Chapter 5, Furnace Cauldron

It is a pity that the mountains remain unchanged, while the young boys and girls of those years have long since faded, their appearances unrecognizable.

"What good is it to be a virgin for cultivation? These are all fallacies. I have only heard that one can advance in cultivation after being supplemented! And you!" The leopard-headed man turned to look at her, "Are you just going to let these gossiping women speak nonsense? It's fortunate that you still have an open mind and clear thoughts. If it were in the past, I would have long since gone to extract their souls and refine their spirits. Anyone who insults me, mocks me, or belittles me shall die!"

Suddenly, a voice emerged from Xiao Yao's embrace, followed by a small, furry leopard head popping out from her chest

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yao lifted it again, bringing it close to her eyes and squinting. "If it weren't for someone shattering my golden core back then, I fear I would be no different from Brother Fang by now."

Isn't it just ascension? Do you know that we spend our entire lives hoping to ascend to the higher realms one day? Such a tone, tsk...

Xiao Yao merely smiled, then placed it back into her clothing, reluctantly glancing back at the sky where Fang Yan had just ascended as she walked away.

That female disciple had just started, when a delicate and sweet voice took over to finish her words

Xiao Yao cast a sidelong glance at it, then continued to gaze upward at the vanishing horizon, yet deep within her heart, a surge of emotions stirred. When would she be able to soar beyond this sky above her head and reach a broader world

Seeing this female disciple's disdain, the female cultivator asked curiously, "Why do you say that?"

As everyone else dispersed, the woman remained lost in thought, gazing into the distance. A female cultivator, who had not yet moved far away, observed this and remarked with a smile: "Senior Fang truly deserves to be called the most handsome man in our Taigu cultivation world, with so many admirers. It is surprising to see such a devoted and affectionate fellow cultivator."

Xiao Yao then withdrew her gaze from the distance, calmly glancing at the leopard's head that emerged from her chest. After a brief pause of two seconds, she reached out to grasp the back of the leopard's neck and lifted it out. In her hand was a saber-toothed cat with a yellow base and black spots, featuring two long fangs.

At this moment, she felt calm, with the wind blowing behind her, and Fang Yan's last words seemed to linger in her ears

Hmph, why not? Back in the day, I reached the Transformation Realm in less than ten thousand years..." Seeing her act as if she was ignoring him, the saber-toothed leopard felt instantly displeased and continued to speak sarcastically, "By the way, I almost forgot, with your mere seventh level of Foundation Establishment, ascending is indeed something to be envious of. However, I advise you to think about how to cultivate and break through to the Golden Core stage first; that is more practical. You only have about a hundred years left before your deadline, so be careful not to kick the bucket before you even reach the Golden Core stage.

The saber-toothed leopard, wearing an expression of disdain typical of someone from the countryside who has never seen the world, sneered and muttered, "Isn't it just ascension? What’s so impressive about a junior who hasn't even reached the Void stage?"

The powerful have ascended, and the beautiful ones have departed. With no more captivating figures, the crowd gradually dispersed. Some outer disciples led them into the cave dwelling, where the Xianyu Sect had arranged a banquet to entertain cultivators of various levels after its conclusion

"Xiao Yao." After a moment of silence, the saber-toothed leopard, which had been stifled in the folds of the clothing, spoke again, "I can only say that it was my mistake at that time"

Xiao Yao, if you truly have the determination and perseverance, then come after me, but I will never stay in place waiting for you

The ceremony has concluded, and the woman named Yi Yao, who was summoned by Fang Yan, departed calmly under the intense gaze of thousands. Her figure, drifting away, resembled a solitary and beautiful white lotus, elegant and proud.

Xiao Yuhe shot a reproachful glance at the female disciple beside her, her face flushed with shyness, "It's just this girl who talks too much. Indeed, that rough man is not as extraordinary as the rumors suggest; they are all exaggerations."

The female cultivator smiled lightly and said, "Why does Daoist Xiao say such things? Since this woman is a disciple of your esteemed sect, if she has been forcibly taken to become a furnace cauldron, it should be the sect that steps forward to seek justice. Why then should one look down upon her in such a manner?"

Yes, yes, seizing the body and shattering the golden elixir, what a tremendous opportunity this is, all because I am fortunate enough to encounter you, the true immortal. Xiao Yao could not be bothered to make it explicit, and forcefully pressed it into her clothing.

