Chapter 525: Cloud Cluster

Duan Rong returned to Wanxiang Cave and sat cross-legged in a pitch-black corner.

He recalled every detail of the aftermath, and only after confirming there were no oversights did he heave a sigh of relief.

Now, all he needed to do was wait inside this Wanxiang Cave.

After returning to Yunfu Peak, Zhu He handled the affairs that had piled up over the past few days.

Wu Shidao piled the organized documents there; Zhu He flipped through them, picked out a few that required a reply, and took up a brush to approve several instructions.

After finishing the approvals, Zhu He took a few sips of clear tea with a weary expression.

For some reason, he remained deeply worried about Duan Rong's situation, and his right eyelid kept twitching incessantly, which made him feel very agitated.

Zhu He rubbed his somewhat puffy eye bags and sighed, "Everything that should be done has been done. Whether it is a blessing or a curse, the boy must walk through it himself!"

Despite saying this, two days later, Zhu He still arrived at Wuliang Cliff; he wanted to ask Xiao Qiwu how Duan Rong was doing inside Wanxiang Cave and whether he had woken up yet.

When Zhu He arrived at Wuliang Cliff that morning, the usually well-behaved young attendant was actually lying on a stone chair outside the Cave Abode eating fruit; only upon seeing Zhu He approach did he startle, stand up, and hide the wooden tray of fruit under the stone chair.

Zhu He walked over slowly and said, "Little attendant, please announce my arrival; I wish to see your Master Xiao."

The attendant wiped the corner of his mouth and said, "My master... he is not at Wuliang Cliff."

"Not here?" Zhu He's eyes showed slight astonishment. As far as he knew, Xiao Qiwu had not left Wuliang Cliff for over a decade, so why would he be absent today of all days? "Where did he go?"

The attendant shook his head with a blank expression and said, "Master did not say."

Zhu He's eyes flickered; he noticed the attendant's expression was somewhat strange, so he pressed, "When did he leave?"

"This..." the attendant stammered, "It should have been yesterday..."

"Should have?!" Zhu He's expression turned somewhat gloomy, and he said coldly, "I have an urgent matter with Elder Xiao. You had best answer clearly; otherwise, if you delay the matter, I will hold you accountable!"

At this moment, Zhu He's suppressed anger surfaced, carrying a rather intimidating aura.

The attendant was startled, his face instantly turning pale, and he knelt down, saying, "Do not blame me, Master Zhu! I do not know when my master left Wuliang Cliff. Yesterday morning, I prepared clean water and a towel and went into the Cave Abode to serve my master as he washed. He was already not in the Cave Abode at that time. He has not returned since."

Zhu He asked, "He was already gone yesterday morning?"

The attendant said, "Yes."

Zhu He asked, "He didn't say where he was going? Or when he would return?"

The attendant said, "He didn't say."

After the attendant finished speaking, he glanced at Zhu He, and seeing Zhu He's displeased expression, he immediately kowtowed and said, "Master! I dare not hide anything!"

Zhu He's eyes flashed as he turned his head to look at a certain cliff face in the valley where clouds and mist were churning; he suspected whether Xiao Qiwu was over at Wanxiang Cave.

But from yesterday morning until now, it had been over ten hours; surely Xiao Qiwu wouldn't stay in Wanxiang Cave the whole time.

He had instructed Xiao Qiwu to pay attention to Duan Rong's condition, but surely not to such an attentive degree.

Zhu He thought for a moment, turned to the attendant, and said, "Since your master is not here, I will come another day. If your master returns, tell him I was here."

"Yes!"

After saying this, Zhu He transformed into a streak of black light and departed.

With Xiao Qiwu absent, he could not enter Wanxiang Cave without the Array Tablet, so he had to come back another day. However, Zhu He felt a sense of unease; Xiao Qiwu's behavior seemed rather abnormal.

Watching Zhu He transform into a streak of black light and leave, the attendant finally let out a long breath and wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. Just now, when Zhu He released his spiritual pressure, the attendant felt as if a heavy stone were pressing on his heart, and his knees had gone weak.

