Chapter 336: This Temptation, It Is Truly Too Great

After Duan Rong devoured and digested the Spirit Tool of those discarded sundries, he separated the truth from the falsehood and fused and analyzed the rather chaotic information he had obtained.

He had already gained insight into the thoughts of Shang Xiangyu.

The thirty-six Blood Spring Pills that Shang Xiangyu had refined using his own biological younger brother as a medicinal catalyst were merely enough to alleviate his condition of source depletion, and could at most buy him a little over half a year of time.

And he intended to use this half a year to find a way to join the Filthy Blood Sect, practice the Filthy Blood Divine Art, and completely cure his condition of source depletion.

The moment Duan Rong gained insight into Shang Xiangyu's thoughts, he arrived at another conclusion that shocked him.

That was, Shang Xiangyu would not be coming back at all.

The instant this thought flashed through Duan Rong's mind, his eyes suddenly lit up.

If Shang Xiangyu did not return, then he would not have to leave the Taiyi Sect.

And in truth, deep down, Duan Rong did not want to leave at all.

In Qingzhou, he had the most authentic, most unassailable identity; this was the identity he had possessed since he transmigrated, without a shred of falsification.

Moreover, after how many days and nights of bitter cultivation, after how many life-and-death tempering sessions, killing Xie Daohan, killing Fan Yuanhai, had he finally reached this day.

He had entered the Sect!

He really did not want to give all this up!

What's more, here, there were also the friends he least wanted to part with, Ximen Kankan and the others, and Xiao Yu...

Furthermore, as long as Shang Xiangyu did not return, Duan Rong was very confident that in three years, he would definitely be able to advance to an Outer Sect Disciple.

In that case, at the very worst, he would be able to be sent out to be a county magistrate.

Going to a small place to be a local king would also be quite nice.

Starting a family with Xiao Yu, and raising two kids.

Having a wife, children, and a warm bed—that was already countless times better than his previous life, wasn't it?!

However, all of this was built on the premise that Shang Xiangyu would not return.

But the problem was... would Shang Xiangyu really not return? Could he really be sure?

Duan Rong subconsciously rubbed his fingertips and fell into deep thought.

Duan Rong believed that with Shang Xiangyu's cunning and methods, he would definitely be able to think of a way to join the Filthy Blood Sect.

He was a Martial Artist of the Qi Refining Realm and also a Pharmacist; the Filthy Blood Sect would certainly accept him.

Especially his identity as a Pharmacist; it was likely the very talent the Filthy Blood Sect was most in need of.

Then, after he joined the Filthy Blood Sect and practiced the Filthy Blood Divine Art, and completely cured his condition of source depletion, would he still return to the Taiyi Sect?

Duan Rong's gaze was deep and flickering, multiple thoughts rolling and colliding...

Finally, his flickering gaze suddenly fixed.

At this very moment, he finally determined completely that Shang Xiangyu would not return.

If he were to return to the Sect after practicing the Filthy Blood Divine Art and curing his condition of source depletion, it was likely that too much time would have already passed.

Having been gone for so long, a sudden return would definitely be subject to the Sect's investigation.

Who could guarantee he would be able to withstand that investigation?

Moreover, the Filthy Blood Sect would never let him return. Cultivating a Pharmacist required consuming a massive amount of resources, and even within the Sect, Pharmacists held esteemed status.

How could the Filthy Blood Sect possibly let a Pharmacist return?

Even if he himself were willing to take the risk, the high-level members of the Filthy Blood Sect would not let him take that risk.

Once this matter was confirmed, Duan Rong felt a surge of excitement and exhilaration throughout his body.

He never expected that things would take such a turn for the better.

He actually didn't have to do anything at all to be free of Shang Xiangyu's control; he didn't have to flee at all.

Duan Rong stacked the few books back in their original order, and at this moment, he suddenly turned his head to look at a Black Iron Cabinet placed against the corner of the wall not far from the desk.

That cabinet was not large and was divided into upper and lower sections. The upper section was a drawer, and the lower section consisted of two doors that opened outward.

This cabinet was forged from pure iron.

Within Changliu Mountain, it was a world unto itself, almost never exchanging goods with the outside world.

