Chapter 522: Auspicious Appearance

Duan Rong followed a route and traversed Wanxiang Cave.

When his footsteps faltered and he rushed to the edge of Wanxiang Cave, his body could not stop trembling as if he were having a seizure...

His expression was ferocious, and his face was somewhat distorted due to extreme pain.

In order to increase the intensity of refining and elevating his Divine Soul origin, he would extend his running route each time after tempering and repairing, and after the tenth time, he finally traversed the entire Wanxiang Cave for the first time.

Duan Rong wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, exhaled a breath of turbid air, and sat cross-legged at the edge.

At this moment, within his Spirit Sea, the entire head of the Clear Glass Body had collapsed and rotted, half of the chest had also shattered, and the remaining body was covered in wounds and cracked in many places.

Looking at the Clear Glass Body that had rotted to such a state, a touch of joy instead welled up in Duan Rong's heart.

Because the more severely the Clear Glass Body rotted, the better the tempering effect would be, and after repair, the greater the increase in the Divine Soul origin would be.

This was already the experience he had gained from multiple temperings.

Duan Rong urged his thoughts, and the Womb Treasury Sutra technique immediately began to circulate; over at the Tree Spirit Light Sea, a large expanse of Qingyou Light Silk surged toward the horizon like a school of fish.

About an incense stick of time later, the Clear Glass Body recovered as before, and the originally merely transparent and clear body surface now seemed to be faintly flashing with brilliant colors.

This kind of faint, brilliant light had not been there before.

This was a sign of auspiciousness!

It indicated that after being tempered more than ten times by the thousands of Ghost Eye Light Spots within Wanxiang Cave, the Clear Glass Body had finally ushered in a qualitative improvement.

In the darkness, Duan Rong suddenly opened his eyes and immediately stood up.

He glanced at an area not far from the edge, where two Ghost Eye Light Spots were flickering incessantly.

Duan Rong walked two steps along the edge and suddenly stepped into that area.

The moment he stepped into that area, his heart stirred; the two Ghost Eye Light Spots in that area stared at him as if wide open, but they did not launch an attack on him.

Moreover, the moment he stepped into this area, a weak Divine Soul connection was established with him.

His prediction was correct; after the Clear Glass Body had a qualitative improvement, the areas with two Ghost Eye Light Spots no longer attacked him and had opened a fusion-refining state for him.

Duan Rong's gaze shifted, and he stepped into another area nearby; there were also two Ghost Eye Light Spots in that area, and the same scene happened again.

Duan Rong took a light breath, lifted his foot to cross this area, and entered an area with three Ghost Eye Light Spots.

As soon as he stepped into that area, the three Ghost Eye Light Spots immediately launched an attack on him.

It seems that establishing a Divine Soul connection with the thousands of Ghost Eye Light Spots within the entire Wanxiang Cave only leaves this final hurdle.

That is, the area with three Ghost Eye Light Spots.

His Divine Soul origin is still not strong enough!

Duan Rong immediately began to run again and traversed the entire Wanxiang Cave.

He stopped at the edge, sat cross-legged, and entered his Spirit Sea.

Inside the Spirit Sea, the Clear Glass Body only had half a head rotted, and the damage was far less than the previous few times.

"It seems that just traversing Wanxiang Cave is no longer enough."

The damage being so small was mainly caused by two reasons. First, after the Clear Glass Body had a qualitative improvement, it was more solid than before. There was also a second reason, which was that all the areas with two Ghost Eye Light Spots no longer launched attacks on him, and the overall attack intensity was reduced by nearly half.

Small damage means slow improvement speed! The route must be changed!

Duan Rong stood up from the edge again, his gaze suddenly fixed, and he rushed into Wanxiang Cave; he actually started running in circles within the vast Wanxiang Cave.

The thousands of Ghost Eye Light Spots shrouded him again, and murderous intent surged within his Spirit Sea...

Duan Rong ran to the edge with a trembling body; he bent over and supported himself there, gasping for breath. The sky-filling murderous intent in his Spirit Sea receded, but the residual Divine Soul pain still made his face twitch.

Duan Rong wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and sat cross-legged for a while, but when he looked at the scene inside his Spirit Sea, he couldn't help but smile.

"This is more like it! This is the effect I wanted!"

At this moment, within the Spirit Sea, the Clear Glass Body was already broken beyond recognition, half of the body had completely rotted away, revealing the Gray Shadow that was still churning inside.

Duan Rong, however, was very happy with this scene; the heavier the damage, the better the tempering effect.

He urged his thoughts, the Womb Treasury Sutra technique circulated, and strands of dense Qingyou Light Silk immediately surged into the churning Gray Shadow.

The Gray Shadow greedily absorbed the Qingyou Light Silk, and as it rolled, the Qingyou Light Silk was absorbed and refined by it, becoming a part of the Divine Soul origin.

After the Qingyou Light Silk surged in, about half an incense stick of time later, the cracks on the surface of the Clear Glass Body, which only had half a body left, began to heal, and the broken parts also surged like new as the light silk intertwined...

Then, slowly, the Clear Glass Body began to be woven out by the light silk bit by bit, re-emerging...

