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

Amidst the chaotic chatter, Zhu He cautiously looked at Lü Yinlin and asked, "May I ask, Ancestor, who has condensed their Nascent Soul? Is it someone from my Taiyi Sect?"

Zhu He's question was carefully crafted, and it reflected the thoughts of all the elders. As a result, the whispers in the hall instantly fell silent as everyone's eyes were fixed on Lü Yinlin, awaiting his answer.

Lu Yinlin's gaze suddenly turned to Duan Rong.

Zhu He noticed Lü Yinlin's gaze, his heart skipped a beat, and a look of astonishment flashed in his eyes, but he immediately frowned. Lü Yinlin's gaze towards Duan Rong at this critical juncture was already quite telling, but if it was said that Duan Rong had condensed his Nascent Soul, Zhu He felt it was unlikely.

Duan Rong is too young, only in his early thirties! Where can you find a Nascent Soul cultivator so young?! Isn't that absurd?
The elders also noticed Lü Yinlin's gaze and then looked at Duan Rong.

While everyone on the field was completely bewildered, Lü Yinlin said, "Duan Rong, come here."

"Yes," Duan Rong replied, stood up, and walked towards Lü Yinlin.

This scene left the elders even more puzzled, wondering what it meant. Why had the Ancestor suddenly summoned Duan Rong?

Duan Rong got up and walked to Lü Yinlin's side. Lü Yinlin was sitting there and suddenly said, "The person who condensed his nascent soul in the strange phenomenon of heaven and earth that day was Duan Rong."

"Duan Rong!?" "Has he condensed a Nascent Soul!?"

Upon hearing this answer, all the elders present gaped slightly, staring in astonishment at Lü Yinlin and Duan Rong standing beside him.

Zhu He's lips trembled slightly, and he looked at Duan Rong with a complicated expression.

The entire council chamber was now deathly silent!
The air seemed to freeze.

Lu Yinlin said, "Since Duan Rong has already condensed his Nascent Soul, I have decided to pass on the position of sect patriarch to him. I am tired of being the sect patriarch for more than a thousand years."

As Lü Yinlin spoke, he actually stood up from the carved throne, walked to the side, looked at Duan Rong, and said, "Junior brother, this seat should be yours."

Duan Rong said, "With my senior brother here, how could I dare to sit?"

Lu Yinlin said, "This isn't a good seat at all! I'd rather avoid it than not have the chance. It's come to this, Junior Brother, please don't refuse."

Duan Rong said, "Alright. Then I will presume to overstep my bounds in front of my senior brother."

When Zhu He heard Duan Rong and Lü Yinlin address each other as fellow disciples, his expression changed slightly again.

After Duan Rong finished speaking, he sat down on the carved throne with great composure.

Since the Elders' Council was built, that carved throne has been the seat of the sect's patriarch.

At this moment, the elders looked at the young Duan Rong sitting on the throne and felt a sense of unreality, as if they were in another world.

Lu Yinlin stood there, looking at the group of elders, and suddenly said sternly, "Why haven't you all paid homage to the sect's patriarch yet? What are you waiting for?!"

The scene remained deathly silent. It wasn't that the elders were unwilling to pay homage to the ancestor, but everything before them was too unreal. Duan Rong was only in his early thirties. If he had talent, that was natural, and his methods were also formidable. Otherwise, how could he have destroyed the Filthy Blood Sect?

But no one believed that he could condense a nascent soul at the age of thirty!

But these words came from Lü Yinlin, and the elders present were momentarily caught in a dilemma, unable to understand the situation!

At this moment, Zhu He was the first to stand up, prostrate himself beside the seat, and shouted, "Disciple Zhu He pays homage to Ancestor Duan!"

Duan Rong sat there, his face twitching involuntarily. Old Ancestor Duan!? Zhu He really knows how to name people!?
When the elders saw Zhu He shout for them to kneel down, and Lü Yinlin standing there with a solemn expression, they all immediately rose from their seats and prostrated themselves on their knees, their shouts echoing from all sides.

Duan Rong glanced at Zhu He kneeling not far away and said, "Elders, please get up."

"Thank you, Ancestor!" Zhu He shouted again, then stood up and sat back down in his seat.

The other elders followed suit and took their seats.

At this moment, Lü Yinlin suddenly said, "Everyone, I will retire from this life from now on. Unless there is a major event or crisis in the sect that requires my intervention, I will probably not show my face and will live in seclusion in the valley."

After Lü Yinlin finished speaking, his figure disappeared like a ghost.

Lu Yinlin came and went like the wind; before anyone could react, he had already vanished.

Duan Rong suddenly stood up from his seat, clasped his hands in a fist salute to the air, and said, "Respectfully seeing off Senior Brother Lü!"

Zhu He shouted, "Respectfully seeing off Elder Lü!" and then knelt down again.

