LGHTNOVELBOOK Chapter 106: A Natural Cauldron
Chapter 106: A Natural Cauldron
Ji Xueruo had read in books that the beginning of life was an embryo. What was in her sister’s abdomen wasn’t a demon core—it was an embryo!
She was furious, her gaze cutting into Ji Lingruo like a knife.
Beside her, Granny Liu was also shocked, her old eyes wide with disbelief. In the mortal world, a seventeen-year-old becoming pregnant wasn’t particularly unusual, but for the Second Lady, whom she still saw as a child, it was hard to accept.
Ji Lingruo stared blankly at her sister’s cold, frost-like beauty. She never expected her sister to jump to such a conclusion. Becoming a mother? She had never even thought about it!
“What are you talking about, sister?” Ji Lingruo’s face turned bright red. She placed her hands over her abdomen, unable to resist rubbing it gently.
She couldn’t help but carefully feel the lively green demon core inside her. It truly felt like a living thing, and she couldn’t help but wonder: Was this really a demon core?
From Tai Sui’s memories, she knew that this demon core, along with her intact meridians, was a gift from Tai Sui as an apology. However, the method of transfer had been through dual cultivation with her Senior Brother, sharing some of the Tai Sui power that was originally meant to fully merge with him.
Now, hearing her sister’s words, she couldn’t help but feel that this demon core really did seem like a crystallization of her and You Su…
Seeing her sister caressing her abdomen, Ji Xueruo’s anger boiled over. She gritted her teeth, wishing she could tear that blind bastard to pieces.
“I’m talking nonsense? Then what is that in your abdomen?!”
“It really is a demon core, sister!” Ji Lingruo’s face was flushed as she defended herself, then shyly added, “Besides…”
“Besides what?!”
“Besides, I… I refined Senior Brother’s essence. How could it be a child?”
Ji Lingruo was well-versed in human cultivation techniques and knew that a man’s essence was the most precious thing. She had never thought about becoming a mother so early, especially since their mother’s vengeance was still unresolved. So, after she and You Su reached their climax in the coffin that day, she had used her cultivation to refine his essence.
Later, on the day they parted, You Su had worriedly hinted at the matter, and she had deliberately teased him by pretending she had forgotten. This had scared him, and he had earnestly promised to take responsibility, even going so far as to seriously discuss names for their potential children, which had amused her greatly.
Could it be that she hadn’t fully refined it after she suddenly fell unconscious? But when she woke up, there had been no trace left.
Ji Lingruo shook her head. After all, it was her body, and she knew it best. She added:
“If it weren’t a demon core, how could it help me store spiritual energy and allow me to break through to the Spirit Platform Realm? If you don’t believe me, ask Granny Liu. Which demon mother’s child has the abilities of a demon core?”
Granny Liu, suddenly brought into the conversation, was momentarily stunned. “In the history of our Serpent Clan, there has never been such a case.”
Ji Xueruo’s cold expression didn’t change. She sighed and said to Granny Liu, “A thousand years ago, our Serpent Clan was at its peak, but for some unknown reason, the number of male infants began to decline, leading to our decline and fall from the Divine Mountain. Soon, our clan was composed entirely of women, and we could only produce female offspring by relying on the Serpent Ancestor’s blood pool. Our clan’s infants are already different from those of other clans. What use is the history of our Serpent Clan? What about the history of the entire Demon Clan?”
As the clan leader, Ji Xueruo was well aware of the cursed predicament their clan was in. Her shock and anger at her sister’s unexpected “pregnancy” were partly due to her precious sister being taken advantage of, but also because any child born from such a union would inevitably be unhealthy and doomed to an early death.
Intermarriage between different demon clans either produced no offspring or resulted in monstrous births. Thus, the Serpent Clan had turned its attention to humans in an attempt to change the situation of having only female members. However, the offspring produced from such unions were also unhealthy. Since then, the Serpent Clan had relied on the Serpent Ancestor’s blood to reproduce, until seventeen years ago when the then clan leader, Ji Muyan, was deceived by a human cultivator and gave birth to twin daughters.
In the past thousand years, Ji Xueruo and Ji Lingruo were the only ones not born from the Serpent Ancestor’s blood who had survived past the age of six. However, they too had their own unique flaws.
Granny Liu thought for a moment and replied, “Indeed, there is no precedent. At most, mothers have used secret techniques to transfer spiritual energy to their unborn children. It’s impossible for a fetus to nourish its mother in return.”
