Chapter 444: Deeper Artistic Conception

Duan Rong returned to Yunfu Peak, looked at the sky light and cloud shadows on the peak, and estimated the time to be around the Shen period in the afternoon.

He did not rest, but went directly into the Cultivation Secret Chamber behind the Main Hall on the first floor of the pavilion.

As the carved wooden wall door behind him slowly closed, Duan Rong stood beside the statue of the Immovable Wisdom King, his gaze shifting slightly.

He was contemplating the orientation of the four statues; the candlelight from not far away hit his face, revealing a face with distinct, sharp angles.

After Duan Rong finished his deliberations, he first entered his own Cultivation Secret Chamber.

He walked into the Secret Chamber, but did not close the stone door behind him; instead, he walked straight to a low crate beside the cabinet in the corner.

Duan Rong crouched down and fumbled around inside the crate, pulling a key from the bottom.

This was the key to another empty Cultivation Secret Chamber; he had asked Lu Geng for it last time and had never returned it.

Duan Rong tucked the key into his sleeve and walked slowly out of the stone door. Only after he had walked out did he use the key to close the stone door of his own Cultivation Secret Chamber.

Standing at the stone door, he cast a bright-eyed glance at the Cultivation Secret Chamber diagonally across from him.

He walked over quickly, inserted the key into the eye socket of the beast head beside the stone door, and turned the key gently.

The stone door trembled slightly and then slowly opened. Duan Rong slipped inside and immediately closed the stone door.

Duan Rong stood at the stone door and glanced at the statue covered in dust in the corner.

Suddenly, Qi surged in his palms; he raised his hand and gestured, and like a dragon drawing water, he sucked the dust from the floor at the stone door into a ball of dust in his palm.

Then, he gave the dust ball in his palm a light tap, sending it to the corner diagonally across the Secret Chamber.

A cloud of dust rose up there immediately...

Duan Rong sat cross-legged on the floor at the stone door, his five centers facing the sky.

He adjusted his breathing, sensed the orientation of the statues in the surroundings, and then stood up to adjust his distance.

At this moment, Duan Rong was sitting against the edge of the stone door.

And at this time, the place where he sat was the center of the four statues.

In other words, although the Mandala constructed by the four statues for practicing the Womb Treasury Sutra was severed by the stone wall, it did not actually affect the cultivation.

Because the cultivation of the Womb Treasury Sutra is at the level of the Divine Soul.

As long as the technique is in operation and the orientation of the four statues is correct, the resonance will occur. The projection of the statues will descend into the Spirit Sea.

Sitting cross-legged at the stone door, Duan Rong took the seed pod of the Black Fire Lotus from his lapel.

He gently pried open the seed pod.

The sensation of touching and prying it open was no different from an ordinary seed pod.

Duan Rong pinched a lotus seed from the opened seed pod.

His gaze was slightly surprised. The seed of this Black Fire Lotus was actually bright red.

"This thing wouldn't be poisonous, would it?" Looking at the bright, fire-red color, Duan Rong hesitated slightly.

However, he quickly dismissed this thought.

This Black Fire Lotus was an auxiliary medicine for the twelfth level of the Womb Treasury Sutra, recorded in the Secret Manual.

How could it be poisonous?

Duan Rong put the lotus seed into his mouth and swallowed it.

As soon as the bright red lotus seed entered his stomach, it melted rapidly.

After only a few breaths, Duan Rong's entire body felt as if it were burning, aching with a sizzling sensation.

Not daring to delay, he immediately formed seals with his hands, practiced breathing, and entered his Spirit-Bright Spirit Sea.

Duan Rong felt a wave of dizziness, and when he opened his eyes again, he was already sitting cross-legged in the center of the Black Earth within his Spirit Sea.

He looked up and saw that above the Cangqiong, the Gray Shadow that resembled his own face was also sitting cross-legged, and eleven Star Bodies were shining brightly in this space, slowly rotating around the shadow like eleven planetary bodies.

Duan Rong was stunned to find that in the thin mist that had been rolling incessantly in this space, black flames were suddenly flashing into existence from time to time.

The black fire appeared and disappeared, like ghost fire, which was very eerie.

Duan Rong knew that the appearance of these black flames in his Divine Soul space must be related to the Black Fire Lotus seed he had swallowed.

Because the black fire flickering before his eyes at this moment was almost identical to the Black Lotus Fire in the Black Fire Pool in the Dark Forest.

Duan Rong immediately formed seals with his hands again, murmuring incantations.

At the same time, the Gray Shadow above the Cangqiong also formed seals with him, its lips opening and closing slightly.

The thin mist in the Divine Soul space suddenly stalled and then rapidly descended.

Duan Rong sat cross-legged in a large expanse of milky white mist, his hand seals becoming faster and faster, and the incantations in his mouth becoming as dense as a sudden downpour.

Suddenly, four huge divine shadows descended into this space, and their figures became increasingly solid.

Duan Rong's brows furrowed slightly.

He felt a pressure on his Divine Soul.