One and a half incense sticks of time later, a new Clear Glass Body floated in Duan Rong's Spirit Sea, flowing with light and color, as if reborn!

The moment the repair was completed, Duan Rong rushed into Wanxiang Cave again and started running in circles, drawing the thousands of Ghost Eye Light Spots to shroud him once more...

After doing this five or six times, Duan Rong opened his eyes again at the dark edge; at this time, within the Spirit Sea, the surface of the Clear Glass Body was already showing five-colored fluorescent light, faintly flowing.

The entire Clear Glass Body presented an auspicious appearance, thorough and solemn, just like an immortal Buddha.

The Clear Glass Body in Duan Rong's Spirit Sea had reached such a degree after repeated tempering, which obviously had great benefits for Duan Rong, but Duan Rong at this moment had no time to think about these things; he only had one thought in his heart now, which was to find a way to survive in this death trap of Wanxiang Cave.

The moment the repair was completed, Duan Rong rushed into Wanxiang Cave again.

The moment he stepped into Wanxiang Cave, an unusual phenomenon had already occurred!

The three Ghost Eye Light Spots in that area did not attack, but the moment he stepped in, they switched to the fusion-refining state and established a connection with his Divine Soul.

Duan Rong's footsteps stalled! He knew the final moment had arrived!

He then began to stroll within Wanxiang Cave, just like a clumsy dancer in the darkness; his dance steps were messy and lacked any aesthetic appeal.

But behind him as he walked, thousands of lights lit up for him. Those were the Ghost Eye Light Spots, wide open in the darkness.

He quickly walked through the entire four or five zhang square Wanxiang Cave, without missing a single area!

At this time, the thousands of Ghost Eye Light Spots within Wanxiang Cave no longer flickered; they all opened wide, looking at Duan Rong.

The entire sky of Wanxiang Cave lit up for him, like the low-hanging starry night sky in a summer wilderness.

At this moment, Duan Rong was shocked in his heart!

Because, the moment he established a Divine Soul connection with all the Ghost Eye Light Spots within Wanxiang Cave, it was as if a switch had been turned on, and he instantly understood the operating laws of the entire Wanxiang Cave.

He even knew the positions of the Array Disk, Array Banner, and Array Eye; he saw the entire structure beneath the surface appearance.

Duan Rong's gaze shifted, and he walked toward an Array Disk at the edge of Wanxiang Cave; by relying on his Divine Soul connection with the Ghost Eye Light Spots throughout the entire Wanxiang Cave, he could clearly discern that there was a key Array Disk at that location.

Duan Rong bumped into the edge and could not advance any further, yet that Array Disk was just half a step away.

"Space Wall!"

Relying on his Divine Soul connection with the Ghost Eye Light Spots, Duan Rong already clearly knew what was blocking him from approaching the Array Disk.

He knew it, but he could not bypass it.

Although he could discern the operational rules of the entire Wanxiang Cave, that did not mean he could alter them.

For example, the Array Disk half a step away. He knew it was one of the key Array Disks controlling Wanxiang Cave, but he could not approach that Array Disk.

Duan Rong pondered for only a moment before turning his gaze toward the myriad Ghost Eyes in the night sky.

Array Disks, Array Banners, and Array Eyes represented the underlying rules of Wanxiang Cave's operation, but these things were all sealed by the Space Wall, and he could not touch them at all.

The only thing he could potentially adjust were these Ghost Eye Light Spots in the night sky.

Without triggering the underlying rules, the operation of the peripheral system likewise had much gray space that could be adjusted. Duan Rong believed this principle applied to any system that truly existed.

Since he could not touch the underlying rules, he would put his efforts into these Ghost Eye Light Spots.

Duan Rong soon discovered that these Ghost Eye Light Spots could actually be moved between different regions; as long as he issued commands to the Ghost Eye Light Spots in two regions simultaneously, he could complete a transfer between regions.

By issuing commands, Duan Rong made a single Ghost Eye Light Spot in one region enter the region of the three Ghost Eye Light Spots next to it.

Looking at the region in Wanxiang Cave where, through his maneuvering, four Ghost Eye Light Spots had appeared for the first time, Duan Rong's gaze flickered.

If there could be four, there could be five...

Duan Rong studied it there for a while and realized that besides being able to move these Ghost Eye Light Spots between different regions, there seemed to be no other space for manipulation.

Because he could not change the Ghost Eye Light Spots themselves; their very existence was determined by the Array Disks and Array Banners within the Symbol Array, and the only thing he could do was move them between different regions.

But even this single point, if used well, was equally terrifying!

After confirming that there was no other room to manipulate these Ghost Eye Light Spots, Duan Rong suddenly raised his eyes and looked toward a certain spot in the darkness.

He knew that place was the exit of Wanxiang Cave.

Duan Rong walked over slowly; standing at the edge, his heart stirred, and the darkness before his eyes suddenly blurred and shifted, followed by the flash of a dim yellow light.

Duan Rong's heart trembled; the exit of Wanxiang Cave had opened.

