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

After dinner, Xiao Yu carried a cup of ginseng tea into the room, where she saw Duan Rong sitting at the table again.

She walked slowly closer and placed the ginseng tea on the table. Not only was the yellowed booklet open on the table, but Duan Rong had also laid out paper and pen, writing something while looking at the yellowed booklet...

Xiao Yu couldn't help but be curious, so she leaned closer for a peek, and her eyes immediately lit up. Xiao Yu hadn't expected Duan Rong's calligraphy to be so vigorous and upright, and that every stroke of his brush was full of natural and elegant charm, making the whole piece a masterpiece.

Xiao Yu couldn't help but exclaim, "Husband, when did your handwriting become so good?!"

Duan Rong paused slightly at the tip of his pen, then turned to look at Xiao Yu.

His calligraphy is now exceptionally good, not only in terms of technique but also in its artistic conception, which is as free and unrestrained as a gazelle hanging its horns, exuding elegance and charm. If this piece of calligraphy were among the pretentious playboys of Shenyun Mansion, it would probably fetch an astronomical price.

Xiao Yu looked at Duan Rong curiously and said, "Husband, I remember your calligraphy wasn't this good back in Xiangu County."

In fact, Duan Rong had already achieved a profound level of skill in calligraphy by absorbing the spirits of artifacts while he was in Xiangu County. Over the years, with the advancement of his martial arts training and the refinement of hundreds of complex artistic conceptions, he has unconsciously mastered not only martial arts but also calligraphy. Every stroke of his brush is a masterpiece.

When they were in Xiangu County, he and Xiao Yu were, after all, people of the Jianghu (江湖, the martial arts world), and they rarely did anything pretentious or affected. Duan Rong also rarely showed off his calligraphy.

However, Xiao Yu knew that Duan Rong was a good painter. She still kept the painting that Duan Rong painted of her sister Xiao Baijiao. It looked as if the real person was there. There were also a few lines of poetry inscribed on the painting.

Xiao Yu's understanding of Duan Rong's calligraphy came from the characters in those few lines of poetry.

But at this time, Duan Rong's calligraphy skills were obviously far superior to those of that time. At first glance, one could feel the full artistic conception coming towards him, with vitality mixed in with the solemnity, and a fierce and awe-inspiring spirit!

Duan Rong knew that Xiao Yu had unconsciously infused his brush with artistic conception while he was focused, which surprised Xiao Yu. He said, "Your cultivation over the years has made great progress in martial arts. Calligraphy and martial arts have the same origin in terms of artistic conception, so you have also made changes without realizing it."

Xiao Yu looked at Duan Rong's calligraphy and liked it more and more. She smiled and said, "Husband, when you have some free time, could you write a piece of calligraphy for me?"

Duan Rong said, "Of course. I can write you one a day."

"Thank you in advance." Xiao Yu then curtsied and said, "Then I will not disturb my husband any longer."

Then Xiao Yu stood up, gave Duan Rong a deep look, and then left gracefully.

Duan Rong glanced at Xiao Yu's departing figure, then picked up the ginseng tea on the table, took a sip, and continued writing furiously.

He wanted to write down the entire process of condensing the cave spirit himself, and then compare it with Lü Yinlin's notes to see if there were any omissions.

The next morning, when Xiao Yu brought over ginseng tea and snacks, she saw a thick stack of papers on the table, all covered with dense writing, and many places had scribbles and annotations. Duan Rong was flipping through them one by one.

Xiao Yu had also gotten up several times last night. She already knew that Duan Rong hadn't slept all night. She had come over to persuade Duan Rong to eat something and rest, but seeing how focused he was, she swallowed her words, put down the ginseng tea and snacks, and quietly withdrew.

This continued until 9 a.m., when Xiao Yu was watering the vegetable patch in the corner of the wall. Suddenly, Duan Rong slowly walked out of the hall. He looked at Xiao Yu watering the vegetables, smiled slightly, and a red light flashed between his brows. The next moment, he appeared behind Xiao Yu like a ghost.

Xiao Yu had her back to the entrance of the hall and didn't notice him at all.

Duan Rong coughed lightly, and Xiao Yu turned around with the water ladle. She saw Duan Rong standing there, the sunlight shining on his face, and smiled brightly, saying, "Husband, when did you arrive? You came so quietly."

Duan Rong smiled and said, "I'm going out for a bit."

Xiao Yu asked, "Where is my husband going?"

Duan Rong said, "I'm going to see the Ancestor. I should be back soon."

Xiao Yu asked, "Are we going to ask the questions in that yellow booklet?"

Seeing that Duan Rong had been studying that book diligently these past few days, she could naturally guess what was going on.

Duan Rong replied, "That's right."

Xiao Yu said, "Go ahead, my husband, and come back soon."

Duan Rong smiled, then rode the wind, soared over the rooftops, and flew into the valley.