Seeing that Zhu He had gone far away and Xiao Qiwu was not there, his lazy and naive nature re-emerged; he giggled, pulled the wooden tray of fruit from under the stone chair, climbed onto the chair with the tray in his arms, and began eating the fruit while lying there lazily.

After returning to Yunfu Peak, the more Zhu He thought about it, the more he felt something was wrong.

When Duan Rong was being punished, he felt Xiao Qiwu's reaction was off, but later, when Chu Wushang said it was the Ancestor who ordered him to strike Duan Rong with three lashes, Zhu He's doubts were dispelled.

But now, just after Duan Rong was locked into Wanxiang Cave, Xiao Qiwu had mysteriously left.

How could there be such a coincidence!?

Zhu He felt uneasy, and the next morning, he arrived at Wuliang Cliff early, only to find that Xiao Qiwu was still not there.

Subsequently, Zhu He visited Wuliang Cliff every day; three days passed, and Xiao Qiwu was absent every day.

By the third day, Zhu He could no longer sit still; he went directly to find Chu Qiushan and Yang Sixuan.

The two followed Zhu He to Wuliang Cliff, and after Yang Sixuan questioned the attendant and the guards of Wuliang Cliff, he also felt deeply suspicious.

Yang Sixuan said, "Xiao Qiwu is the Enforcement Elder of Wuliang Cliff. Now that Duan Rong is still locked in Wanxiang Cave, for him to be missing for several days like this is a dereliction of duty!"

Zhu He said, "I don't care about his dereliction of duty. It is just that my disciple is still inside Wanxiang Cave, and I fear for his safety at this moment."

Hearing this, Chu Qiushan and Yang Sixuan both felt a jolt in their hearts. Zhu He's implication was that Xiao Qiwu might have harmed Duan Rong and then fled in fear of punishment.

Zhu He said, "Sect Master Chu, do you have the Array Tablet for the Wanxiang Cave Symbol Array? I must enter the cave now and see my disciple with my own eyes to be at ease."

Chu Qiushan said, "There is only one Array Tablet for Wanxiang Cave."

Zhu He's face twitched.

Chu Qiushan said, "This Array Tablet was given to me by the Ancestor after he completely fixed the Symbol Array of Wanxiang Cave back then. The Ancestor should have another Array Tablet."

"Why didn't you say so earlier!?" Upon hearing this, Zhu He had already transformed into a streak of black light and broken through the air to leave.

Inside Wanxiang Cave, Duan Rong was idle; he knew it would likely take a few more days for someone to realize something was wrong and bring the other Array Tablet to open this Wanxiang Cave.

He took this opportunity to begin studying the Clear Glass Body within his Spirit Sea.

Since forming that Clear Glass Body, Duan Rong had not really studied it; at that time, he was still in a death trap and could be killed by Xiao Qiwu at any moment, so how could he have the heart to study this?

However, now that the crisis was resolved, and this Clear Glass Body was the origin of his Divine Soul, he naturally had to study it thoroughly.

Duan Rong sat cross-legged and, with a movement of his mind, entered his own Spirit Sea.

He stood in the center of the Black Earth and looked up at the Cangqiong.

He saw that in the center of the Cangqiong, the Clear Glass Body sat cross-legged in the void like an immortal Buddha; its entire body was transparent, with five-colored fluorescent light faintly flowing on its surface, and it was surrounded by thirteen Star Bodies slowly rotating.

With a thought from Duan Rong, he appeared beside the Clear Glass Body on the Cangqiong.

He sat cross-legged opposite the Clear Glass Body, facing it.

Duan Rong and the Clear Glass Body shared a connection of divine sense; at this moment, the glass eyes of the Clear Glass Body looked at him with a familiar gaze.

Duan Rong could not help but smile.