The black-robed young woman sighed in relief, feeling somewhat reassured. It was a relief that it wasn’t a fetus—bringing a child destined for misfortune into the world would be cruel.
“Then how did this demon core form?” Ji Xueruo’s voice was calmer now.
“It… it formed after I refined Senior Brother’s essence…” Ji Lingruo’s beautiful eyes blinked a few times. She felt that this wasn’t a lie—the demon core was indeed formed from the Tai Sui power that Senior Brother had shared with her. As for what exactly “that essence” was, she would let her sister and Granny Liu guess.
Upon hearing this, the room fell silent. Ji Xueruo and Granny Liu exchanged glances, their shock even greater than when they had thought the demon core was a fetus.
“Lingruo, do you realize what you’re saying?” Ji Xueruo took a deep breath and spoke each word carefully.
“Yes, Second Lady, you mustn’t speak carelessly,” Granny Liu chimed in.
“I know. Why would I lie to you?” Ji Lingruo was determined to credit all the achievements to You Su, so she spoke with confidence.
Ji Xueruo exhaled softly. “Lingruo, are you really going to lie to your sister and Granny Liu for the sake of an outsider? When have you ever heard of a man’s essence being refined into a demon core?!”
Ji Lingruo had anticipated this question and retorted, “Just because other men can’t do it doesn’t mean my Senior Brother can’t.”
Ji Xueruo still looked skeptical, but Granny Liu, who knew something of the young man’s extraordinary nature, was the first to ask:
“Second Lady, your Senior Brother… does he have some special constitution?”
“Granny Liu is indeed knowledgeable.” Ji Lingruo smiled proudly as she walked to the tea table, poured herself a cup of water, and took a few sips. Her calm demeanor made Ji Xueruo even more suspicious.
“Second Lady, what kind of constitution does your Senior Brother have?”
When Granny Liu had brought Ji Lingruo back, she had asked about You Su, but Ji Lingruo had refused to say anything, insisting that she would explain everything once they met with her sister. Now, it seemed that this was a matter of great secrecy. Granny Liu thought to herself that it was no wonder—if it weren’t for some special constitution, why would Lotus Sword Venerable take the young man as her disciple?
Ji Lingruo put down her teacup and her expression turned serious. “I can tell you, but you must promise not to tell anyone else!”
Ji Xueruo frowned. “Are you really not just bluffing?”
“Eldest Lady.” Granny Liu quietly called out to the young clan leader, shaking her head. She then waved her hand, and an invisible barrier instantly enveloped the small room. She turned to Ji Lingruo and said:
“Second Lady, unless there’s a Void Realm upper-stage elder eavesdropping, no one can hear our conversation through this barrier. You can speak freely. I will never reveal the secret.”
“What about my sister?”
“I won’t tell either,” Ji Xueruo said. She hadn’t yet had a chance to discuss the matter with Granny Liu, who seemed to know something, but from the old woman’s grave expression, it seemed her sister might not be lying.
Ji Lingruo nodded, clasped her hands behind her back, and walked closer to the two of them. After glancing around, she whispered:
“My Senior Brother… has the Heavenly Cauldron Constitution…”
“Heavenly Cauldron Constitution?” Ji Xueruo and Granny Liu spoke in unison, searching their memories but finding no information about such a constitution.
“You see, you’re both so uninformed.”
Ji Lingruo shook her head with an air of importance, though inwardly she was relieved they hadn’t heard of it. After all, she had borrowed the term from the stories her Senior Brother had told her. It would have been troublesome if such a constitution actually existed.
“What kind of constitution is that?” Ji Xueruo’s expression turned serious.
“As the name suggests, the Heavenly Cauldron is a natural cauldron for dual cultivation,” Ji Lingruo said with pride, as if introducing a rare treasure. “This constitution is extremely rare. Those who possess it are the most suitable partners for dual cultivation, making progress twice as fast! Don’t be fooled by how humans demonize dual cultivation—they practice it in secret too! Throughout history, those with this constitution have quietly become the exclusive partners of powerful figures, which is why you haven’t heard of it.”
“Then how do you know about it?” Ji Xueruo narrowed her eyes.
Ji Lingruo gave her sister a helpless look. “I’ve been studying this for the past three years in the Central Realm Continent!”
?
“Ji Lingruo, explain clearly. What have you been studying?”
