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

Duan Rong left the valley and rode the wind, flying towards the hilltop of the Lü family residence.

After achieving the Great Perfection of the Qi Cyclone Realm, his figure amidst the clouds and mist became even more agile and graceful, possessing a certain otherworldly quality.

Before he achieved the Great Perfection of the Qi Cyclone Realm, whenever he rode the wind, he would stir up the clouds and mist.

But now he is not only faster, but he also seems to have become one with the clouds and mist, appearing and disappearing lightly amidst the ethereal mist, like a fairy or a ghost...

Duan Rong drifted down into his own courtyard like a gentle breeze.

Xiao Yu and Zhu Xiaoqi sat under the eaves, basking in the sun and chatting idly.

Zhu Xiaoqi was doing needlework when Xiao Yu occasionally held up the little garment and said something to Zhu Xiaoqi with a smile.

Meanwhile, Shen Mizhi was practicing her routines in the open space below the stone steps. She kept going back and forth, her whole body drenched in sweat, but her eyes remained fierce, and she showed no sign of stopping.

Duan Rong suddenly landed in the courtyard, startling Xiao Yu and Zhu Xiaoqi, who immediately stood up. Zhu Xiaoqi's belly was already slightly swollen, making movement somewhat difficult, so Xiao Yu helped her up.

Shen Mizhi also caught a glimpse of Duan Rong landing lightly in the courtyard, but she only glanced at him and acted as if she hadn't seen him at all, continuing with her routine.

Duan Rong walked slowly towards the entrance of the hall. Xiao Yu glanced at Shen Mizhi before turning to Duan Rong and smiling, "Husband, you've left the seclusion a day early today?"

Duan Rong said, "The seclusion has come to a temporary end."

Xiao Yu said, "Then my husband can stay at home for a while longer. Xiao Qi and I are always worried about having no one to talk to. Before, you never finished telling us the ghost stories from the ruins of gods and demons."

Duan Rong walked up the stone steps and looked at Zhu Xiaoqi. Zhu Xiaoqi lowered his head slightly. He then turned to look at Xiao Yu and said, "I'll tell you when I have time."

After Duan Rong finished speaking, he walked straight through the hall, around the screen in the hall, lifted the curtain behind the screen and stepped inside. Behind the screen was Duan Rong's own living quarters.

Duan Rong hadn't stayed in this room much before.

During this period, whenever he wasn't cultivating in the secret chamber, he would usually rest in the east or west wing rooms when he returned.

Although they hadn't lived there much, Xiao Yu and the others often cleaned and tidied it up, so it was always very clean and tidy.

Duan Rong walked straight to the desk by the window, where the afternoon sunlight shone through the curtains.

He sat down at the table and carefully took out the yellowed booklet that Lü Yinlin had given him from his pocket and placed it on the table.

Although the booklet is yellowed and has an old feel, it is very smooth and doesn't even have wormholes, so it is obviously well preserved.

Duan Rong's eyes flickered, and he gently placed his palm on the booklet, thinking to himself, "Read the spirit of the artifact."

Immediately, a set of data appeared before his eyes.

Objects: Old notebooks

Spirit Rank: Not yet Ranked
Devouring requirements: None
Devouring effect: None
Duan Rong looked at the empty data panel in front of him and felt a wave of disappointment.

He had also devoured the spirits of books, such as the family medical notes of Gu Suxiu, which all had a devouring effect.

But those notes all had one thing in common: they were frequently read and contained annotations from many different years. As a result, the spirit of the person who wrote them gradually seeped into the books and nurtured the growth of the spirit.

But the old notebook that Lü Yinlin gave him seemed to have never been read by anyone, and he had only written it during the time when he was concentrating on his spiritual practice.

The devouring effect results in nothingness.

Duan Rong removed his hand and gently opened the booklet.

The first page is filled with densely packed, tiny characters, with rounded strokes and restrained sharpness.

Duan Rong was quite knowledgeable in literature and calligraphy, and knew that calligraphy could reveal one's character. It was likely that Lü Yinlin was not only exceptionally talented, but also quite reserved, avoiding conflict and focusing solely on diligent cultivation. This was probably why he was able to eventually reach the Nascent Soul realm.

Of course, this is only one aspect of his personality. Lu Yinlin's character must also have a ruthless and decisive side, as well as a morally ambiguous side; otherwise, how could he have obtained the divine and demonic mark within the ruins of gods and demons?

Only those who possess both of these qualities can become the most outstanding beings in this land of Kyushu.

The first page of Lü Yinlin's collection on the many difficulties and doubts regarding advancing to the Cave-Ming Realm and condensing the Cave-Ming was filled with the problems he wanted to solve, which immediately captured Duan Rong's attention.

Some of these questions were ones that Duan Rong had considered, while others were quite unfamiliar to him.

Duan Rong immediately buried his head in reading, and once he started reading, he entered a state of complete absorption.