The four statues in the Cultivation Secret Chamber were originally only used for practicing the thirteenth level of the Womb Treasury Sutra, and Duan Rong was only at the twelfth level.

Using these four statues, which were nearly two people tall, at this time, the Divine Soul pressure was indeed a bit high.

However, Duan Rong was different from others; he could complete one level of the Womb Treasury Sutra in at most two or three hours, so he could withstand the slightly greater Divine Soul pressure.

If it were a normal cultivator, it would take several years to practice one level of the Womb Treasury Sutra, and if they endured such great Divine Soul pressure every time they practiced, their Divine Soul would be overwhelmed over time.

What Duan Rong did not know was that just a moment ago, the instant the four divine shadows descended into his Spirit Sea, some floating dust fell from the statues in the corner of the stone chamber.

It was not just the stone chamber where he sat cross-legged; in the other empty stone chamber, dust also fell eerily from the dust-covered statues in the quiet space...

In the Endless Great Mountains, the one thing there was no shortage of was ancient trees; Duan Rong's Divine Soul space had long since devoured a large number of Tree Spirits to use for practicing the Womb Treasury Sutra.

At this moment, large swathes of cyan-green ghostly light surged from the Tree Spirit Light Sea and headed toward the horizon...

About three hours later, the black seed pod at Duan Rong's feet had become an empty shell.

In his Spirit-Bright Spirit Sea, a twelfth Star Body had already appeared.

On that oval-shaped Star Body, a faint cyan light radiated, and within that cyan light, a cluster of black flame appeared and disappeared.

Duan Rong looked at the newly condensed Star Body; he knew the twelfth layer of the Womb Treasury Sutra had been achieved.

From this point on, he could use his Divine Soul Illusion Bewilderment twice.

Whether it was an Origin Beast or a human, he could control two at once. As long as they were weaker than his Divine Soul, they would fall into his Divine Soul Illusion.

Duan Rong's Divine Soul already felt quite exhausted, so he immediately withdrew from his Spirit Sea.

In the stone chamber, Duan Rong suddenly opened his eyes; his expression was somewhat listless, and a layer of fine sweat had seeped out on his forehead.

He let out a long, turbid breath, then gripped the lotus seed pod shell by his feet, his palm surging with Origin Qi, and pulverized the shell into fine powder.

Duan Rong tossed the powder in his hand behind him, then stood up and left the Secret Chamber.

After exiting the Secret Chamber, he walked back to his room in the pavilion with somewhat unsteady steps, climbed onto the bed, and fell asleep the moment his head hit the pillow.

His Divine Soul had been over-exerted, and he slept straight through until noon the next day.

The sun was already high when Duan Rong finally climbed out of bed, stretched, washed up, and then ordered food and wine to have a hearty meal.

After Duan Rong was full, he rested for a while and drank a few cups of clear tea in his room.

After achieving the twelfth layer of the Womb Treasury Sutra, besides being able to use the Divine Soul Illusion Bewilderment twice directly, there was another significant improvement: Artistic Conception, a deeper Artistic Conception!

With his current level of Mental Power, he could already devour the Artifact Spirit of a Qi Cyclone Realm Second Layer.

This meant he could master the Artistic Conception of the Qi Cyclone Realm Second Layer. One must know that Wu Shidao was still stuck at the Qi Cyclone Realm First Layer.

The reason he had remained at the Qi Cyclone Realm First Layer for many years was precisely because he had failed to comprehend a deeper Artistic Conception, and thus had been unable to break through.

However, with Duan Rong's current level of Mental Power, combined with his ability to devour Artifact Spirits, he would soon be able to surpass Wu Shidao in Artistic Conception and enter a deeper state.

This was likely what a monster was.

While others struggled to comprehend it even after years of bitter cultivation, Duan Rong could obtain it overnight with the help of devouring Artifact Spirits.

After drinking his tea, Duan Rong went to see the History Supervisor at the Inner History Department, preparing to get an approval slip.

These History Supervisors were all well-informed; Duan Rong had been at Yunfu Peak for over half a year, and these supervisors had long since figured out exactly what status he held in Zhu Hexin's heart.

Therefore, as soon as Duan Rong approached, the slightly plump middle-aged History Supervisor on duty at noon immediately asked after him with a face full of smiles: "Master Duan, what business do you have that requires you to make a trip yourself? You could have just summoned an Attendant to call for me."

Duan Rong was left feeling somewhat bewildered by the man's enthusiasm; he didn't know this person at all.

Although Duan Rong felt a bit strange, he still stated his request, saying he wanted to get an approval slip to select a weapon.

He had originally prepared to explain to the man that he wasn't looking to change his weapon, but just wanted to go take a look. But before he could even open his mouth, the man had already filled out the slip for him at the desk.

Then, he presented it with both hands.

Duan Rong reached out to take it, paused slightly, said "many thanks," and turned to leave. The enthusiasm and respect of this History Supervisor really left him at a loss.

"Take care, Master!" the man shouted enthusiastically behind Duan Rong.