At this point, the once bustling summit of Lotus Peak was left desolate, with only the woman who remained in a daze, and no one else.

Hearing the kind words of the female cultivator, Xiao Yuhe felt quite proud and self-satisfied. Looking at this female cultivator, who was still in the early stage of the Golden Core, although she wore a smile, she continued to feign modesty, saying: "Oh, not at all, I am merely in the early stage of the Golden Core and still far from the Nascent Soul stage. Moreover, ascension is not as easy as my fellow cultivators say. I feel ashamed to say that I have a distant familial relationship with this girl. Her surname is Xiao and her name is Yao. In the past, my family took her in out of pity and provided her with food, but I never expected her to turn out to be this kind of person. It is well known that female cultivators are not the same as male cultivators; if they lose their virginity, their cultivation speed will be significantly hindered, and it can even be said that achieving great success becomes hopeless. As someone who does not respect herself, it truly pains me as a member of the same clan to see her disgrace our sect and tarnish the Xiao family name.

The female cultivator was somewhat surprised, "Is it true that your future partner, Daoist Xiao, is the renowned 'Heaven's First Hammer' from the outside world, the one known as the Thousand-Jin Hammer, Li Dan?!"

This senior, you may not be aware, but this woman is a disgrace to our Xianyu Sect. She is by no means an admirer of Elder Fang; even if she were to encounter a powerful senior, she would likely display the same infatuated demeanor.

She shook her hand and frowned, saying: "In the future, do not speak out in public. If there is anything, communicate through spiritual consciousness. Do not let anyone see that a low-level, second-tier Sword-toothed Leopard can actually speak human language"

Ah! A group of ignorant women and children, it's rare that they all have decent looks, yet each one of them is so spiteful

The female cultivator said with envy: "Xiao Dao-you is being modest; Li Dan is ranked among the top fifty on the Golden Core stage's hundred-person list. Indeed, Xiao Dao-you is truly a phoenix among men, otherwise, he would not have garnered Li Dao-you's favor."

Because she and the book are a shameless cauldron

"It's nothing, let go of me, hurry back to your training, don't waste time here dilly-dallying." The saber-toothed leopard struggled and shot her a glare.

Of course, this senior, Master Xiao, is a favored disciple of Elder Li from the Colorful Clouds Peak. Not only is his cultivation speed exceptionally fast, but he also possesses excellent water spiritual root aptitude. Moreover, he maintains a virtuous character and is still a maiden. In a while, he will be forming a partnership with Master Li Dan, the disciple of the sect leader of Lotus Peak.

Xiao Yao smiled gently, gazing at the endless mountains. She strolled leisurely among them, step by step making her way toward her cave dwelling, casually responding: "A mistake? Then I must thank you for your mistake, otherwise, there would probably be no Xiao Yao in this world."

Xiao Yuhe cast a disdainful glance at the figure not far away, and then explained, "This friend is not a member of our sect, so you may not know. If this woman were truly forced by someone, the sect would naturally seek justice for her, even going so far as to extract the soul and refine the spirit of that scoundrel. However, this woman is shameless and willingly chose to become a furnace for others. In fact, she had already achieved the Golden Core at over forty years of age, and she was even a junior sister of Master Fang. In her youth, she was indeed a remarkable figure. Yet, as time went on, she became complacent, neglecting diligent cultivation and foolishly hoping to ascend to immortality by clinging to powerful cultivators. But such easy paths do not exist. As a result, not only was her Golden Core destroyed, but her spiritual roots were also ruined, reducing her once extraordinary talent to that of a third-rate spiritual root. It can be said that she brought this upon herself."

Xiao Yuhe, with a smile on her face, no longer glanced at Xiao Yao in the distance along with the female cultivator and the female disciple, and turned to walk towards the cave dwelling on Lotus Flower Peak

In fact, this phrase is merely a habitual expression; even though her memory is exceedingly vague, she vaguely recalls that he was still youthful and tender at that time, and the smile that slightly lifted the corners of his lips was so proud

The woman nodded to her, then turned to the female cultivator and continued, "Xiao Yuhe has met with her fellow Daoist. Let us proceed to the cave dwelling to meet with the other Daoists of the library association. It is best not to get too close to this woman here, lest we be tainted with misfortune."

