Chapter 421: The Mountain Forest Remains the Same

Three days passed like this. On the afternoon of this day, Duan Rong finally finished devouring all the Spirit Tools of the hundreds of weapons within the niche chambers.

After circling the enormous oval stone chamber once, he stood at the entrance again, and only at this moment did he truly begin to consider the question of what kind of weapon he should choose.

Of course, reading and devouring this wave of them was not without help for his weapon selection.

In fact, he had already decided to choose only from weapons whose Spirit Tool was at the Fifteenth Tier.

And there were only ten weapons in total that had a Fifteenth Tier Spirit Tool and were also blades.

Duan Rong stood at the entrance of the stone chamber, his gaze flickering.

He had a deep impression of every weapon that had a Fifteenth Tier Spirit Tool and was a blade.

This was about the same as a beauty with heaven-defying looks and a stunning figure; how could you not remember her?

After a few breaths, Duan Rong's gaze sharpened, as if he had already made a decision.

He walked slowly to a niche chamber, took out the Frost Pattern Phosphorus Crystal Blade inside once more, and gripped it in his hand.

This time, holding the blade, Duan Rong even brandished it in the open space before him.

After a few flashes and a pause in his movements, Duan Rong looked at the weapon in his hand with joy in his eyes.

The feel was still quite good.

This is the one! Duan Rong performed a flourish with the blade, gripped the hilt in reverse, and slung the weapon behind his arm.

The Spirit Tool of this Frost Pattern Phosphorus Crystal Blade was at the Fifteenth Tier, which meant its previous owner had at least achieved the Fourth Layer of the Qi Cyclone Realm!

Being able to achieve the Qi Cyclone Realm was already a remarkable existence in this world.

Because one was qualified to enter the Elder Council only upon achieving the Dongming Realm.

And advancing to the Nascent Soul Realm meant becoming an Ancestor of the Sect; this had nothing to do with age, only with the realm. Of course, those who could achieve the Nascent Soul Realm were generally old monsters of several hundred or even a thousand years old, so calling them Ancestor was well-deserved.

The reason Duan Rong wanted to choose a weapon with a Fifteenth Tier Spirit Tool was that he trusted the judgment of these powerful people. There must be a reason why these weapons were chosen by such people and used all the way until the Fourth Layer of the Qi Cyclone Realm.

Following in the footsteps of predecessors was better than just picking one at random.

Moreover, Duan Rong also felt that the Frost Pattern Phosphorus Crystal Blade in his hand now was very handy to use.

Thus, he no longer hesitated, carried the Frost Pattern Phosphorus Crystal Blade out of the stone chamber, registered and pressed his handprint at the cave entrance, and then left with the blade.

Duan Rong returned to Yunfu Peak, and just as he entered, he casually pulled the hanging rope behind the door before sitting down at the table, placing the Frost Pattern Phosphorus Crystal Blade on the edge of the table.

The blade of that Frost Pattern Phosphorus Crystal Blade had already been wrapped in a layer of animal hide, with only the frost-colored hilt exposed.

Not long after he sat down, the sound of light footsteps echoed in the corridor.

When the footsteps stopped, the servant who often served Duan Rong was already standing at the door.

As soon as the servant stood steady, Duan Rong said, "Get some food. Get something hot."

Duan Rong had been returning very late these past few days and had been eating cold dishes. Now that he had finally finished devouring the Spirit Tools of those hundreds of weapons, he didn't have to be in such a rush, so he suddenly wanted to eat something hot.

"Yes!"

The servant replied obediently, though his eyes swept faintly and imperceptibly over the Frost Pattern Phosphorus Crystal Blade that Duan Rong had placed on the edge of the table.

The servant bowed and retreated, his light footsteps fading away in the corridor.

About the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, four hot dishes, a bowl of old hen soup, and a large bowl of rice were brought over by the servant.

Duan Rong looked at the steaming food, his appetite greatly whetted.

The servant took the empty tray and retreated.

Duan Rong had only eaten a few mouthfuls when he saw a figure suddenly standing at the doorway, knocking three times on the open door frame with a *tap, tap, tap*.

Duan Rong was gnawing on a chicken foot; he turned his head and saw that it was Wu Shidao standing there.