Under the Taipu Hall, there were many workshops. And the craftsmen in the workshops were clearly very accomplished in mechanical ingenuity.

Just the complex springs of that Star Disk alone had left Duan Rong amazed.

And the large two-story Pill Furnace here at Shang Xiangyu's place, as well as this Black Iron Cabinet, were all crafted by the workshops under the Taipu Hall.

The drawer above the Black Iron Cabinet and the two doors that opened outward below were both locked with two copper locks.

Duan Rong knew that Pan Yong had the key to the lock on the two doors that opened outward.

A few days ago, when they were tidying up this stone room together, Pan Yong had once opened that copper lock to count and organize some of the bottles and jars inside the cabinet.

But as for the drawer above, even Pan Yong did not have the key; the key must have been taken away by Shang Xiangyu.

That day when he was tidying the room, Duan Rong had already used his Divine Sense to penetrate that drawer.

Inside were placed a Jade Pendant, a Belt, a bottle of pills, and also Shang Xiangyu's Star Disk.

The item Duan Rong valued most was Shang Xiangyu's Star Disk.

Shang Xiangyu's Star Disk still had 6,500 Contribution Points in it.

6,500 points!

At Xia Honghua's place, he only got 60 points a month, which was only 720 points a year!

Actually, the most important thing wasn't the points, but Shang Xiangyu's access permissions!

If he used Shang Xiangyu's Star Disk, he would be able to redeem all the auxiliary medicines for the remaining levels of the Womb Treasury Sutra!

The original cultivation of the Womb Treasury Sutra was actually a slow, grinding process; the speed was as slow as a crawling turtle, and it was extremely difficult to achieve.

But through the strange method of Devouring Tree Spirit, he had made the Womb Treasury Sutra, which was originally extremely difficult to practice, something that could be achieved almost overnight.

If he could really redeem all the auxiliary medicines for the remaining levels in one go, then he would likely only need a few days to achieve the twelfth level of the Womb Treasury Sutra.

After achieving the twelfth level of the Womb Treasury Sutra, his Mental Power will break through to the thirteenth level in one go.

Furthermore, there is the Soul Technique; the subsequent Soul Technique will surely become increasingly powerful.

If he has this by his side, he will be nearly invincible among his peers, and his cultivation speed will also reach a terrifying level.

This temptation is truly too great!

Duan Rong clenched his fists, calming the palpitations in his heart.

These are all still just ideas remaining at the planning stage, and ideas, if they lack a concrete path for implementation, are no different from delusions.

For this plan to be implemented, since it is already certain that Shang Xiangyu will not return, the only obstacle is actually Pan Yong.

"Senior Brother! I never expected that even though Master Shang is not coming back, I would still have to kill you!"

Duan Rong suddenly sighed, but his face was so cold that it lacked even a trace of expression.

If Shang Xiangyu does not return, even if he does not kill Pan Yong, Pan Yong will die anyway.

Because Pan Yong is afflicted with Shang Xiangyu's Insect Gu; once the Medicine Pill is finished, the Insect Gu will flare up, and at that time, he will be unable to beg for life or death...

As for how he will use Shang Xiangyu's Star Disk to exchange for the remaining levels of auxiliary medicine after Pan Yong dies, without leaving any tails for others to grab—

Regarding this point, Duan Rong already has a very good plan in his heart!

Then, the crux of the matter is to clear away the obstacle that is Pan Yong.

Duan Rong put the stack of books in his hand back into the stone bed, then he fastened the stone slab of the stone bed's secret compartment back into place.

The moment he pressed the stone slab down, he distinctly heard a short, sharp friction sound from the stone pillow on the stone bed.

Following that, the stone slab of the secret compartment fit perfectly with the surrounding stone material; if one did not carefully rub it with their hands, it would be impossible to discover any problem.

Duan Rong blew out the Candle Lamp, put the Candle Lamp back in its original place, and then glanced at the low Black Iron Cabinet in the corner before walking out of Shang Xiangyu's stone cave.

As soon as Duan Rong exited Shang Xiangyu's stone cave, he immediately returned to his own cave; he had cultivated last night and had not slept all night, and having overused his brain just now, his spirit was extremely exhausted.