Xiao Yu brought in a cup of tea on a wooden tray and placed it on the table not far away, but Duan Rong didn't even raise his head.

After Xiao Yu put down the teacup, she turned to look at Duan Rong, only to find him engrossed in a yellowed booklet on the table, his eyes fixed on it, seemingly unaware that she had come in.

Xiao Yu sighed and walked out on her own.

She came to the outside of the hall, just as Shen Mizhi finished her routine and sat on the stone steps to catch her breath. Xiao Yu looked at her, her eyes flickered, and asked, "Did your husband say anything to you when he was having tea in the hall at noon?"

Shen Mizhi said, "Just give me a couple of pointers on swordsmanship."

Xiao Yu asked, "Did he only instruct you on swordsmanship? Did he say anything else?"

Shen Mizhi said, "No. What's wrong? What happened?"

Xiao Yu said, "I saw my husband reading a yellowed book in the room, and he was very focused on it."

Shen Mizhi laughed and said, "I thought it was something serious. If you're curious, just ask him directly. Why come over and ask me indirectly?"

Xiao Yu said, "Didn't you see how focused he was? I didn't even dare to breathe loudly, let alone ask him questions?"

Shen Mizhi said, "Then we'll ask him when we have dinner."

As night fell, the courtyard was already lit up.

Xiao Yu and Shen Mizhi brought the dishes to the table in the hall. In order to make sure Duan Rong ate well, Zhu Xiaoqi, despite being heavily pregnant, personally cooked a sour mushroom soup for him.

After everything was ready, Xiao Yu went to invite Duan Rong out for dinner.

She entered the room and found Duan Rong sitting there in the same position, except that the lamp on the table was lit.

Xiao Yu walked over and stood behind Duan Rong, smiling, "Husband, it's time for dinner. Xiao Qi specially made you sour mushroom soup."

After Xiao Yu finished speaking, Duan Rong didn't even raise his head for a long time, just sitting there motionless.

Xiao Yu was about to say something more when Duan Rong suddenly said, "No need. You guys eat." His voice was very cold.

Xiao Yu was quite puzzled. She took a few steps forward, stood in front of the table, and glanced at the yellowed booklet on the table. She saw that the top line of the page read: Common Types of Inner Demons, Part Three.

She didn't understand what Duan Rong was looking at, but since he was so focused on it, she thought it best not to disturb him.

Xiao Yu glanced at the teacup on the table and suddenly realized that the teacup was still in the same spot where she had placed it that afternoon. She then reached out and opened the lid, only to find that it was still full of tea, and it had already gone cold.

Xiao Yu then picked up her teacup and went outside.

"What? Isn't he going to eat dinner?" Shen Mizhi asked as she saw Xiao Yu emerge from behind the screen alone. Xiao Yu replied, "He won't eat. He's still looking at that yellowed booklet."

Shen Mizhi smiled slightly and said, "Well, what a waste of our Xiao Qi's sour mushroom soup that he cooked while he was heavily pregnant."

Zhu Xiaoqi didn't speak, but her eyes dimmed slightly.

Xiao Yu placed the teacup on the table and said, "He hasn't even had a sip of water all afternoon, let alone eaten. You two eat first, I'll go get him a hot tea."

Zhu Xiaoqi said, "Miss, since he refuses to eat, let's add some ginseng slices and make him a bowl of ginseng tea."

Xiao Yu's eyes flickered, and she said, "Alright."

Xiao Yu brewed ginseng tea and sent it to Duan Rong before returning to the hall and taking a seat. Zhu Xiaoqi waited until Xiao Yu sat down before starting to eat, while Shen Mizhi had already begun to enjoy her meal.

She had practiced her swordplay diligently all day and was so hungry that her stomach was practically sticking to her back. She couldn't care less about formalities.
After they finished dinner, they went back to their rooms to rest.

Xiao Yu rested in the east wing for a while, but seemed a little uneasy, so she got up and went to Duan Rong's room, where she saw Duan Rong still engrossed in his studies.

A hint of worry flashed in Xiao Yu's eyes. He walked over, picked up the untouched cup of ginseng tea, held it beside Duan Rong, and said, "Husband, you must be tired from studying so hard. Have a cup of ginseng tea to soothe your throat."

Duan Rong turned his head after a long while, glanced at her, and said, "Put it down. I'll drink it in a bit."

Xiao Yu said, "Husband..."

Xiao Yu seemed about to say something, but Duan Rong suddenly interrupted her, coldly saying, "Xiao Yu, you should go out first. I want to be alone."

Xiao Yu was slightly taken aback, and had no choice but to put down her teacup and walk out with a grim expression.

That night, Xiao Yu tossed and turned in bed in the east wing, unable to sleep. In the middle of the night, she got up several times, carrying a lantern, and walked through the dark courtyard to the window of Duan Rong's room. Each time, she saw a dim yellow light shining on the window screen, and the shadow of Duan Rong with his hair tied up was reflected on the window screen.

The shadow's position didn't even change.