He walked into the valley and had just reached the entrance of Lü Yinlin's cave when he heard Lü Yinlin's somewhat deep voice beside him. "Come in."

Duan Rong walked deeper into the cave and saw Lü Yinlin sitting cross-legged on a futon by the wall, seemingly practicing his martial arts.

Duan Rong's eyes flickered, and he immediately knelt down, saying, "Disciple has disturbed Ancestor's practice!"

Lü Yinlin said, "It doesn't matter. It's the same whether I practice this technique or not. This early stage of the Nascent Soul Realm has been trapping me for nearly a thousand years."

Lu Yinlin's tone was calm, but Duan Rong could still sense the bitterness behind it.

Lü Yinlin said, "Get up and speak. What brings you here?"

Duan Rong then stood up, cupped his fists to Lü Yinlin who was sitting cross-legged on the futon, and said, "I have read through the Ancestor's notebook once, and I have some questions that I would like to ask the Ancestor in detail."

Upon hearing this, Lü Yinlin's face immediately darkened.

It's only been six or seven days since he gave Duan Rong that notebook, and Duan Rong has already come over, shamelessly saying he wants to ask questions. Lü Yinlin felt that the notebook needed at least a month of study before he was qualified to ask questions.

“A cursory glance won’t be very useful,” Lü Yinlin said, his tone clearly displeased.

Duan Rong could naturally tell that he was just standing there with his hands clasped in front of him, without saying a word, very humble.

Lu Yinlin sighed softly and said, "Tell me your thoughts." "Yes." Duan Rong then raised his head and said, "May I ask, Ancestor, if one does not break through the inner demon, or if the inner demon is not completely broken through, what kind of impact will it have on the second and third barriers to condensing the Cave of Clarity?"

Lu Yinlin was slightly taken aback. Duan Rong's question was not a casual one, but rather a deep reflection after thoroughly understanding the contents of the notes. With just this one question, his opinion of Duan Rong had already changed.

Lu Yinlin's eyes flickered, and he immediately replied, "Breaking through the inner demons as the first hurdle to condense the Cave of Enlightenment has profound significance, and it is a lesson learned from countless bloody experiences by our predecessors. As long as one condenses the Cave of Enlightenment, whether it is the second hurdle, which uses the origin of intent as a guide to comprehend the power of the laws, or the third hurdle, which uses the power of the laws to condense the Cave of Enlightenment, inner demons will emerge. At crucial junctures, they will disturb one's consciousness."

"Because the condensation of the void is the transformation from mortal to saint, and the mastery of the power of the laws."

"The laws are the function of the Dao body, the mother of all things. Only by taking these as the foundation can one truly embark on cultivation. Before that, even those at the Great Perfection of the Qi Cyclone Realm are merely martial artists."

"At this critical juncture, inner demons will be able to infiltrate everywhere. Numerous demonic realms and karmic illusions will appear when a cultivator comprehends the power of the laws, in order to interfere with their mind, cause them to fail in their comprehension, or even lead them astray and fall into demonic possession."

"Therefore, when practitioners are condensing their inner vision, the first hurdle is to overcome their inner demons, and they must overcome them completely. If there are any remnants, they will definitely surface at the crucial moment of condensing inner vision. Do not take any chances; there are no exceptions."

“Remember my words: If inner demons are not eliminated, the Way cannot be contained.”

Duan Rong stood there, stunned, speechless for a long time.

When he was studying Lü Yinlin's notebook, he couldn't help but have doubts. The notebook listed the types of inner demons so clearly and almost exhaustively. Of course, he wondered if it was necessary to be so exhaustive to get rid of inner demons.

At this moment, after listening to Lü Yinlin's explanation, he finally understood.

Duan Rong clasped his hands and said, "Thank you for your clarification, Ancestor. The more you comprehend the laws and condense the key points of enlightenment, the more likely the demonic realm will take advantage of your vulnerability and appear. Therefore, if the inner demons cannot be completely eliminated, it will be impossible to pass the second and third barriers."

Lu Yinlin looked at Duan Rong with approval and said, "You have a deep understanding and thorough grasp of the meaning. That is exactly what I meant."

The booklet that Lü Yinlin gave to Duan Rong was meant to help him fully comprehend the process of condensing the Cave of Enlightenment. In fact, there was one thing that Lü Yinlin had never told Duan Rong: the more promising a cultivator like Duan Rong was, the more likely he was to run into trouble at the second hurdle, when comprehending the power of the laws.

Because what he needs to comprehend is often a law of great potential for growth, and this kind of law is also the most unpredictable. If the inner demons are not completely eliminated, it will be very dangerous at this time.

This is also the difference between ordinary cultivators and those who are potential Nascent Soul cultivators.

Ordinary cultivators comprehend a flawed power of law; for them, the most dangerous hurdle is the third barrier.

For cultivators who are at the Nascent Soul stage, the second hurdle is the most dangerous.

Lü Yinlin looked at Duan Rong and asked, "Any more questions?"