Walking on the road, Duan Rong pondered for a moment and understood the crux of the matter. It seemed he had still underestimated his status as an Elder's personal disciple.

Duan Rong arrived at the cave where he had selected his weapon half a year ago and presented the approval slip and his Sect Cloud Token.

Although half a year had passed, the gatekeeper still had an impression of Duan Rong.

After all, he was the first person he had ever seen who stayed inside for two or three days like Duan Rong did.

The man looked at the Inner History Department's approval slip, glanced at the date—which was today—and looked up at Duan Rong, asking: "Why have you come again?"

Duan Rong smiled: "I'm not picking a weapon, just coming back to take a look!"

"Coming back to take a look? Look at what?" The man looked at Duan Rong with a strange expression.

Duan Rong did not answer, only saying: "If there is no problem with the slip, I will go in."

The man returned the Sect Cloud Token and the approval slip to Duan Rong and waved his hand, signaling for him to enter.

Duan Rong took the Sect Cloud Token and the approval slip and walked into the cave.

The man turned his head to look at Duan Rong's back and muttered: "A strange kid!"

Duan Rong stayed in the cave for three hours before coming out.

He had already gone through the hundreds of weapons in there half a year ago.

It wasn't that he had a good memory and remembered them after half a year; rather, once he devoured a weapon's Artifact Spirit, that spirit merged into his Divine Soul.

Any weapon he had devoured felt as familiar to him as if he had used it for years; he knew it at a single glance.

Therefore, this time Duan Rong read and devoured only the Artifact Spirits he felt were unfamiliar. These unfamiliar ones were the ones he couldn't devour last time, and among them were some Artifact Spirits of the Qi Cyclone Realm Second Layer.

Duan Rong returned to Yunfu Peak, remembering that he hadn't bathed for many days and had stayed in the Fire Weasel Cave, leaving him with a stench, so he went to the bathing area in the pavilion and washed himself thoroughly.

For the coming period, Duan Rong prepared to continue his bitter cultivation in the Secret Chamber, striving to break through to the Qi Cyclone Realm as soon as possible.

After washing, he wrapped himself in a cotton bath towel and sat in his room drinking tea.

Just as he took a sip, a figure suddenly pushed open the door and stood at the entrance.

Upon catching sight of the person at the door, Duan Rong was almost choked by the tea he had just sipped.

The person who arrived was none other than his Senior Sister, Fan Hongjiao.

As soon as Fan Hongjiao saw Duan Rong sitting there bare-chested with only a cotton bath towel tied around his waist, her eyes immediately lit up.

Duan Rong realized something was wrong and immediately wanted to escape, but was pressed down by Fan Hongjiao.

Fan Hongjiao looked at Duan Rong's dark, robust chest, her eyes full of smiles, and said: "Little Disciple! What? Finished bathing and waiting here for Senior Sister?"

"Ah..." Cold sweat had already broken out on Duan Rong's forehead, and he said: "Senior Sister, why didn't you knock when you came in?"

Fan Hongjiao smiled charmingly: "You didn't even close the door, what did you want Senior Sister to knock on?"

"Is that so?" Duan Rong cursed himself inwardly; why did he just walk in and not close the door properly?

"That's right!" Fan Hongjiao's hand groped Duan Rong's chest, her eyes fixed intently on his waist. "Little Disciple, your physique is truly sturdy!"

Duan Rong tried to struggle and get up several times, but was pressed back down by her each time.

Duan Rong suddenly said in a trembling voice: "Senior Sister, you came to find me, surely there is something the matter?"

Upon hearing this, Fan Hongjiao suddenly paused, her eyebrows arched, and she finally remembered what she had come for.

She stood up abruptly and said: "Almost forgot the main business. Master is still waiting in the Council Hall. Hurry up and change your clothes and come up with me."

"Ah... Master is waiting..." Duan Rong suddenly acted as if he had found a savior, immediately clutching the bath towel at his waist tightly as he stood up and said, "With Senior Sister looking like this, how am I supposed to change my clothes? Please, Senior Sister, go wait outside for me; I will come out as soon as I have changed."

Fan Hongjiao glanced at Duan Rong's crotch and strode out.

Duan Rong immediately rushed over and slid the bolt of the room door shut.

Fan Hongjiao called out from outside, "Hurry up!"

"Got it! Senior Sister!" Duan Rong replied while panting, thinking to himself: That was close! Too close! From now on, I absolutely must not bathe on Yunfu Peak again.

While grumbling in his heart, Duan Rong untied the bath towel at his waist and walked toward the wardrobe.

Duan Rong did not see that the moment he turned around, a hole was poked by a finger through the paper pasted over the lattice of the door behind him, and an eye was greedily peering through that hole, its gaze instantly locking onto Duan Rong's back.

About a few breaths later, Duan Rong walked out fully dressed.

Fan Hongjiao's expression was slightly disappointed; she still hadn't seen what she wanted to see just now. She looked at Duan Rong and said, "Let's go."

The two of them then headed toward the Council Hall together.

(End of chapter)