The elders then shouted, "Respectfully bidding farewell to Ancestor Lü!" and knelt down in droves. This time, some of them even burst into tears.

Lu Yinlin had been in charge of the Taiyi Sect for over a thousand years, and these people were all under his protection. Although the Taiyi Sect had not made any major progress in recent years, it had also not experienced any major upheavals. The only real challenge came from the Filthy Blood Sect within Qingzhou.

These elders still had feelings for Lü Yinlin. These feelings were not obvious when Lü Yinlin was in power. The sect's patriarch was a high and mighty figure, seemingly as distant as mountains from these sect elders.

But once Lü Yinlin was no longer the patriarch, they remembered the protection they had received over the years, and Lü Yinlin left so suddenly, as if they had no further connection. These old hands were actually moved.

Duan Rong looked at those people crying their hearts out and couldn't help but touch his nose. He wasn't sure if these guys were faking it or if they were really.

Once everyone had calmed down a bit, Zhu He was the first to stand up. Looking at everyone, he said, "Elders, let's all return to our places. Patriarch Duan is still sitting here. Let's not be disrespectful in front of him!"

As Zhu He spoke, he bowed to Duan Rong and then returned to his place.

The other elders followed suit and took their seats one after another.

Duan Rong looked at everyone and suddenly smiled, saying, "There's no need for you all to be so formal. In my opinion, the sect's patriarch is actually a good-for-nothing."

These words startled everyone present.

Duan Rong replied, "Or rather, it's just a decoration."

The elders all looked at Duan Rong with puzzled expressions, while Zhu He sat there with a faint smile, seemingly having already guessed most of what Duan Rong was saying.

Looking at Zhu He's expression, Duan Rong suddenly felt an urge to punch him, but he remained unmoved and said, "With a Nascent Soul cultivator like our Ancestor, no one in the Seven Sects of the Nine Provinces would dare to bully our Taiyi Sect. Without him, the sect's survival is uncertain. However, the Ancestor hardly participates in the sect's governance. To you elders who are in charge of the sect's management, isn't the Ancestor just a figurehead?"

Duan Rong paused briefly, then continued, "What I mean is, whether my senior brother becomes the sect's patriarch or I do it now, it makes no difference to you all. Just mind your own business."

After Duan Rong finished speaking, he suddenly turned to look at Zhu He and said, "Sect Leader Zhu!"

When Zhu He saw Duan Rong suddenly call him, he immediately said respectfully, "Please give your instructions, Ancestor."

Duan Rong said, "I'll be inside the Lü family residence. If you need anything, Sect Leader Zhu can find me there. As for everything else, Sect Leader Zhu can make his own decisions!" "This meeting today is merely a brief introduction. I'll take my leave now!"

After Duan Rong finished speaking, he turned into a wisp of green smoke and disappeared from the Elders' Council.

Zhu He immediately shouted, "We respectfully bid farewell to our ancestor!" With that, he prostrated himself and knelt down.

"Respectfully bidding farewell to the Ancestor!" The other elders in the hall also rose from their seats and knelt down, shouting.

Zhu He previously addressed Duan Rong as "Old Ancestor Duan," but now he directly calls him "Old Ancestor." This subtle change is a testament to Zhu He's linguistic artistry, and upon closer examination, it reveals profound meaning.

Long after Duan Rong left, the elders from various peaks stood up, their faces blank with shock.

After Lin Youjian stood up, he looked at Zhu He with a strange expression and suddenly said, "Sect Leader Zhu, did you know about this beforehand?"

Zhu He said, "Elder Lin, look at my dark circles under my eyes. I've been worried for the past two days about why the Ancestor came to the Elder Council. I haven't even had a full night's sleep!"

Lin Youjian snorted coldly, but said, "Who knows if you're excited or not?!"

Liu Su, sitting several seats away, looked at Lin Youjian and said, "Ancestor Duan seems to be only in his early thirties. A few years ago, it was the two of us who led a group of Qi Cyclone Realm disciples into the Divine Demon Ruins. Ancestor Duan was also inside at that time, so it's only been six or seven years. He's actually condensed a Nascent Soul?! Unbelievable!"

No sooner had Liu Su finished speaking than an elder said, "Judging from Elder Liu's words, he doesn't believe that Ancestor Duan has already formed his Nascent Soul! Does Elder Liu mean that this is actually a scheme set up by the Ancestor for all the sects of the Nine Provinces?!"

Upon hearing this, Liu Su's expression changed. He turned and glared at the man, saying, "Elder Liang, don't make baseless accusations. I had no such intention."

It's no wonder Liu Su was angry. Elder Liang's words were clearly his own guess, yet he insisted on attributing them to Liu Su.

But no one in the hall cared whether it was Liu Su's idea or Elder Liang's; they were more concerned with the topic itself.

"A trap set up for all the sects of Kyushu!?"

The crowd had already started discussing it animatedly. Following Elder Liang's train of thought, the discussion became increasingly detailed and plausible.