“Ahem.” Ji Lingruo, sensing the icy tone in her sister’s voice, replied sheepishly, “Swordsmanship.”
Ji Xueruo continued to stare, and Ji Lingruo avoided her gaze.
“But our sword sect also teaches other things… Granny Liu should know. The sect I’ve been in for three years is called the Mandarin Duck Sword Sect, but that’s not its full name.”
“Second Lady, what’s the full name?”
“It’s called… the Heaven and Earth… Yin-Yang Harmony Mandarin Duck Sword Sect!”
Ji Lingruo tried to say the words “Yin-Yang Harmony” as quickly as possible, but Ji Xueruo, who was paying close attention, heard them clearly.
“You’ve been in the Central Realm Continent for three years. I thought you were truly there to learn swordsmanship to prove me wrong, but it turns out you’ve been studying dual cultivation for three years?!”
Ji Xueruo was furious and wanted to hit her foolish sister with a stick.
Seeing her sister, like those hypocritical human cultivators, look down on dual cultivation, Ji Lingruo felt as if she herself was being scorned. She puffed out her chest and retorted:
“What’s wrong with dual cultivation? If I hadn’t practiced it, how would I have gotten this demon core? If I hadn’t practiced it, how would I have gone from a Meridian Opening waste with chaotic meridians to the Spirit Platform Realm? If you don’t like it, go find me a new demon core!”
As she spoke, Ji Lingruo stepped closer to her sister, and by the end of her sentence, their equally ample chests were pressed tightly together, both deformed by the pressure.
The two sisters looked identical and had always been similar in figure, but now, as they stood chest to chest, Ji Xueruo realized with shock that she was slightly smaller than her sister!
Involuntarily, her confidence wavered, and she took a step back. “We’ll settle this later. First, explain clearly how you got this demon core!”
Ji Lingruo smirked, giving her sister a triumphant look, and said, “A cauldron is used to refine medicine and form pills. Those with the Heavenly Cauldron Constitution carry within them the most refined essence of heaven and earth.”
Granny Liu’s eyes sparkled with understanding. “Second Lady, are you referring to the primordial yang of a Heavenly Cauldron male and the primordial yin of a Heavenly Cauldron female?”
“Granny Liu understands.” Ji Lingruo praised lightly, making the old woman look somewhat uncomfortable.
“This demon core of mine was formed after refining my Senior Brother’s primordial yang, allowing me to break through from the middle stage of Meridian Opening to the initial stage of the Spirit Platform Realm in a single night.”
Granny Liu gasped. She had indeed heard that primordial yang and yin were highly nourishing. If the primordial yang of a Heavenly Cauldron could allow a demon to regain a demon core, it wasn’t so strange. If this was true, then the Second Lady had truly encountered a heaven-sent opportunity!
“How can you prove this?” Ji Xueruo’s voice was cold. She crossed her arms, her ample bosom accentuated by the gesture.
Ji Lingruo sighed, as if tired of her sister’s stubbornness:
“How else can I prove it? Do you think my Senior Brother has two primordial yangs?”
Ji Xueruo was momentarily speechless but still said, “Without evidence, it’s not credible.”
Ji Lingruo glanced at her sister, thinking she was being too stubborn. She knew that to deal with her self-righteous sister, she needed to provoke her. So, she steeled herself and said:
“There’s probably only one person in the world with the Heavenly Cauldron Constitution—my Senior Brother. If you want proof, go ask him yourself. Although his primordial yang is gone, the other yang should still be effective. It should at least help you advance further.”
“Ji Lingruo!” Ji Xueruo, as expected, was furious, her willow-like eyebrows shooting up. “Even if you’re angry that I don’t believe you, you shouldn’t spout such nonsense! I am the clan leader. I will never rely on a man to become stronger!”
Ji Lingruo tilted her chin up, looking indifferent. Seeing her sister’s reaction, she knew that her sister was already halfway convinced. All she needed to do was make You Su, the sword sect, and Lotus Sword Venerable’s background sound more mysterious, and her sister would surely stop doubting.
After all, her sister, who had no interest in men, wouldn’t actually go to Senior Brother for proof, right?
But You Su really is so handsome…
Thinking of this, Ji Lingruo glanced up at the noble serpent demon’s angry face. She chose to believe that her sister, who was dedicated to leading the Serpent Clan to glory, wouldn’t be swayed by male charm.