The exit of Wanxiang Cave was not a sealed Space Wall; if it were, it would be impossible to enter or exit, and this place was merely a conjured illusion.

After establishing a Divine Soul connection with the myriad Ghost Eye Light Spots throughout Wanxiang Cave, Duan Rong could already manipulate the entire Wanxiang Cave without triggering its underlying rules, so naturally, he could freely enter and exit the exit of this Symbol Array.

Duan Rong stepped out slowly.

That dim yellow light came from an Everbright Lamp in front of the stone wall, where a large stone bowl was filled with half a bowl of Origin Beast grease.

Duan Rong surveyed the space before him, which was about a square zhang in size.

His gaze shifted, and he suddenly wanted to release his Divine Sense to investigate.

As his Divine Sense left his body, Duan Rong's expression changed abruptly; his Divine Sense could not leave this space of one square zhang.

This meant he was still inside a Symbol Array.

Outside Wanxiang Cave, there was another Symbol Array.

Duan Rong sighed and suddenly turned his head to look at the stone wall on the right.

In front of that stone wall stood a Shrine, and on the incense table before the Shrine stood an incense burner with a stick of burnt-out incense inside.

The moment he looked at the Shrine, Duan Rong's eyelids could not help but twitch.

"God-Striking Whip!?"

He had suffered no small amount of misery from this thing!

Duan Rong walked over slowly and grabbed the God-Striking Whip from the Shrine.

This was his first time staring at the God-Striking Whip, and Duan Rong could not help but narrow his eyes to look closely.

He saw that the object was about three or four feet long and had twenty-one segments, with four symbol imprints on each segment; Duan Rong touched those symbol imprints, some new and some old.

Many parts of the whip body were severely worn, but there were also many places that were brand new and smooth, clearly newly replaced parts.

Duan Rong's gaze flickered, his curiosity piqued, and clutching the God-Striking Whip in his hand, he secretly said: "Spirit Reader!"

In the dim light of the confined space, a data panel glowing with a faint fluorescence suddenly appeared before Duan Rong's eyes.

Artifact: God-Striking Whip (Damaged)

Spirit Artifact Tier: Twenty-Fifth Tier

Devour Requirement: Host Mental Power Level 25 (Not Met)

Devour Effect: Preliminary mastery of Divine Soul attack laws (Incomplete)

"Divine Soul... attack laws?!" Duan Rong's gaze was filled with astonishment.

After practicing the Womb Treasury Sutra, he was no longer a stranger to Divine Soul attacks, but what exactly did Divine Soul attack laws mean?

Duan Rong immediately cut off his train of thought; since he could not devour it, there was no use in thinking too much at this moment.

Just as he was about to put the God-Striking Whip back into the Shrine, his gaze suddenly froze.

Aided by the dim yellow light, he looked at the bottom of the Shrine behind the incense table, where many incomplete and worn-out old parts were also placed.

These old parts were clearly the ones replaced from the God-Striking Whip.

Duan Rong's eyes moved, and he reached out to grab an old part; it was one of the twenty-one segments replaced from the God-Striking Whip, and the symbol imprints on it were already severely worn, blurred, and mottled.

Duan Rong clutched that old part in his hand, his gaze deep and flickering, and he secretly said in his heart: "Spirit Reader!"

Looking at the data panel that suddenly appeared before him, a wave of pleasant surprise surged across his face.

"These old parts can be devoured!"

At this time, it was already the dead of night outside; in the valley of Wuliang Cliff, night winds whistled past from time to time, and the attendant on duty at the cave entrance shrank his neck, glanced at the yellow, mottled light shooting out from the depths of the Cave Abode, and then fell back asleep.

Inside the Cave Abode, Xiao Qiwu was leaning over a desk, reading that booklet by the light of a Candle Lamp.

It was the booklet obtained from Jing Chou, conceived by Ge Rusong, about using the Yin-Yang Fish to form the Yin-Yang Cave Underworld.

Over these days, he prepared to study this object thoroughly so that he could fully grasp the method for manifesting the Yin-Yang Cave Underworld.

In the eyes of Xiao Qiwu, the death of Duan Rong was already a foregone conclusion.

As long as Duan Rong died, he would be able to obtain the Yin Fish.

Once the Yin-Yang Fish were gathered, he would have to start preparing the method of the Yin-Yang Cave Underworld, so how could he not put in the effort early?

This method was quite profound and exquisite; without realizing it, Xiao Qiwu had been reading for a day and a night, and the Candle Lamp beside him had long since dripped wax, and as the night wind passed, the candlelight flickered, making Xiao Qiwu's eyes blur for a moment.

He looked up in annoyance, only then realizing that the surroundings were completely silent, as it was clearly the middle of the night.

Xiao Qiwu moved his somewhat stiff body.

"It is time to go see that brat!"

Saying this, Xiao Qiwu walked out of the Cave Abode.

If Duan Rong was not yet dead, he would give him three more strikes of the God-Striking Whip and go to see him again late tomorrow night; if he were dead, he would choose a day to tell Zhu He that he felt Duan Rong was acting abnormally, and go in with Zhu He to inspect the situation.

(End of chapter)