Xiao Yu couldn't help but sigh repeatedly. "What kind of booklet is it that you're so obsessed with?!"

Early the next morning, Xiao Yu finished washing up and hurriedly went to Duan Rong's room.

She took a few steps closer, a hint of hesitation flashing in her eyes, but still said in as gentle a tone as possible, "Husband, you have been studying hard all night, why don't you rest for a while?"

Duan Rong said, "No need."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yu looked very worried. She walked over, opened the lid of the ginseng tea cup on the table, and her expression suddenly softened slightly. The ginseng tea cup had already been drunk dry.

Xiao Yu then brewed another bowl of ginseng tea and placed it on the table before leaving with a worried expression.

Thus, Duan Rong still couldn't sleep a wink on his second night.

After two consecutive nights of this, and with no response to anyone, Xiao Yu began to panic. Fearing that something had happened to Duan Rong, she went to Lü Qingzhu's place to discuss the matter.

Lü Qingzhu's belly was already very big, and she looked like she was about to give birth.

Xiao Yu recounted Duan Rong's condition over the past two days, then looked at Lü Qingzhu with concern and said, "Qingzhu, what's wrong with him? He's not eating or sleeping, and he's so cold."

Upon hearing this, Lü Qingzhu frowned. "Sister just said that my husband said his seclusion will be temporarily suspended."

Xiao Yu said, "Yes. That's what he said."

Lu Qingzhu's eyes flickered, and she asked again, "Sister, you also saw a sentence in the book that your husband has been studying day and night."

Xiao Yu said, "Yes. It seems to be... the third common type of inner demon..."

Lu Qingzhu, heavily pregnant, paced slowly around the room, then suddenly said, "Is my husband perhaps tormented by inner demons?"

"Inner demons!?" Xiao Yu's face suddenly turned pale with shock and horror. Thinking of Duan Rong's cold attitude these past two days, she was even more frightened.

Lu Qingzhu continued, "My husband must have encountered an inner demon during his cultivation. That's why he has paused his seclusion to study methods to overcome it."

"Qingzhu, what should we do?" Xiao Yu couldn't help but feel anxious. She didn't know much about these things and could only rely on Lü Qingzhu.

Lu Qingzhu said, "Sister, we can't let our husband continue like this. He is tormented by his inner demons, but with his painstaking research, he might only sink deeper into it."

"What should we do?!" Xiao Yu's face showed anxiety.

Lü Qingzhu said, "Let's go together to persuade my husband. Let's persuade him to see the Ancestor. The Ancestor can definitely help him solve his cultivation problems."

"Alright, let's do as my sister says." Xiao Yu felt less panicked when she saw that what Lü Qingzhu said made sense.

Xiao Yu then helped Lü Qingzhu to the courtyard, and the two went into Duan Rong's room together.

Zhu Xiaoqi stood there, watching them longingly, but after thinking for a moment, she decided not to go in. Over the past two days, she had become increasingly worried about Duan Rong.

Xiao Yu helped Lü Qingzhu into Duan Rong's room.

Duan Rong sat at the desk, as still as a rock.

Xiao Yu said, "Husband, Qingzhu has come to see you?"

After Xiao Yu finished speaking, Duan Rong didn't react for a long time, and a strange look flashed across Lü Qingzhu's face.

Just then, Duan Rong slowly turned his head and stared blankly at Lü Qingzhu, who was heavily pregnant and wearing a cloak.

His face was stiff, his eyes were bloodshot, and his sharp, focused gaze looked somewhat frightening.

At this moment, Lü Qingzhu finally believed Xiao Yu's words completely, and her worries intensified.

After a few breaths, Duan Rong's gaze softened from sharp and focused, and he said in a slightly hoarse voice, "Why are you here?"

Lü Qingzhu smiled sweetly and said, "Husband, you haven't slept for two days and two nights. I wonder what you've been looking at? I'm quite curious."

Lü Qingzhu didn't directly bring up the matter of inner demons; she wanted to gradually steer the conversation away so she could offer some advice to Duan Rong.

Duan Rong replied, "It's nothing. It's a notebook about condensing the Cave of Light. It was given to me by the Ancestor, who told me to study it carefully."

Lu Qingzhu was slightly taken aback and asked, "Was it given to my husband by the Ancestor?"

Duan Rong said, "That's right."

Lu Qingzhu asked in surprise, "Isn't my husband being troubled by inner demons and researching ways to overcome them?"

Duan Rong was taken aback for a moment upon hearing this, but then he understood. He looked at Xiao Yu and Lü Qingzhu and said, "What are you two thinking?"

He stood up and said with a smile, "It's not your fault. I've been acting strangely these past two days, which has worried you."

Duan Rong walked over slowly, grasping Lü Qingzhu's hand with one hand and Xiao Yu's hand with the other, his eyes gentle.

Lü Qingzhu and Xiao Yu exchanged a smile; it turned out to be a misunderstanding. (End of Chapter)