest, leaving Duan Rong and Lü Zhongtang drinking alone in the flower hall. (End of Chapter)