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

Duan Rong stepped into the thatched hut and saw several black porcelain bowls piled up haphazardly on a broken wooden table in the middle of the room.

There was a rather clumsy old rattan chair under the window.

The uneven, muddy ground underfoot had been hardened by footsteps, and in a corner not far away, there was a pile of porcelain vases. Cobwebs crawled on the vases, and some even had rat droppings on them.

Upon seeing those porcelain vases, Duan Rong's eyelids twitched involuntarily.

At this moment, he was certain that the two bottles of high-level elemental beast essence blood that Chu Wushang had given him last time he came were taken from that pile of porcelain bottles. At the time, he had wondered why those porcelain bottles were covered in dust and had cobwebs stuck to them.

It now appears that Chu Wushang carelessly discarded such a rare cultivation resource as the essence blood of a high-level Yuan Beast in the corner of the thatched hut.

At this moment, Chu Wushang had already lifted the tattered animal skin curtain and entered the inner room.

Duan Rong followed him inside.

Upon entering the inner room, it suddenly became dark. There were no windows in the inner room. At the far end against the wall was a dilapidated wooden bed, and next to the wooden bed was a large iron box.

The rest of the inner room was piled high with bamboo baskets, some half a person tall, leaving only a narrow path through which one could barely pass.

Duan Rong frowned. The bamboo baskets, some greenish and some yellowish, were clearly a mix of new and old. He couldn't understand for a moment what these bamboo baskets were for. In daily life, there was definitely no need for so many baskets.

At this moment, Chu Wushang had already walked to the large iron box beside the bed and stood there silently. Only after Duan Rong walked past the path lined with bamboo strips on both sides and reached a short distance away did he suddenly lift the lid of the large iron box and step inside!

As Duan Rong watched Chu Wushang's figure disappear at the mouth of the large iron box, he walked over and stared intently. He saw that the bottom of the large iron box was a dark hole with stone steps faintly visible inside.

Just then, a faint light shone from deep within the stone steps, clearly indicating that Chu Wushang inside had lit an oil lamp.

Duan Rong's eyes flickered, and he stepped into the large iron box, descending the stone steps.

The space below these stone steps was a narrow, downward-sloping passageway. Chu Wushang walked ahead, holding an oil lamp that emitted a eerie, green glow.

After walking for a while, Chu Wushang suddenly turned around and disappeared from the passageway. Only a faint halo of light grew weaker and weaker in front of him, which was obviously the end of the passageway.

Duan Rong descended the steps, walked to the end of the passageway where there was a faint light, turned right, and stepped into a secret room.

The space was not large, and it was empty, with nothing else of value.

Chu Wushang stood in front of a stone wall, holding an oil lamp. When Duan Rong entered, he said in a deep, hoarse voice, "Behind this stone wall is the talisman array that condenses the Cave of Enlightenment. Come in with me."

"Okay," Duan Rong uttered a single word.

Chu Wushang pulled a dark array ruler from his clothes. The ruler was covered with intricate runes and was rusty. He held the ruler and gently touched a spot in front of him.

The ruler was about to strike the stone wall when it suddenly stopped in mid-air. The next moment, ripples spread across the stone wall, like a pool of water.

Amidst a faint, shimmering expanse, an oval-shaped black hole suddenly appeared. Chu Wushang stepped into the black hole, his figure disappearing from sight, and Duan Rong followed suit.

The moment Duan Rong stepped into the black hole, he suddenly appeared in another space.

This space is also a secret room, but it is much larger and contains all sorts of things. In the quiet space, you can also hear the sound of flowing water.

Duan Rong's eyes flickered, and he looked towards the wall. He saw a stream of water flowing through a stone pit beside the wall, the water gurgling.

Chu Wushang noticed Duan Rong's gaze and said, "To condense the Cave of Clarity, one might be in seclusion for ten or twenty years. When this talisman array chamber was built, we specifically brought in stream water for easy access."

Duan Rong nodded. He remembered that Chu Wushang's thatched hut was located beside a stream in the dense forest.

Beside the stone pit waterway, there was a round, rustic stone table with a wooden box on it.

On the ground next to the stone table, there were many split bamboo strips, with a faint bluish tint, which were obviously split not long ago.

