Chapter 128: I Do

Novel:

(Happy Double Festival!)

"If the other party were to brand your spirit during the essence extraction process, there would indeed be endless hidden dangers. True Master Ma Wu would, of course, never do such a thing. After dual cultivation, there will only be a few threads of emotional attachment, and your spirit will be troubled by them. Coupled with the loss of vital energy, your future cultivation progress might indeed be somewhat affected, and reaching the Core Formation and Nascent Soul stages will be more difficult than for others. But you will still be yourself, and the sect will provide you with additional compensation."

After speaking, before Cultivator Gong could open his mouth, Sect Master Yu's lips moved slightly, silently uttering a few words.

Cultivator Gong's expression froze, a hint of hesitation appeared in his eyes, and he suddenly lowered his head and fell silent, seemingly swayed.

Another elder bowed and asked in a hoarse voice, "Sect Master Brother, if I agree to cultivate this technique, will it benefit my descendants?"

Sect Master Yu returned the bow and said solemnly, "Junior Brother Zhao, if you leave behind offspring in the future, the sect will surely look after them..."

He also transmitted a message, and the elder nodded slightly but did not express his stance directly.

At this moment, He Mu, who had been standing motionlessly aside, not even showing any expression when Cultivator Gong revealed the secret of essence extraction, suddenly spoke up and asked, "Sect Master, I have thoroughly reviewed the 'Mysterious Cauldron True Scripture'. It seems difficult for disciples at our Qi Condensation stage to cultivate the third level. I wonder if it's due to my limited understanding, preventing me from grasping the profound mysteries of the technique?"

Sect Master Yu smiled as he looked at Qin Sang and the other two, saying, "You are correct. After you three cultivate to the third level, you will indeed encounter a bottleneck when forming the Jade Cauldron. Moreover, this secret technique requires dual cultivators to be at least at the Foundation Establishment stage. For this very reason, whoever among you three can first form the Jade Cauldron, the sect will fully assist you in advancing to the Foundation Establishment stage. This is one of your compensations. In addition, you can also have one request granted."

Silence fell in the great hall. Everyone understood that the Sect Master's terms were indeed very sincere; otherwise, there would be no need for such elaborate arrangements.

Chu Wenjian suddenly straightened his body, like a sharp sword drawn from its sheath, and declared loudly with his head held high, "Sect Master, please forgive me. My heart is set on the Great Dao, and I am confident I can form a Golden Core on my own; it's a certainty. I am unwilling to be a cauldron."

Cultivator Gong took a deep breath, angrily flicked his sleeve, and declared resolutely, "I, Gong, would rather die than help someone cultivate an essence extraction technique!"

Sect Master Yu nodded, neither annoyed nor insistent, merely looking at the others.

"I'll do it!""I'll do it!"Suddenly, two people spoke in unison: He Mu and Qin Sang.

Hearing that the sect would actually help them advance to the Foundation Establishment stage for free, Qin Sang no longer had any hesitation.

What if his Qi Sea was a bit smaller? He would still be a Foundation Establishment cultivator, wouldn't he? At worst, he just wouldn't confront other Foundation Establishment cultivators head-on in the future. The Ten Directions Yama Array and the Ebony Sword could also compensate for some of the difference.

As for forming a Golden Core or Nascent Soul, those were completely out of reach for Qin Sang. All he could do was occasionally fantasize about them and proceed steadily, one step at a time.

As long as he broke through to Foundation Establishment, gaining over a hundred years of lifespan, anything would be possible!

To his surprise, He Mu also made his decision so quickly.

Qin Sang glanced sideways at He Mu, seeing that his face seemed perpetually devoid of expression. His eyes were fixed on Sect Master Yu, yet they held a deep look of anticipation.

Seeing this, Qin Sang sighed inwardly. If he too reached He Mu's point, trying every possible method yet still unable to break through to Foundation Establishment, even without the aid of the Jade Buddha, he would certainly make the same choice.

The cultivator surnamed Zhao hesitated for a moment, then said, "Sect Master Brother, I am also willing to give it a try."

