Cauldron

His parents, siblings, loved ones... Deep in Qin Sang's heart, what he cared about most were his closest kin from his past life. Who the enemy had been that killed him did not matter in the slightest; he did not care at all anymore. His only regret was being eternally separated from those dearest to him by the divide of heaven and man, never to see them again. He had never had the chance to fulfill his filial duties to his parents, nor had he carried on the family line... There were still far too many things he had never had time to do. Although Qin Sang knew it was all an illusion, he could not bear to tear himself away. In that familiar home, he watched his parents and elder brother discuss household matters, and listened to his little sister, Qin Zi, wheedle with charming innocence. His heart was weighed down with sorrow until the three days were up and he was cast out of the red jade gourd. His body suddenly felt weightless, and then he hit the ground with a heavy thud. Qin Sang opened his eyes. His loved ones had vanished, and he found himself looking upon the great hall. A flicker of sorrow crossed his eyes, but he quickly reined in the turmoil, his resolve returning as he pushed himself up from the floor. "Disciple Qin Sang pays respects to Sect Master." Qin Sang bowed to Sect Master Yu. Scanning the hall, he noticed five other people standing near the Sect Master. One was a youth who looked quite young, bearing a sword on his back. His demeanor was as sharp as a drawn blade, and an undisguised wild arrogance showed between his brows. He was only at the tenth layer of the Qi Refinement stage. Another was a man in his thirties with resolute features. He stood there with his arms hanging naturally at his sides and his gaze slightly lowered. His eyes were calm as an ancient well without the slightest ripple, his entire presence like an ancient tree. Qin Sang recognized both of them. The youth was Chu Wenjian, who not only possessed exceptional talent but also stood second to none in swordsmanship among the Qi Refinement disciples. Charming and dashing, he was a prominent figure within Shaohua Mountain. The older man was far more understated. Named He Mu, he lived a reclusive life of bitter cultivation much like Qin Sang, only showing himself when a martial uncle gave a sermon at Daomen Peak. He had long reached the thirteenth layer of the Qi Refinement stage, yet had never been able to achieve Foundation Establishment. Beside them were two middle-aged men and a white-haired elder, all of whom were Foundation Establishment cultivators. Qin Sang recognized that elder as well. He managed cultivation methods and incantations at Pagoda Peak, and his surname was Gong. "To hold out for three days in the Red Dust Gourd shows commendable mental fortitude," Sect Master Yu nodded approvingly at Qin Sang and signaled for him to wait to one side. Before long, more people were ejected from the Treasure Gourd Illusory Realm one after another, but only one Foundation Establishment elder passed the test. In the end, seven people in total made it through the Treasure Gourd Illusory Realm. Three in the Qi Refinement stage, and four in Foundation Establishment. Sect Master Yu stepped forward two paces and bowed toward the Red Dust Gourd. "Disciple thanks Martial Uncle Che. We have selected our candidates, and I ask Martial Uncle to retrieve your magic treasure." The Red Dust Gourd instantly transformed into a streak of flowing light, piercing the sky and disappearing beyond the horizon. Yet that Golden Core Master, Grandmaster Che, never showed himself from start to finish. Sect Master Yu respectfully watched the Red Dust Gourd depart. He then waved his whisk to shut the doors of the hall, turned to face the group, and his expression abruptly darkened. His eyes turned sharp as blades as he swept his gaze across each of the seven men. Only then did he speak, each word heavy with unmistakable menace: "Not a single word spoken in this hall today may be leaked outside. Disobedience shall result in death and the destruction of your Dao, and bring disaster upon your kin! This is the patriarch's decree. Do not say you were not warned!" The group's expressions grew solemn, and they exchanged glances, all visibly shaken. This was the decree of a Nascent Soul patriarch, where words carried the weight of the law—it was absolutely no empty threat. None dared entertain any delusions of luck. Without hesitation, the seven pointed to the heavens and swore an oath that their lips would remain sealed and not a whisper would escape! Sect Master Yu watched noncommittally as they finished swearing