Duan Rong walked to the depths of the cave, lay down on the stone bed, and instantly fell into a deep sleep.

Duan Rong only slept for about two hours before he leisurely woke up.

He picked the sleep from his eyes, used a black pottery jar to pour himself a Bamboo Tube of clear water, and gulped it down his throat in one go.

Following that, Duan Rong immediately sat cross-legged on the stone bed, his mind sinking inward.

The True Qi within his dantian then began to circulate through his meridians.

After a few breaths, Duan Rong tossed a Zhengyang Pill into his mouth.

Once the Pill entered his mouth, a wave of warmth spread out within his stomach.

Duan Rong circulated his True Qi, beginning to refine the medicinal power that had seeped from his stomach into his meridians.

He had already decided that for these few days, he would not go to Xia Honghua's place first.

He must cultivate with focus and let his True Qi become robust rapidly.

Then, he would find an opportunity to resolve Pan Yong as soon as possible.

As the saying goes, long nights bring many dreams. Many things cannot wait.

For the next several days, Duan Rong remained holed up in the cave, cultivating bitterly, nearly ignoring the affairs of the world.

Duan Rong cultivated bitterly every day, only using clear water to stave off hunger, but on this day, even the clear water in the black pottery jar had been drunk by him.

This method of bitter cultivation would have been absolutely impossible during the Inner Breath Realm.

Because Internal Breath is produced from Qi and blood; if one's diet is insufficient and Qi and blood are depleted, cultivation is just a reflection of a flower in a mirror or the moon in the water.

But the refinement of True Qi is already completely different from Internal Breath.

It has no relation to the body's Qi and blood anymore, and some residual medicinal power from the Pill can also nourish the body, so it was no hindrance for Duan Rong to drink only clear water for several days.

After Duan Rong woke up, his throat was dry and hoarse; it was only when he went to pour water that he discovered the water in the black pottery jar was empty.

Duan Rong picked the sleep from his eyes, then picked up the thin hemp rope tied to the handle of the black pottery jar and headed toward the water source on the cliff wall.

Duan Rong walked to a mountain spring flowing along the cliff wall, first stretching his neck to gulp down a burst of clear water for himself.

After Duan Rong had drunk his fill, he let out a water-filled burp. Then, he cupped the water with his hands and washed his face.

Come to think of it, he had not washed his face for several days.

After washing his face and dabbing the water stains on his face with his sleeve, Duan Rong lifted the black pottery jar and filled a whole jar of water under the rushing mountain spring.

Duan Rong carried the black pottery jar and walked back along the cliff wall.

Just as he walked not far from Shang Xiangyu's stone cave, he suddenly saw a figure standing on the large platform outside Shang Xiangyu's stone cave.

Duan Rong looked at the silhouette and found it somewhat familiar; he walked a few more steps and recognized it—it was Qin Laotou from the Lower Courtyard.

Come to think of it, it was this old brat who had tricked him into coming here.

When Duan Rong first arrived, he only knew this old man's surname was Qin; after this period of time, he already knew that this old man's full name was Qin Yun.

Duan Rong walked not far behind Qin Laotou and laughed, "Qin Laotou, what are you doing here?"

That Qin Laotou had originally been pacing and hesitating there; suddenly hearing a human voice behind him, he was startled. He turned his head, and upon seeing Duan Rong's appearance, he was so frightened that he took half a step back, his complexion changing.

Duan Rong was unshaven, his hair was as messy as weeds, his clothes were wrinkled and crumpled, and his face was wet, as if it had been stained with a night's dew.

This was only because he was within the Sect of the Taiyi Sect; if he were outside, Duan Rong's current appearance would be no different from a beggar.

Qin Laotou was stunned for a moment, but finally recognized Duan Rong. "Little Duan, who abused you? Your hair and beard—don't you know how to tidy them up?"

Duan Rong said honestly, "I don't have time. Why did you run over here early in the morning?"

Qin Laotou glanced at Duan Rong sideways before saying, "I came to collect a bottle of Water Moon."