Although the Clear Glass Body's appearance was like that of an immortal or Buddha, quite intimidating, its expression and gaze were exactly the same as his own; the moment it looked over just now, a sudden illusion of looking into a mirror arose in Duan Rong's heart.

Duan Rong carefully scrutinized the Clear Glass Body opposite him.

Although this Clear Glass Body appeared transparent on the surface, with five-colored fluorescent light flickering, like an immortal or Buddha descending to the world, inside it, a Gray Shadow was still churning and floating there.

Duan Rong smiled slightly: "Is this 'gold and jade on the outside, rotten cotton on the inside'?"

His tone was quite self-deprecating.

This Divine Soul origin was naturally much stronger; this point could be seen just from the changes in the Blade Radiance.

However, this seemed to be only a beginning.

Duan Rong felt that since this Divine Soul origin could become so transparent on the surface, with five-colored fluorescent light flickering, then its interior could also be slowly tempered to look like the surface.

Inside and outside as one, completely transparent, becoming a solid Clear Glass Body.

Duan Rong did not know at this moment that the realm he was thinking of was a realm that could only be achieved at the Great Perfection of the late Dongming Realm.

Once reaching that realm, the next step would be the Nascent Soul Realm.

Duan Rong fixed his gaze on the center of the Clear Glass Body's brow, only to see that the center of its brow was a blurry, churning cloud.

Duan Rong knew that this blurry, churning cloud was related to his Artistic Conception; when he used the Intent Blade Glow to kill Xiao Qiwu, at that time his mind was connected with the Clear Glass Body, and he clearly perceived that in that instant, the blurry, churning cloud at the center of the Clear Glass Body's brow had bright light appearing and flickering with a sizzling sound within it.

The original Gray Shadow had a Blade Shadow at the center of its brow.

At this time, this Divine Soul origin had been tempered into a Clear Glass Body, and the center of its brow had also changed into a blurry, churning cloud.

Duan Rong suddenly thought of the words Zhu He told him in the Ruling Sect Justice Division prison.

The Sect Ancestor Lv Yinlin said that only within the Wanxiang Cave would he have the opportunity to melt and refine over a hundred miscellaneous Artistic Conceptions into one.

Could that blurry, churning cloud be the Artistic Conception formed after the over one hundred miscellaneous Artistic Conceptions he devoured were tempered and fused into one within the Wanxiang Cave?

Duan Rong suddenly focused his mind and delved deep into the blurry, churning cloud at the center of the Clear Glass Body's brow.

The moment his Divine Soul sense delved in, that blurry, churning cloud churned violently, and following its churning, streaks of bright light within it sizzled and flickered...

After Zhu He left Wuliang Cliff, he found Chu Wushang and explained the situation.

Chu Wushang was also greatly surprised; he also knew that the Ancestor's arrangements for Duan Rong had deep meaning, and that Xiao Qiwu had suddenly and strangely left without saying goodbye while Duan Rong was locked in the Wanxiang Cave... there might be a great story behind this.

Chu Wushang then entered the valley and obtained another Array Tablet for the Wanxiang Cave from Lv Yinlin.

After taking the Array Tablet, Chu Wushang returned to Wuliang Cliff together with Zhu He.

Chu Qiushan and Yang Sixuan had already been waiting there.

Four figures hovered at the cliff face, with clouds and mist churning all around...

Chu Wushang's expression was cold; holding the Array Tablet, he pointed it at the space before him, and saw the cliff face blur and shift, revealing a cave entrance.

The four turned into black light and rushed in suddenly!

Standing in the space a square zhang in size, Zhu He caught sight of the fact that the God-Striking Whip inside the Shrine was no longer there; his heart skipped a beat, and he said: "The God-Striking Whip is also gone!?"

Seeing that the God-Striking Whip was gone, Zhu He was even more worried about Duan Rong's safety.

It was already very strange that Xiao Qiwu had been absent from Wuliang Cliff for several days; now that he saw the God-Striking Whip was also gone, it was very likely that Xiao Qiwu had absconded with the treasure.