their oaths, then drew several jade slips from his mustard seed bag, handing one to each person. "What you will cultivate is the technique recorded in this jade slip." The jade slip contained only a single technique, titled— After reading the introduction, Qin Sang could not help but frown inwardly, finding it rather bizarre. This technique seemed completely different from the legendary methods of yin-yang dual cultivation. It consisted of three tiers and, from beginning to end, could only be cultivated by male cultivators. There was no method for female cultivators to practice, nor any exposition on how to achieve mutual harmony of yin and yang or the communion of heaven and earth. Without the cooperation of a Dao companion, how could one participate together in the Great Dao by practicing such a dual cultivation technique? Just then, Sect Master Yu spoke up: "When dual cultivating with this technique, the primal essence in your bodies will suffer some depletion. However, there is no need to worry. The sect will bestow Nine Yang Pills to help you restore your essence..." Before he could finish, Cultivator Gong suddenly looked up, his face flushed with fury. Glaring at Sect Master Yu, he shouted, "Why does Senior Brother Sect Master not dare tell the truth! What dogshit dual cultivation technique? Isn't this just an evil art of plucking and replenishing?! Did we work ourselves to the bone just to fight over becoming a cauldron? Utterly absurd! Laughable!" Cultivator Gong's outburst hit like a thunderclap. Sect Master Yu's expression changed slightly. The others felt as though they had been struck over the head with a staff. Musing over the Sect Master's words, wasn't that precisely being used as a cauldron? Otherwise, why would an orthodox Taoist dual cultivation technique damage one's primal essence? In truth, the sharper individuals among them had already sensed that something was amiss, but none expected Cultivator Gong to openly disregard the Sect Master's face and directly expose the trickery. Chu Wenjian's brow furrowed tightly at the words, and he pressed urgently, "Martial Uncle Gong, can the essence lost from serving as a cauldron be turned into a surplus with the Nine Yang Pills? Aside from that, what other harm is there?" Cultivator Gong sneered, paying no mind to Sect Master Yu's unsightly complexion as he declared loudly, "The Nine Yang Pill is indeed a rare spiritual medicine. Even if the other party shows mercy, it can at best restore ninety percent of your primal essence—unless your luck is extraordinary and you manage to find several kinds of rare heavenly treasures. As far as I know, Shaohua Mountain possesses no such spirit medicines in its treasury. And as for the fate of a cauldron, if it were merely a matter of damaged essence, how could such a plucking-and-replenishing art have fallen into universal condemnation as a demonic technique?! After undergoing this so-called 'dual cultivation,' the best outcome is having a suggestion planted in your origin soul, leaving you believing yourself deeply in love and unable to live without the other party. In severe cases, one is reduced entirely to a slave, origin soul drained dry, turned into an utter cripple! Dross!" At these words, everyone paled in horror. They were horrified by the viciousness of the technique, and even more appalled that Master Mawu, hailing from a great orthodox sect like Shaohua Mountain, would actually cultivate such a demonic plucking-and-replenishing art! The group cast grateful glances at Cultivator Gong before staring fixedly at Sect Master Yu, waiting for his explanation. "Junior Brother Gong, I know that ever since Junior Sister Liu was murdered by a demon in the Ancient Immortal Battlefield, you have harbored a bone-deep hatred for the art of plucking and replenishing." Sect Master Yu suppressed his anger, yet let Cultivator Gong finish before speaking: "However, how could Martial Uncle Mawu ever associate with demons? Selecting disciples from within the sect was done precisely out of an unwillingness to harm others. Even without you speaking up, I would have explained the stakes to them. Whether to proceed or not is entirely voluntary; no one will be forced. Although the depleted essence cannot be turned into a surplus even after being restored with the Nine Yang Pill, your sea of qi will merely be slightly smaller than that of cultivators of the same realm. You may be at a slight disadvantage when fighting, but it will not affect your cultivation realm itself, and it is not impossible to make up for it in the future..." Cultivator Gong sneered with contempt. "And the origin soul?"