Qin Laotou had a lung disease and often coughed up blood; he had accidentally met Shang Xiangyu. Shang Xiangyu then gave him a bottle of the medicinal liquid called Water Moon.

That medicinal liquid was milky white, like the moon's reflection in water, hence it had such a rather beautiful name.

He would take a spoonful of that medicinal liquid, dissolve it in a bowl of clear water, and drink it, and he would not cough for two or three days.

Therefore, he relied on this medicine to hang onto his life, and he also often brought people from the Lower Courtyard to Shang Xiangyu.

It was just that this medicine, although the name was beautiful, was actually poisonous; long-term use would cause toxins to accumulate in the body, and slowly, all the internal organs would rot away.

However, if Qin Laotou did not take this medicine, he likely could not hold on for even a month, so how could he care about all that?

The last time he collected medicine was the day he brought Duan Rong here. Now, nearly a month had passed since that day, so he prepared to come over to collect another bottle.

Qin Laotou said, "I see that Master Shang is not here..."

Qin Laotou managed the Lower Courtyard, and for a Registered Disciple to leave the mountain, they must have a slip of approval from the Lower Courtyard; therefore, he was very clear about which Registered Disciples in the mountain were present and which were not.

But Shang Xiangyu was an Inner Sect Disciple and was not under his jurisdiction at all. He had no way of knowing the news of Shang Xiangyu entering or leaving the mountain.

Duan Rong said, "That's right. Master Shang has left the mountain. He said he would be out for over half a year."

As soon as Qin Laotou heard that Shang Xiangyu was going to be out of the mountain for over half a year, his complexion changed instantly.

When Duan Rong saw Qin Laotou's ugly expression, he knew what he was worried about, so he said, "It's fine. Master Shang seems to have left that Water Moon medicine in his cabinet. Pan Yong has the key; I will take you to find him."

As Duan Rong spoke, he led Qin Laotou to the entrance of Pan Yong's cave.

The task Pan Yong had accepted at the Guanglu Courtyard to earn Contribution Points was for a total of five days.

And today, the five days had already passed, and since it was now morning, Duan Rong reckoned that Pan Yong should be inside the cave.

"Senior Brother Pan Yong!"

Duan Rong stood at the cave entrance and called out.

He saw that deep inside the pitch-black cave, there was not a glimmer of light, nor was there any rustling sound. But after a few breaths, a face poked out from the shadows; it was indeed Pan Yong.

Pan Yong walked out of the cave, glanced at Duan Rong, and then his gaze shifted to look at Qin Laotou beside Duan Rong.

Duan Rong said, "Qin Laotou has come to get the Water Moon."

Pan Yong nodded and said, "Let's go, let's go to Master Shang's place, and I will get it for you."

Upon hearing this, Qin Laotou's face lit up with joy, and he thanked Pan Yong and Duan Rong repeatedly.

Seeing Pan Yong and Qin Laotou walking toward Shang Xiangyu's place, Duan Rong carried his black pottery jar and walked toward his own cave.

After Qin Laotou and Pan Yong had walked a certain distance, Qin Laotou turned his head to look at Duan Rong's back in the distance; even from this far away, Duan Rong's bird's-nest-like messy hair was still somewhat eye-catching.

Qin Laotou said, "That child Duan Rong, how did he get himself into such a state? I was startled when I saw him today."

Pan Yong laughed, "When I first saw him like that, I also thought he had gone mad. But seeing how he speaks and acts, there is nothing wrong, so I realized that Disciple Duan Rong is obsessed with the Martial Path. He doesn't wash or comb his hair, and he practices bitterly in the cave every day."

"Although I am not a Martial Artist, I have also heard the principle that haste makes waste and that rigidity cannot last long," Qin Laotou muttered as if to himself, "Not washing or combing, and practicing bitterly in the cave every day? Is there any need for that?"

When Pan Yong first heard this, he didn't care at all; an old man who knew no martial arts was actually presuming to comment on a Martial Artist's cultivation?

But after walking two steps, his heart suddenly skipped a beat, and his vigilance rose sharply.

Qin Laotou was right.

Is there any need for that?

Not washing or combing, and practicing bitterly in the cave every day. What exactly is he trying to do?

(End of chapter)