Wu Shidao smiled and said, "I've disturbed Junior Brother's meal."

Duan Rong immediately put down his bowl, stood up, and said, "Not at all, Senior Brother, please come in. The dishes were just brought in hot, please have some with me, Senior Brother."

Wu Shidao walked in and said, "I have already eaten at noon. Junior Brother, please enjoy your meal."

Duan Rong's gaze shifted; it had indeed only been an hour past mealtime, but with Wu Shidao here, he couldn't eat heartily, so he just picked up a little food, chewed it slowly in his mouth, and looked at Wu Shidao, waiting for him to speak.

Wu Shidao sat down at the table, his gaze falling on the animal-hide-wrapped Frost Pattern Phosphorus Crystal Blade near Duan Rong's hand across the table, and he smiled: "It seems Junior Brother has already found a weapon to your liking! Senior Brother is a bit curious, what exactly does the weapon that could resonate with Junior Brother look like? I wonder if Junior Brother could lend it to Senior Brother for a look?"

Duan Rong was slightly startled, turned his head to look at the weapon by his hand, and said, "If Senior Brother wants to see it, of course you can."

As Duan Rong spoke, he passed the animal-hide-wrapped Frost Pattern Phosphorus Crystal Blade across the table to Wu Shidao.

Wu Shidao took it, gently pulled off the animal hide, and saw a slightly curved blade with frost patterns, shimmering with a faint white light.

Wu Shidao offered a half-genuine, half-feigned compliment: "A fine blade!"

Then he examined the blade carefully back and forth several times, and after confirming there was nothing unusual, he wrapped it back in the animal hide and placed it on the edge of the table again.

"Congratulations to Junior Brother for finding a handy weapon. I won't disturb your meal and rest any further, Junior Brother."

After Wu Shidao finished speaking, he stood up and left the room.

Duan Rong looked at the blade on the opposite side of the table, his gaze deep and flickering.

How is this Wu Shidao like a piece of dog-skin plaster?

Also, how did he know as soon as I returned, and he seems to have come over only after knowing I had selected a weapon.

As Duan Rong thought this, his eyes suddenly narrowed. He remembered the servant who served him, whose gaze seemed to have glanced at the blade on his table when he was leaving the doorway.

So it was him!

It seems there really are quite a few eyes and ears on Yunfu Peak!

However, Duan Rong was truly a bit puzzled: why was Wu Shidao so concerned about his affairs?

In fact, this matter was not entirely Wu Shidao's fault; it was a daily task assigned to Wu Shidao by Zhu He. Everything on Yunfu Peak, including the cultivation progress of the fellow disciples and the closeness of their relationships, had to be reported to Zhu He in a timely manner.

This matter, in fact, had long since ceased to be a secret.

Fan Hongjiao, Lu Geng, and the others all knew and were long since used to it. It was just that Duan Rong had just arrived at Yunfu Peak and did not know about this, so he felt quite repulsed by Wu Shidao's behavior of being so keen on prying into his private affairs.

After Duan Rong finished his meal, he stood up again to pull the hanging rope behind the door, then sat at the table and began to pick his teeth with a toothpick.

Not long after, the servant appeared at the doorway again.

As soon as the servant stood at the doorway, his eyes jumped; in the past, when he came to collect the plates and bowls, Duan Rong would already be lying on the bed behind the screen, but today, Duan Rong was sitting there picking his teeth.

"My lord!" the servant called out respectfully from the doorway.

Duan Rong did not even lift his eyelids and said, "Take the bowls and plates away."

The servant said "yes," then stepped inside and stood before the table to tidy up.

Duan Rong suddenly asked, "Why is it you every time? Is it fixed who serves which room?"

The servant said, "That is not the case. It is just a coincidence, and it is this lowly one's good fortune, which shows that this one has a connection with you, my lord."

Duan Rong gave a light snort through his nose, and suddenly his hand flashed; the Frost Pattern Phosphorus Crystal Blade at the edge of the table was already gripped in his hand, the animal skin fell away, and the snow-white blade sliced across the servant's throat.

The servant only felt a chill at his throat, and the plates and bowls in his hands tumbled onto the table.

At that moment, he thought he was dead.