Then why would he flee? Could it be...?

Zhu He glanced in the direction of the Wanxiang Cave, and recalling all of Xiao Qiwu's previous abnormal behavior, a very bad premonition rose in his heart.

Chu Wushang's expression also became very ugly.

He had already held the Array Tablet and pointed it at the entrance of the Wanxiang Cave; the darkness before his eyes rippled like water waves, and following that, a sheet of light and shadow emerged.

Chu Wushang and Zhu He immediately stepped into that sheet of light and shadow, and Chu Qiushan and Yang Sixuan followed closely behind, stepping into the Wanxiang Cave.

Upon entering the Wanxiang Cave, the four saw a figure not far away, sitting cross-legged near the entrance of the Wanxiang Cave.

Ghost Eye Light Spots reflected on his face.

The moment the four looked over, that person also suddenly opened his eyes.

At this moment, Duan Rong's eyes were as bright as stars; he did not expect these people to have discovered the anomaly and entered the Wanxiang Cave so early, and he even less expected that the lineup of people entering would be so powerful.

"Master! Mr. Chu!" Duan Rong called out with a look of surprise.

He ignored Chu Qiushan and Yang Sixuan; these two had given him plenty of cold looks on the day he was punished.

At that time, seeing Duan Rong violate the Sect Iron Law, Chu Qiushan only wanted to punish him well to serve as a warning to others, so how could he give Duan Rong a good look?

Yang Sixuan was Chu Qiushan's confidant, so naturally, it was tacitly understood that he would pressure Duan Rong at the Wuliang Cliff execution platform on Chu Qiushan's behalf.

Seeing that Duan Rong was unharmed, the heavy stone in Zhu He's heart finally fell. As for why Xiao Qiwu absconded and the whereabouts of the God-Striking Whip, he did not care at all. That was Chu Qiushan and Yang Sixuan's business.

"Duan lad, are you alright?" Zhu He asked, his eyes sweeping over Duan Rong. He could see that Duan Rong's breathing was steady and his complexion was pleasant; clearly, there was nothing seriously wrong.

"Master, I am fine! This disciple was reckless and caused you worry!" Duan Rong smiled innocently and continued: "I have already walked out of the Wanxiang Cave and have been waiting at this edge for two days. No one has come to let me out!"

"Waiting... for two days!?"

Hearing this, everyone present was stunned, and Chu Qiushan's expression was even more unsightly.

Today was only the fifth day since Duan Rong was locked into this Wanxiang Cave, and he had actually already been waiting at this edge for two days.

Wouldn't that mean he only used three days to walk out of this Wanxiang Cave?!

How is this possible?!

Even for a cultivator at the Great Perfection of the Qi Cyclone Realm, to walk out of the chaotic flow of Artistic Conceptions from the thousands of Ghost Eye Light Spots within this Wanxiang Cave would take at least several months of exploration, and it was even common to be trapped inside for several years!

Chu Qiushan had used a month and a half to walk out of this Wanxiang Cave back then; he had always been conceited about his extraordinary talent and was single-minded in his profound cultivation, so hearing that Duan Rong walked out of the Wanxiang Cave in three days, how could he not be shocked?!

Triggering the Heaven and Earth Vital Energy Tide when forming the Vital Energy Cyclone!? Walking out of the Wanxiang Cave in three days!? Is this child truly the next Master Lingji?

Chu Qiushan looked at Duan Rong with a grave expression, his heart churning like a tide.

Yang Sixuan stood by Chu Qiushan's side, suddenly looked at Duan Rong, and asked: "Duan Rong, this seat asks you, in these five days you were locked in the Wanxiang Cave, has Xiao Qiwu ever entered?"

The case of Xiao Qiwu and the God-Striking Whip going missing naturally fell upon his Ruling Sect Justice Division.

Duan Rong feigned a start, then said: "No! In these five days, no one has entered the Wanxiang Cave."

Hearing this, Yang Sixuan lowered his head and pondered for a moment.

(End of chapter)