Duan Rong's expression was cold and stern as he asked indifferently, "May I ask, Ancestor, at the second hurdle, which is to use the origin of intent as a guide to comprehend the power of laws, there is a crucial point: the origin of intent emits a faint light. As long as this light is present, it means that the direction of exploration is correct, and we should continue to delve deeper into it. Moreover, we are not far from comprehending the power of laws."

Lu Yinlin looked at Duan Rong with deep eyes and couldn't help but give him an approving look.

Just by looking at the questions Duan Rong asked, you can tell whether he had studied the notebook carefully. Being able to focus on the real questions shows that he had thoroughly understood the notebook.

If he asks questions for a long time but doesn't get to the point, and only lingers on trivial and unimportant details, Lü Yinlin is prepared to send him away and tell him to go back and study it carefully before coming back to ask for advice.

However, Duan Rong's first two questions both hit the nail on the head. Only questions like these would pique Lü Yinlin's interest.

Lu Yinlin said, "That is the light of touching the law. When the origin of the intent begins to emit the light of touching the law, it is a sign that the intent is about to knock on the door of the law."

"The laws are the application of the Dao, and can be described as infinitely changeable and the gateway to all wonders."

"The same goes for artistic conception; it is also ever-changing. Take sword intent as an example: there will never be two completely identical sword intents in this land of Kyushu, just as there will never be two completely identical leaves in this world."

"And the ever-changing artistic conception is a garden path leading to the gate of the ever-changing laws. And this garden path is crisscrossed and overgrown with withered grass."

"In this process of exploration, how can you determine if you are exploring in the right direction? When the light of the law appears, it means that you are exploring in the right direction."

As Duan Rong listened to Lü Yinlin's account, his heart was filled with turmoil. The more he listened, the more he felt that Lü Yinlin's explanation of the Law of Touching Light was becoming increasingly distant from the faint light emitted by the Five-Colored Ruyi Pearl.

According to Lü Yinlin, the light that touches the law only appears gradually during the second stage, as one explores the path from the realm of intention to the gate of law.

But what about the five-colored Ruyi Pearl in his spiritual sea of ​​consciousness, which began to emit a faint, imperceptible evil light when he was at the first level of the Qi Cyclone Realm?

Duan Rong's expression turned somewhat solemn, and he asked, "May I ask, Ancestor, what are the characteristics of that light that touches the laws? How can I determine whether the light emanating from the origin of the intent is the light that touches the laws, or whether something evil has occurred, or even whether a demon has surfaced?"

Duan Rong's question was very clever. From Lü Yinlin's perspective, it did not seem abrupt at all, and he even felt that Duan Rong had hit the nail on the head again.

Lu Yinlin looked at Duan Rong with approval and praised, "A good question, that's exactly the point. I didn't write it clearly in my notes. This point is actually very important. The light of the law has a characteristic: your divine sense cannot perceive it, but your inner vision can."

Upon hearing this, Duan Rong's heart tightened. What Lü Yinlin described was exactly the same as the faint light emitted by the Five-Colored Ruyi Pearl.

Lu Yinlin continued, "It's a bit strange, but if you think about it carefully, it's not hard to understand. Because the light that touches the laws emanating from the origin of the intent is actually neither intent nor law, but an intermediate state between intent and law. Therefore, it's normal for it to be a bit strange."

At this point, Duan Rong could almost conclude that the five-colored Ruyi Pearl in his spiritual sea of ​​consciousness was emitting the light of the Law of Touch. But why did that thing start emitting the light of the Law of Touch when it was only at the first level of the Qi Cyclone Realm?
It hasn't even begun to condense its inner light, so what laws does it violate?
This is really weird!
Duan Rong's eyes flickered slightly, and he asked, "Ancestor, since the light of touching the law is an intermediate state between intent and law, is it possible that the origin of intent spontaneously emits the light of touching the law even before the cultivator has entered the state of condensing the cavern of enlightenment?"

Upon hearing this, Lü Yinlin gave Duan Rong a strange look, and an impatient expression appeared on his face.

If Duan Rong's first few questions hadn't been so insightful, hitting the nail on the head with every single one, he really wouldn't have wanted to answer Duan Rong's idiotic questions that had absolutely nothing to do with his current cultivation.

Lu Yinlin coldly replied, “The theory exists. However, in my more than a thousand years of life, I have never seen or heard of such a thing. It’s like planting crops in a field, where you draw water from a river to irrigate your land. But your situation is like a river overflowing its banks, flooding the fields and irrigating all the crops on both sides.”

"We all reach the second stage of condensing our profound understanding, groping our way to the gate of laws through our conceptualization, which is how we generate the light of touching the laws. It's like drawing water from a river to irrigate our own specific plot of land. But what you're describing is a near-perfect, complete origin of conceptualization that can resonate with any gate of laws, thus it can emit the light of touching the laws at any time." (End of Chapter)