The other two Foundation Establishment cultivators exchanged glances, communicated a few words via spiritual message with Sect Master Yu, and surprisingly, both eventually agreed.

After Cultivators Gong and Chu Wenjian left, Qin Sang and the other five followed Sect Master Yu out of the great hall, flying towards the back of Mount Shaohua. They eventually arrived before a row of cave dwellings on a high cliff at the back of the mountain. Each chose one, took their copies of the 'Mysterious Cauldron True Scripture', and entered to cultivate diligently.

After sealing his cave dwelling, Qin Sang pondered to himself. From Sect Master Yu's words, it seemed only one of the five of them would be qualified to be the 'cauldron' – specifically, the one who cultivated the third level of the 'Mysterious Cauldron True Scripture' fastest and formed the Jade Cauldron.

Even being a 'cauldron' required competing with others, Qin Sang sighed inwardly, took out the jade slip, and carefully contemplated the cultivation technique.

The first level seemed very simple. After abandoning the 'Netherworld Scripture' and switching to this technique, as his realm advanced, the vital energy within his body would condense into Jade Liquid. There were no bottlenecks, and it was just like switching to any other cultivation technique – one could proceed step by step.

Indeed, Qin Sang completed the first level in just one month.

The second level allowed for the birth of a Jade Cauldron prototype and the accumulation of Jade Liquid.

Upon reaching this stage of cultivation, Qin Sang had an epiphany.

In fact, from the moment one began cultivating the 'Mysterious Cauldron True Scripture', they were already a 'cauldron'.

However, if the Jade Cauldron was not yet fully formed and the vital energy Jade Liquid was only a thin layer, then being subjected to essence extraction at this point, even at the second level, would easily cause the already fragile Jade Cauldron prototype to collapse. This would lead to the dissipation of primal yang, a complete depletion of vital energy, utter exhaustion, and even the Nine Yang Pill would be unable to reverse it. The result would be becoming true dregs, completely crippled.

Engaging in essence extraction at this time would be akin to draining the pond to catch all the fish; the benefits gained by the cultivator would likely be far less than from the third level.

After Qin Sang cultivated the second level of the 'Mysterious Cauldron True Scripture', his spiritual sense probed the jade slip. Only after seeing all the hidden secrets of the third level technique did he realize that when cultivating to the third level, the cultivator would constantly be influenced by lustful heavenly demons. This made him understand why the selection had to first pass through the gourd illusion array.

Lustful heavenly demons bewitch the mind, giving rise to inner desires and passions, which are humanity's most fundamental desires, no different from inner demons.

Unless one had an unyielding will, they would be unable to extricate themselves if enticed by these lustful heavenly demons, making it absolutely impossible to cultivate the third level.

Qin Sang held the jade slip and read it for a long time, feeling that the third level of the technique seemed incomplete, as if a part had been erased. However, the overall cultivation process appeared whole.

Setting aside distracting thoughts, Qin Sang focused on the technique in the jade slip, imprinting it deeply into his mind. Then he calmed his heart, entered a meditative state, and began cultivating.

Illusions of the mortal world, temptations of heavenly demons.

As soon as he began cultivating, Qin Sang fell into a heavenly demon illusion, and inner demons sprouted. Before his eyes were chaotic scenes, endless decadent sounds echoed around him, and strange aromas stirred the deepest emotions and desires in people's hearts.

If it were anyone else, even if they could maintain their true self within the heavenly demon illusion, they would have to stop after a period of perseverance, stabilize their mind, and shake off the effects of the illusion.

Otherwise, once a flaw appeared in their state of mind, it would be difficult to recover.

However, just as in the gourd illusion, Qin Sang's mind remained exceptionally clear. He saw through their deceptive nature and remained entirely unaffected.

Because of this, Qin Sang had no need to worry about the influence of the lustful heavenly demons. He cultivated day and night without stopping, and the Jade Cauldron within him formed at an astonishing speed, with the Jade Liquid gradually filling it.