On the other side opposite the stone pit waterway, there are three stone walls, completely empty except for a futon placed in the center of the ground.

Chu Wushang said, "This talisman array that condenses the Cave of Enlightenment is a vital area of ​​the sect. Unless one of the few old monsters in the Nascent Soul Realm of this world forcibly breaks the array, it is impossible for anyone to enter this talisman array and interfere with cultivation."

Duan Rong nodded, looked around, and calmly asked, "Mr. Chu, have you always been in charge of this place?"

Chu Wushang said, "I have been in charge of this for the past few hundred years."

Duan Rong's heart stirred slightly. He finally understood why Chu Qiushan, Zhu He, and the others respected Chu Wushang so much. Besides the fact that he was someone close to the ancestor, there was probably another reason: their condensation of the Cave Netherworld was probably done under Chu Wushang's supervision.

Chu Wushang said, "I will be present at the first of the three gates of the Cave of Darkness. The second and third gates are up to you. As for the last two gates, I can no longer help you."

Duan Rong clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Thank you for your trouble, Mr. Chu."

He had already learned that this first hurdle, breaking through inner demons, required Chu Wushang's preparation and cooperation in many ways. Moreover, the Taiyi Sect had many techniques and rituals for this first hurdle.

Chu Wushang remained expressionless as he slowly walked to the stone table beside the waterway in the stone pit and opened the wooden box on the table. Inside the box were several old animal-skin books. Chu Wushang picked up the top book, walked to Duan Rong's side, and handed him the book.

Chu Wushang said, "This is our sect's secret technique, the Six Wonders Mind Observation Gate. You can study and practice it on your own. If you have any doubts, you can ask me. The essence of this secret technique is to force out the inner demons deep within the cultivator's heart during a meditative state."

Duan Rong took the yellowed animal-skin booklet, his eyes flickering slightly. On the cover of the booklet were six ancient-style characters that read "Six Wonders of Mind Observation Gate," written in a vigorous and powerful style.

At this moment, Chu Wushang had already turned around and walked to the stone table, sat down on the stone chair, picked up the bamboo strips on the ground, and began to weave a basket.

Duan Rong stood there looking at Chu Wushang, not understanding why Chu Wushang wanted to weave baskets.

Could it be that all those bamboo baskets piled up inside the thatched hut were woven by Chu Wushang himself?

Chu Wushang wove very slowly. His long, calloused fingers worked among the bamboo strips. Once he started weaving the bamboo basket, his eyes became clearer and clearer, and he gradually entered a certain state of mind.

For him, this was a form of spiritual practice.

Just like Gu Daoling, who observes the stars at night within the Divine Cloud Palace, this is a form of cultivation.

Chu Qiushan, as the sect leader, uses worldly experiences to cultivate his mind; this is a form of spiritual practice.

In this thatched hut in the dense forest, Chu Wushang weaves bamboo baskets, which is also his form of spiritual practice.

There is no fixed method for the cultivation of experts in the Cave-Dark Realm.

Duan Rong naturally couldn't understand at this moment. He looked at Chu Wushang for a while, then took the animal skin manual, walked to the futon not far away, and sat down by himself.

He sat on the futon and began to examine the old, yellowed animal hide manual in his hands. The yellowed animal hide was covered with dense ancient characters. Although there was no dust, it was full of an old and worn atmosphere.

Duan Rong's eyes suddenly lit up. He placed his palm on the animal hide manual and thought to himself, "Reading the spirit of the artifact."

A set of data immediately appeared before his eyes.

Looking at the data panel that suddenly appeared before him, Duan Rong felt a slight surge of joy. "Just as I expected."

The reason why the data panel of the notebook given to him by the ancestor Lü Yinlin showed an empty data panel was because the notebook had been almost never read since Lü Yinlin wrote it, and it had been kept on a shelf, so the spirit of the artifact could not grow.

However, this sect's secret method, "The Six Wonders of Mind Contemplation," is different. Almost everyone who comes here to condense their inner vision has read it, and some people stay at the first hurdle for several years, or even more than ten years. Over the course of hundreds of years, every time these people read this secret technique, their spirit and soul would resonate with the spirit of the artifact, nourishing and nurturing its growth.