Upon hearing the term "furnace cauldron," the female cultivator trembled all over, clearly moved, for this term is not a favorable one. In the realm of cultivation, one can enhance their cultivation level through intimate relations between men and women. Generally, when partners cultivate together through intimate techniques, benefiting mutually, it is referred to as "dual cultivation." This method allows both parties, regardless of gender, to improve their cultivation levels and is also adopted by higher-level cultivators. There is another method known as "supplementing," which involves maliciously plundering the vital essence from another person through intimate techniques. Unlike dual cultivation, this method can only enhance one party's cultivation level. The recipient of such plundering will suffer from a depletion of their yang or yin energy, leading to a deterioration of their health. Prolonged plundering can jeopardize not only their cultivation but even their lives. Such individuals who are subjected to plundering are referred to as "furnace cauldrons."

As the crowd nearly dispersed, a young woman remained standing at the periphery, gazing at the spot where Fang Yan had just vanished, lost in thought and seemingly entranced.

Hearing this, the female cultivator looked at the woman named Xiao Yao with a hint of disdain and sighed, "Indeed, our path to enlightenment as female cultivators is more difficult than that of our male counterparts. I didn't expect her name to also contain the character 'Yao', similar to that of the woman just called by Senior Fang—Fang Yi Yao, who also has 'Yao' in her name, yet they are worlds apart. Fellow cultivator Xiao, let us go. I have some questions regarding cultivation that I would like to seek guidance on. I wonder if you would be willing to offer some advice."

Are there really volunteers willing to be furnace cauldrons? The female cultivator glanced at Xiao Yuhe and then at the other woman. Regardless of the truth, it was evident that the Daoist friend named Xiao Yuhe had a significant gap with the other woman. However, what did it have to do with her? One was at the Foundation Establishment stage, and the other at the Golden Core stage, so what did it have to do with her? Naturally, she smiled in agreement with the other party's words: "What you say, Daoist friend Xiao, is indeed correct. As cultivators, we can only achieve great success through enduring countless hardships and the endless loneliness of arduous cultivation. How could we resort to shortcuts and rely on others? Fortunately, your esteemed sect still has core disciples like Daoist friend Xiao, who possess excellent qualifications and can withstand the hardships of cultivation. Such individuals are indeed rare; otherwise, your sect would not have a senior like Fang, a transcendent who has not appeared for tens of thousands of years. We cultivators would not have the fortune to witness this extraordinary scene."

Upon hearing these words, the saber-toothed tiger awkwardly twisted its leopard head and bared its long fangs, saying: "Revisiting old grievances? Even with your level and qualifications back then, ascending in less than a thousand years was nothing but a fantasy. Cultivating immortality requires great opportunities; not everyone possesses such fortune and luck. Of course, you are different now. You must understand that encountering someone like me is an opportunity that surpasses even that fortune!" After saying this, it proudly lifted its head.

Xiao Yao was unconcerned and continued to sway without a care. "By the way, what did you just say? I was a bit distracted and didn't catch it clearly"

The female disciple, upon seeing someone, respectfully said: "Disciple pays respects to Master Xiao."

Because ... ...

The saber-toothed leopard, feeling dizzy from the shaking, could only desperately thrash its limbs in an attempt to break free. After a long while, it found itself powerless due to its short limbs and could only convey its thoughts with irritation: "Alright, I understand. Could you please stop lifting me by the neck like this? You should know that I am a true immortal! Be careful how you handle me!"

The female disciple of the Xianyu Gate, who was guiding from the side, cast a glance in the direction of the woman, and her gaze unmistakably revealed disdain and contempt.

The saber-toothed tiger nearly bit off its own tongue; it has lived for millions of years, or even longer, yet only this woman before it dares to treat it this way. It is filled with hatred, its teeth itching, yet it is utterly helpless due to the close connection between their lives.

The female disciple beside her, upon hearing the female cultivator praise her own master uncle, quickly chimed in with sweet words, extolling the virtues of her own master uncle

"What I seek is unattainable; I kindly ask you, fellow cultivator, to accompany me."

The so-called dangers and obstacles of the immortal path rise and fall, leaving one to lament how clearly one can articulate the vicissitudes of life. The various causes of the past have led to the various fruits of today; this cycle of cause and effect has taken her nearly several hundred years to comprehend. Fortunately, it is not too late.