There was a line of blood at his throat, and several drops of blood slid down from the blood line, leaving a few thin, shallow bloodstains.

The servant's eyes were filled with terror; he touched his neck, and it took him a long time to react and realize he had not died, but by this time, his crotch was already soaked through.

Duan Rong suddenly leaned forward, and their faces were instantly pulled close, separated by only an inch.

The servant looked at Duan Rong's face, which was right in front of him; a powerful sense of oppression made his heart thump wildly, and his originally cold, pale face instantly turned the color of a pig's liver.

"I could kill you! And there wouldn't be any trouble at all!"

Duan Rong was already a disciple of Zhu He; as far as the entire Sect was concerned, a disciple of an Elder of the Elder Council was already a personal disciple.

Killing a serving attendant, the Ruling Sect Justice Division would at most ask a single question, and Duan Rong could just fob them off with any excuse to get past it. No one would go against a personal disciple of the Sect for the sake of a mere servant.

"This blade was just a warning! You should be very clear about what I am talking about! I hope there won't be a next time, because you will definitely not have a second chance!"

Duan Rong spoke very softly and very slowly. But the servant could not stop shivering, knocking a bowl off the edge of the table; the servant was startled into a shake, but his body was completely beyond his control.

Duan Rong reached out and snatched the bowl, placed it on the table, and said, "Clean up the bowls and plates, and get out."

The servant wanted to say yes, but he stammered and could not spit out a word for a long time.

Duan Rong held the Frost Pattern Phosphorus Crystal Blade, walked around the screen, and went to lie on the bed to sleep.

He had devoured dozens of Spirit Tools and was still digesting them within his Spirit Sea; he had to sleep!

If he did not sleep, Duan Rong estimated that it would take him two or three days to completely digest these dozens of Spirit Tools.

It took the servant a long time to recover, and with fearful eyes, he glanced at the screen, collected the bowls and plates, and ran out of the room.

Duan Rong was fast asleep on the bed, while in another pavilion on Yunfu Peak, Wu Shidao was at the Document Repository of the Inner History Department, searching through materials.

Wu Shidao was already familiar with the various materials in this Document Repository, and if Zhu He usually wanted to check any information, he would always have him find it.

What Wu Shidao was looking through at this moment was the detailed information on the hundreds of weapons in the stone chamber of that Lone Mountain.

One could see his eyes were focused and bright as he flipped the thread-bound booklet in his hand, making a rustling sound.

Suddenly, he stopped on a certain page; on the yellowed page, a blade was drawn at the very top, and the name next to it was exactly Frost Pattern Phosphorus Crystal Blade.

And below that weapon was a whole page of dense introductory text.

Wu Shidao read it carefully.

After finishing the introduction, Wu Shidao felt quite shocked in his heart.

The original owner of that Frost Pattern Phosphorus Crystal Blade was actually Gu Daoling.

This Gu Daoling was Zhu He's Disciple; according to seniority, he should even respectfully address him as Uncle-Master.

It was just that he had followed Zhu He for so many years, yet he had never even seen the face of this Uncle-Master. But he was very clear about the weight this Disciple held in Zhu Hexin.

Every time Zhu He mentioned this Disciple, a faint smile would appear on his face.

Wu Shidao lingered on that page for a long time; he was guessing whether Duan Rong had deliberately chosen this Frost Pattern Phosphorus Crystal Blade of Gu Daoling's, or if it was just a coincidence?

He thought this way because he felt that if someone used this Frost Pattern Phosphorus Crystal Blade, wouldn't Zhu He be reminded of the person when he saw the object?

But Wu Shidao thought again, Duan Rong was already highly valued by Zhu He, and just after entering Yunfu Peak, he had gifted two bottles of Bone Marrow Gray Matter from an Origin Beast's spine; there was no need to use such methods to curry favor, right?

Wu Shidao closed the booklet; he was only responsible for informing Zhu He of the ins and outs of the matter, and as for Duan Rong's motives or whether this was just a coincidence, that was a matter for Zhu He to consider.

Regarding other matters, as long as Zhu He sought his opinion, he would state his own views for reference. But regarding the affairs of his fellow Disciples, he was only responsible for reporting, and if Zhu He occasionally asked for his opinion on this, he generally kept his mouth shut.