"Devour!" Duan Rong thought to himself, then sat cross-legged as if in deep meditation.

Chu Wushang sat at the stone table and wove for a while. Suddenly, he bent down and picked up another bamboo strip from beside his feet. As he picked up the bamboo strip, he glanced at Duan Rong, and his hand holding the bamboo strip suddenly stopped in mid-air.

Chu Wushang frowned. He saw Duan Rong sitting cross-legged on the futon, motionless, with the Six Wonders Mind Observation Sect's secret manual on the ground in front of the futon.

Chu Wushang was momentarily unaware of what Duan Rong was doing.

The Six Mysteries of Mind Contemplation is a secret method created by the founder of the Taiyi Sect. It is quite complex and difficult to cultivate. Together with the Womb Treasury Sutra, it is the sect's highest secret method.

Instead of studying and pondering the text properly, Duan Rong seemed to be in a meditative state.

What kind of strategy is this?!

Chu Wushang also knew that Duan Rong was somewhat eccentric, so he lost his interest in weaving bamboo strips and began to carefully observe Duan Rong.

About half an incense stick later, Duan Rong suddenly opened his eyes, picked up the animal skin manual in front of him, and began to open it.

Chu Wushang's eyes flickered. Seeing that Duan Rong had begun to study the secret manual, he resumed weaving the bamboo basket in his hands.

Duan Rong opened the first page of the yellowed animal hide manual in his hand, and the various cultivation insights about this secret technique that he had digested flowed through his mind like a gentle stream.

The Six Wonderful Gates of Mind Contemplation consist of six wondrous methods: counting, following, stopping, observing, turning, and purifying.

The core of the six gates lies in the method of observation, and all kinds of inner demons also emerge one by one within the gate.

The methods of counting, following, and stopping are the preliminary practices, through which one enters the method of contemplation.

The methods of transformation and purification are subsequent practices, and these two subsequent practices are also quite important, because the secret method of the Six Wonders Contemplation of the Mind can only force out the inner demons in the practitioner's heart, but cannot eliminate them.

Only by letting our inner demons surface and understanding them can we find ways to deal with and eliminate them one by one.

However, each time inner demons emerge, it is a great test for practitioners. These last two practices, namely the Dharma Transformation and the Dharma Purification, are to protect practitioners when inner demons emerge.

Protected by these last two secret techniques, practitioners will not be harmed by their own inner demons and can safely withdraw from all kinds of inner demons.

As Duan Rong flipped through the manual in his hand and compared it with the information flow in his mind, he was greatly shocked.

The ancestor Lü Yinlin's notebook also mentioned this secret technique, but it was vague. It wasn't until Duan Rong devoured the artifact spirit that he truly understood this secret technique.

This secret technique is truly profound and unfathomable. The master who created it was clearly an unparalleled genius.

Moreover, this secret method is completely different from the Womb Treasury Sutra, which is also the highest secret method of the sect.

The techniques of the Womb Treasury Sutra are inherited from the techniques of gods and demons, which makes them seem strange and unpredictable. However, the sect's secret technique called the Six Wonders Contemplation of the Mind Gate is entirely based on the thinking of cultivators, which means it is understandable.

Of course, it also contains some elements of the Womb Sutra, such as the application of breathing techniques.

The three methods for progress are counting, following, and stopping. Among them, both counting and following are guided by observing the breath.

Because he was already extremely familiar with this secret technique, Duan Rong was able to read the manual very quickly, almost reading ten lines at a glance and rapidly turning the pages. This made Chu Wushang, who was sitting at the stone table not far away, feel a sense of unease.

Chu Wushang knew very well how difficult it was to study and cultivate that sect's secret technique. To be honest, if Duan Rong could completely understand the first page of the manual in a single day, he would already be very impressed with him.

However, at this moment, something even more surprising happened to Chu Wushang. After Duan Rong finished flipping through the manual, he placed it in front of the futon again, sat cross-legged on the futon with his palms facing the sky, and formed a rather strange hand seal.

Chu Wushang's eyelids twitched, and he stood up with a hint of anger on his face. He walked slowly to a spot not far from Duan Rong and said coldly, "Duan Rong, what are you doing?"