Some have even started saying that the strange phenomena that occurred three months ago were deliberately orchestrated by the Ancestor. The reason it was described as a setup was to make the various sects of the Nine Provinces believe that the Taiyi Sect already had two Nascent Soul cultivators. The reason for doing so was to give the Taiyi Sect the upper hand in the conflict of interests with the Tianyan Sect and the Shenyi Sect.

As everyone discussed, Zhu He listened for a while before quietly getting up and leaving the Elders' Council.

Zhu He walked out of the Elders' Hall and was about to leave when someone suddenly called out to him: "Sect Master, wait a moment."

Zhu He turned his head and saw Lin Youjian step out, walk a few steps closer, and smile, "What does the sect leader think of the matter that everyone here is discussing?"

Zhu He said, "Elder Lin always thought I was someone who knew the truth. But little did he know, I was also shrouded in mystery and couldn't see clearly."

After Zhu He finished speaking, he transformed into a streak of black light and headed towards Yunfu Peak.

Lin Youjian stood at the entrance of the Elders' Council, watching Zhu He leave, her beautiful eyes flashing with a deep, unfathomable light. Today's events had been too sudden; although Lin Youjian was intelligent, she was still somewhat unsure of what to do.

Although some of the things being discussed were absurd, it was equally unbelievable that Duan Rong had condensed his Nascent Soul at the age of thirty.

Zhu He flew high in the sky, then suddenly turned around and headed southeast.

Duan Rong returned to the Lü family residence.

He didn't stay in the Elders' Court for very long. When he returned, Shen'er and Qian'er had just finished breakfast and were preparing to practice calligraphy.

The two little ones became excited as soon as they saw Duan Rong return, and they pestered him to show him the new characters they had practiced in the past few days.

After Duan Rong's guidance, although it had only been a few days, their calligraphy had made great progress.

The two little ones knew that they had written better than before, so they were eager to show it to Duan Rong.

Duan Rong smiled and accepted the calligraphy they handed him, spreading it out on the table in the room. At this moment, Xiao Yu walked over and said, "Husband, your master has arrived. He's just outside the courtyard gate. He said he's here to see the Ancestor?"

When Zhu He came last time, he went straight into the courtyard, which is why he was waiting outside the gate this time.

“This old rascal is really…” Duan Rong chuckled and said, “Let him in.”

Xiao Yu said, "Shen'er, Qian'er, you go down and play. Father has something to do."

Qian'er was still dawdling when Shen'er took the writing he had done and left. Seeing that Shen'er had already left, Qian'er felt too embarrassed to refuse and followed her out.

Before long, Xiao Yu led Zhu He into the hall.

Zhu He entered, but Duan Rong remained seated. Upon seeing this, Xiao Yu's eyes flickered slightly, recalling Zhu He's earlier request to see the Ancestor. However, Xiao Yu couldn't immediately grasp the meaning behind it.
Xiao Yu led Zhu He in, then squatted down and said, "Sect Master, please have a seat. I'll go and brew some tea."

After Xiao Yu left, Zhu He stood there, looked at Duan Rong who was sitting leisurely, seemed to hesitate for a moment, but still knelt down and said, "Disciple pays respects to Ancestor!"

Duan Rong burst out laughing.

Upon hearing this, Zhu He looked up and saw Duan Rong's amused expression. Recalling the discussions in the Elders' Council when he left, he suddenly felt uncertain. He jumped up, looked at Duan Rong, and said, "Have you condensed your Nascent Soul yet? Forget about others. Before, I was your master. Now, I am the sect leader of Taiyi Sect. Give me a definite answer."

Upon hearing this, Duan Rong suppressed his smile and looked at Zhu He with a serious expression.

"Master, come with me!" Duan Rong said, and then darted out of the roof like a ghost.

Zhu He followed suit and also jumped off the roof.

The two arrived at a dense forest on another mountain peak across a valley from the Lü family residence. They landed in the forest one after the other.

Zhu He stared blankly at Duan Rong, knowing that Duan Rong was about to tell him the truth. Zhu He actually had an answer in his heart. However, this answer was sometimes certain, sometimes uncertain, especially after listening to the discussion among the elders in the council, which made him feel even more uncertain about the truth.

As soon as Duan Rong landed, he turned to Zhu He and said, "Master, you are right. You are both my master and the head of the Taiyi Sect, so you should know the truth."

As soon as Duan Rong finished speaking, with a thought, his true form, the Nascent Soul, appeared above his head.

The nascent soul itself was the size of an infant, with a face that closely resembled Duan Rong. Its entire body was covered in glass, shimmering with a faint golden light. In the slightly dark dense forest, it looked like a celestial being or Buddha descending to earth.

Zhu He stared in astonishment at Duan Rong's true form and nascent soul, a chill running through him, and he even stammered as he spoke.

"He...he's really condensed a Nascent Soul!?" (End of Chapter)