She then apologetically took Ji Xueruo’s arm, pressing close to her sister affectionately, and pulled her to sit on the bed, saying softly:
“Sister, I’m sorry. It’s just that I really wanted to prove I wasn’t lying to you. If you don’t believe me, listen to the stories of my three years with Senior Brother, and you’ll understand what kind of person he is.”
With that, she rested her head on the black-robed girl’s shoulder, portraying a scene of sisterly affection.
Ji Xueruo, who hadn’t seen her beloved sister in three years, was clearly moved by this. Her body relaxed, and her noble, resolute demeanor softened. At this moment, she was no longer the busy Serpent Empress but a gentle older sister eager to hear her younger sister’s stories.
“Alright.”
Ji Lingruo smiled sweetly and began her tale.
The two sisters, with identical stunning faces but vastly different temperaments, leaned close together, forming a poetic scene in the candlelight and night.
The sun rose.
On the vast horizon, a red wave of dawn spread across the sea, illuminating the sky and awakening countless creatures.
Flocks of seagulls chirped as they flew over the Divine Voyager, and flying fish occasionally leaped out of the water, colliding with the massive ship.
There were three Divine Voyagers between the Central Realm Continent and Eastern Cascade. Each ship would dock at the harbor for five days, resting and waiting for passengers with Divine Mountain permits from both continents to board. After more than ten days of travel, they would reach the opposite shore.
Today was the fifth day of docking for this Divine Voyager.
On the final day, passengers rushed to the harbor in droves. Among them were mortals, human cultivators, and demons. Although humans and demons were at odds, trade and resource exchange between the two continents were essential for development.
At that moment, a deafening roar came from the bow of the Divine Voyager, urging passengers to board quickly.
At the door of the luxurious guest room, the black-robed young woman gazed at the vast Central Realm Continent behind the harbor, silent.
An old woman broke the silence:
“Eldest Lady, are you really not going back?”
Ji Xueruo turned to look at Ji Lingruo, who had fallen asleep after talking all night, and smiled fondly:
“Yes, the permit I applied for is valid for a year. You go ahead. Don’t wait for me.”
“Is it because of You Su?” Granny Liu asked tentatively.
Ji Xueruo turned her gaze to the bustling crowd below. Each person had a different face, and each face hid different secrets. She replied:
“That’s part of it. I want to see for myself if this blind man is really as good as Lingruo says. The man who marries my sister must pass my inspection.”
“Eldest Lady, please don’t act rashly!” Granny Liu, sensing the coldness in the black-robed girl’s words, quickly reminded her.
“Granny Liu, don’t worry. If he truly cares for Lingruo, I won’t stand in their way. But if he’s insincere! No matter who he is, even if he has Lotus Sword Venerable backing him, I’ll make him pay!”
Granny Liu sighed inwardly, thinking that the Eldest Lady truly loved her sister too much.
In the Second Lady’s all-night storytelling, You Su was a pitiful blind boy with a Heavenly Cauldron Constitution that would make any female cultivator drool with envy. He also possessed rare sword talent and was the only true disciple of the once-glorious but now fallen Mandarin Duck Sword Sect. Even more shocking was that Lotus Sword Venerable was the Dao Companion of this sect’s leader, making her his Master’s Wife. Such a background was top-tier even among immortal families.
Moreover, from the detailed accounts of their interactions, it was clear that You Su, despite being blind, was a young dragon with no flaws except for being a bit lustful and stubborn. He had even given his most precious primordial yang to the Second Lady as a token of his love.
What more could a woman ask for in a husband?
Suddenly, Granny Liu seemed to remember something. A look of pity and reluctance flashed in her eyes. After hesitating for a moment, she said:
“Eldest Lady, is your main purpose for staying to complete the trial on the Starfall Mountain?”
Ji Xueruo turned to look at the old woman who had accompanied her for seventeen years, her eyes firm:
“I originally came only to find Lingruo and had no intention of participating in the trial. But now that Lingruo has a greater opportunity, her future will surpass mine. Perhaps she is more suited to be the Serpent Clan’s leader than I am. This is good. It allows me, a failed sister, to make one last contribution to the Serpent Clan.”
“Granny Liu, thank you for your hard work. If I don’t return within a year, Lingruo will be the new clan leader.”
Tears welled up in Granny Liu’s cloudy eyes as the black-robed young woman disappeared into the crowd below…