Just as Duan Rong was about to enter the secret technique, he was suddenly interrupted by Chu Wushang. He opened his eyes and said, "Mr. Chu, I am cultivating the Six Wonders Observation of the Mind Gate in order to force out the various inner demons in my heart."

"Is that so?" Chu Wushang gave a contemptuous sneer and said, "So, you've already thoroughly studied the secret techniques of the Six Wonders Mind Gate and are now able to try to force out your inner demons?"

Duan Rong said, "Yes, Mr. Chu, I feel it's worth a try."

Chu Wushang stared coldly at Duan Rong, remaining silent for a long time. He noticed that Duan Rong's expression was natural and calm, not like he was talking nonsense.

After a moment of silence, Chu Wushang suddenly asked, "Let me ask you, in the Six Subtle Gates, what are the Number Method and the Following Method?"

Duan Rong said, "The method of counting is the method of counting breaths. The founder of the school was probably inspired by some cultivation methods in the Womb Sutra, and further discovered many mysteries between breathing and the soul."

Upon hearing Duan Rong's words, Chu Wushang was startled. The anger and coldness on his face vanished instantly, and he stared blankly at Duan Rong.

Duan Rong continued, "The counting breath method requires capturing your breath, from one to ten, then from ten to one. This method seems simple, but it is actually not easy. It requires you to reach a state where you can clearly distinguish between the inhalation and exhalation of each breath in order to complete the counting method."

"Following the Law is a further step in the Method of Numbers. As the practitioner's consciousness and breath gradually merge into one, the Method of Numbers, which was originally a guide, has become a kind of interference. It can also be said that the Method of Numbers is too crude. Following the Law is to enter a more refined state, gradually achieving the complete integration of the practitioner's consciousness and breath."

Duan Rong's answer was concise and to the point, hitting the nail on the head.

Chu Wushang's throat moved slightly, but the counting method and the following method were, after all, the forward-moving method, and also the easiest part of this secret method to understand and master.

Chu Wushang continued, "Then what is the method of stopping? What is the method of contemplation?"

Chu Wushang knew very well that the methods of stopping and observing were the core of the Six Wonders Gate. The various inner demons of cultivators were also revealed in the method of observing. If Duan Rong could also explain these two methods clearly, it would mean that he had truly understood the essence of this secret method.

Duan Rong said, "After the cultivator's spiritual thoughts and breath are completely integrated, the next step is to follow the breath and enter the state of meditation."

"In the state of meditative absorption, one begins to enter the method of contemplation; this is the use of cessation to initiate contemplation."

"In this meditation, twelve wondrous methods are used to force out the inner demons deep within the heart, causing them to surface one by one."

"To enter into stillness is to begin with stillness; to begin with observation is to begin with stillness." Duan Rong's words were not only correct, but also insightful and concise.

Chu Wushang was greatly shocked and remained speechless for a long time.

After a while, Chu Wushang finally let out a sigh of relief and said, "What you said is quite good. However, this secret method is quite complicated. Little do you know, it's easier said than done."

Duan Rong said, "I have only grasped its theoretical meaning now. As for putting it into practice, I still need to explore it through experience."

Upon hearing this, Chu Wushang gave Duan Rong a strange look, then turned and walked towards the stone table without saying anything more.

Seeing that Chu Wushang was no longer questioning him, Duan Rong put aside his distracting thoughts, focused his mind on the sky once again, and began to form hand seals.

Chu Wushang sat back down at the stone table, picked up the half-woven bamboo basket from the ground, and looked at Duan Rong sitting on the futon forming hand seals. The shock in his heart was hard to calm down for a long time.

"That's easy to say! It's just a matter of understanding the logic behind it."

"Back then, I spent three whole months groping around, getting battered and bruised, before I slowly began to grasp some of the basic principles of this secret technique."

"You're something else! You think you can understand it logically just by flipping through it like that?!"

Although Chu Wushang was unconvinced and even found it difficult to understand, Duan Rong's answer regarding the methods of stopping and observing was indeed incisive and irrefutable. Furthermore, these methods of stopping and observing were the core of the Six Subtle Gates, far more complex than the methods of counting and following.

"This kid, I wonder where this prodigy came from?!" (End of Chapter)