When Duan Rong woke up from this sleep, the sky was just beginning to brighten; he jumped off the bed and, without any pause, left the room.

He walked slowly to the door, took the copper lock and key from the table behind the door; this room actually did not have anything, but the servant's behavior yesterday made him feel it was better to lock the door.

Originally, he thought that there were many rules on this Yunfu Peak. Now it seemed that was not the case; it was better for him to clearly set his own boundaries, as that would make it easier to get along.

Duan Rong closed the door well, locked the copper lock, and then walked along the Corridor.

About a quarter of an hour later, Lu Geng was carrying his weapon, preparing to go to the mountains to practice; he passed through the Corridor and, passing by the doorway of Duan Rong's room, was shocked to find a copper lock hanging on the door.

"This kid, his temperament has changed! To get up so early today?!"

Meanwhile, in another part of the Endless Great Mountains, a figure stepped on iron chains, flashing across the mountain cliffs.

That figure settled on a certain broken cliff; it was Duan Rong.

Duan Rong looked at the very familiar mountain peak in front of him, and for a moment, his heart was filled with mixed feelings.

This was that mountain peak of Shang Xiangyu; when he was a Registered Disciple, he had stayed here for three years.

The reason Duan Rong had run here again was because he was very familiar with this place, and this mountain peak was desolate and remote, with no one around all year round.

Duan Rong first wandered around a few stone caves and found that the items inside were all covered in dust.

Shang Xiangyu's stone chamber had even been occupied by two large eagles as a nest; Duan Rong walked in and quite startled them, but Duan Rong's figure was as fast as a ghost, and he quickly retreated.

That stone chamber of Shang Xiangyu had already been turned upside down by Yang Yi several years ago, and there was nothing worth lingering over; since the eagles had occupied it, let them live there.

Duan Rong retreated from the few stone caves on the edge of the cliff and came to the dense forest again.

He took a comfortable bath in the deep pool in the dense forest, caught two pheasants in the woods, and roasted them to eat on a large rock not far away.

Sitting on that large rock, eating the crispy-skinned and tender pheasant meat, Duan Rong suddenly thought of Xiao Yu, Ximen Kankan, and the others.

At that time, they lived together on this mountain peak and often practiced martial arts and ate food in this dense forest.

It was just that at this moment, the mountains and forests remained, but he was left all alone.

Xiao Yu, Ximen Kankan, Shen Mizhi, and Liu Shushan were all still in the Tower Forest.

As for Ximen Kankan and Liu Shushan, Duan Rong was not particularly worried. Especially regarding Ximen Kankan, Duan Rong felt that the Tower Forest was a place perfectly suited for him.

This guy, if he wasn't allowed to play with anything, he would have no choice but to play with cultivation! Moreover, if he wanted to leave the Tower Forest early, he would certainly cultivate diligently.

As long as he could put his mind to martial arts, Duan Rong believed that with Ximen Kankan's natural talent and cleverness, leaving the Tower Forest should not be difficult.

There was no need to even mention Liu Shushan; this kid had passed the Red Line during the Yougu test back then.

Although Shen Mizhi's talent might not be as good as Ximen Kankan's and Liu Shushan's, Duan Rong felt that it shouldn't be a big problem for her to leave the Tower Forest either.

The person Duan Rong was most worried about in his heart was actually Xiao Yu.

During those three years as a Registered Disciple, Duan Rong could tell from how each of them grasped martial arts that Xiao Yu's natural talent was somewhat lacking; he often had to patiently explain things many times before Xiao Yu could grasp them.

Furthermore, during the Yougu test back then, Xiao Yu had only just barely crossed the first White Line.

Duan Rong was somewhat worried about whether Xiao Yu would ultimately be able to achieve the realm of True Qi Realm Great Perfection.

If she could never achieve True Qi Realm Great Perfection, would she just be trapped in the Tower Forest and become a withered bone within the tower?

Duan Rong felt that regarding this matter, he still needed to find an opportunity to ask Wu Shidao and the others. If an Inner Sect Disciple could not achieve True Qi Realm Great Perfection, were they trapped in the Tower Forest forever?

(End of this chapter)