Zhao Kingdom, Demonic Heaven Mountain Range.
Demonic Heaven Sect.
Within a courtyard.
"Young lady, I am frail and aged, no longer capable of marital affairs. Why must you force such a thing upon me?"
Ye Bufan gazed at the woman before him—a figure of bewitching charm, so beautiful she seemed unreal.
Under the moonlight, she appeared to be in her twenties, clad in a flowing violet robe that accentuated her graceful figure. Her raven-black hair cascaded over her shoulders, and her face was so exquisite it seemed plucked from an ancient painting. Were she not a demoness of the Demonic Heaven Sect, he might have wished for a romantic encounter.
Ye Bufan was not originally from this world.
A century ago, he had crossed over into this realm.
Upon discovering it was a world of immortal cultivation, he had been ecstatic.
He had dreamed of attaining the Dao and ascending to immortality, but his talent was mediocre—merely a low-grade Yang Spirit Root.
After being rejected by all five major immortal sects of the Zhao Kingdom, he received the same reason each time:
"The Yang Spirit Root is known as a 'Cauldron Physique.' While it greatly aids demonic female cultivators, for the individual, its cultivation progress is no better than a low-grade Spirit Root."
He would never reach the Foundation Establishment stage in this lifetime.
After repeated rejections, Ye Bufan refused to give up. He practiced a basic cultivation technique and became a rogue cultivator.
For a hundred years, he struggled and scraped by.
Yet, he only reached the ninth level of Qi Refinement.
A Qi Refinement cultivator could live up to 120 years at most. He was already 115.
With only a few years left, Ye Bufan resigned himself to finding a wife and living out his remaining days in peace. Perhaps he might even father a few children.
But fate had other plans.
The moment he stepped outside, he was captured by a passing demoness to serve as her cauldron.
"I've kept a low profile for a hundred years, only to lose my dignity at the very end."
In his previous life, Ye Bufan had read news about young women harassing elderly men for years, driving them to report to the authorities.
At the time, he had scoffed. Now, he believed it.
"A century-old virgin with a Yang Spirit Root is quite rare. Though you're a bit old, you'll do."
"It's not as if you're at a disadvantage. This lady is still a maiden herself."
Chu Zixue pressed a jade-like finger to Ye Bufan's forehead and smiled coquettishly.
Though her lips curved, her eyes remained icy.
She had spent days searching for a suitable cauldron.
Were it not for the imminent competition for the position of Holy Maiden—and her urgent need to break through to the Golden Core stage—she would never have chosen an old man like Ye Bufan.
"This is the 'Blood Spirit Art.' It can rapidly boost your cultivation. Train well, assist me in my breakthrough, and you'll enjoy a life of luxury afterward."
"If you refuse… I'll have no choice but to toss you into the Ten Thousand Serpents' Pit."
Chu Zixue gently stroked Ye Bufan's cheek as she handed him an ancient manual, her smile laced with threat.
If this Ye fellow could reach the twelfth level of Qi Refinement—or even Foundation Establishment—his Yang Spirit Root and century-long virginity might just help her achieve Golden Core.
"I'll check your progress periodically. You have one month. Don't disappoint me."
With a graceful smile, Chu Zixue turned and left.
She wasn't worried about resistance. This was the Demonic Heaven Sect.
What could a mere Qi Refinement novice possibly do?
"A life of luxury? More like being drained into a withered corpse!"
Having spent a century in the cultivation world, Ye Bufan knew the rules: if he could defeat an enemy, he would strike lethally and erase all traces.
If he couldn't, he would flee and lay low for years before resurfacing.
He rarely ventured into dangerous places.
His approach was one of extreme caution.
And the most perilous places in the Zhao Kingdom were the Demonic Heaven Sect and the Joyful Union Sect.
Demonesses often abducted vigorous men as cauldrons, only to reduce them to desiccated corpses by the next day.
The fate awaiting him was gruesome.
Yet, if he disobeyed, death was still certain.
The only difference was whether it would be painful… or pleasurable.
"And this technique—any cultivation method that promises rapid advancement comes with severe side effects!"
Ye Bufan flipped through the manual. It was an advanced demonic art, typically reserved for noble cultivation families or sects.
True enough, it could accelerate cultivation, but the final pages had been torn out.
He didn't need to think hard to guess why—those pages likely detailed the side effects.
"Might as well practice. A pleasurable death beats a painful one."
With a resigned sigh, Ye Bufan began studying the Blood Spirit Art.
[Ding! By examining a manual with severe side effects, you have activated the Negative Reversal System!]
[This system can reverse the negative effects (side effects) of any cultivation technique, spell, pill, or weapon into positive ones. Note: It only reverses external objects, not the host's own condition.]
[Detected cultivation technique:]
[Blood Spirit Art: An advanced demonic technique that rapidly boosts cultivation. Side effects: Each cycle reduces lifespan by ten days. After one month, cultivation plummets to Qi Refinement Level 1, with crippled foundations!]
[Reversed effect: Each cycle increases lifespan by ten days! After one month, cultivation surges rapidly, with stabilized foundations! Note: The higher the cultivation, the weaker the effect.]
Ye Bufan froze, then widened his eyes, tears welling up.
"Damn it! All I had to do was touch a technique with severe side effects to activate this system? Why didn't you say so earlier?!"
Had his century of caution been… a mistake?
He quickly examined the system panel.
"That demoness is truly ruthless. This technique would have ruined me!"
"But this system's reversal is absurdly overpowered. Side effects become buffs? Others perish from cultivation, while I soar?"
"The worse the side effects, the stronger I become!"
Ye Bufan was stunned.
For the first time, he saw a path to greatness.
This didn't just apply to techniques—it included pills and weapons too.
If he swallowed poison, the system could reverse it into a healing elixir!
"First, grow stronger. Then, find a way to escape that demoness."
Suppressing his excitement, Ye Bufan immersed himself in the Blood Spirit Art.
That woman was at the peak of Foundation Establishment—equivalent to a patriarch of a minor clan. Against her, he stood no chance.
With only a month, he couldn't hope to defeat her.
Escape was his only option!
Soon, Ye Bufan sat cross-legged, dissolving his previous cultivation technique.
Fortunately, he had practiced a neutral foundational art, allowing him to switch without dispersing his cultivation.
Once the transition was complete, he began circulating the Blood Spirit Art.
This technique used blood as a medium to draw upon heaven and earth's spiritual energy—essentially burning lifespan to fuel cultivation.
Its side effects were so severe that no one in the Demonic Heaven Sect dared practice it.
But this was precisely what made it perfect for Ye Bufan.
As he cultivated, a vortex of energy formed above his head, drawing spiritual energy into his body.
The barrier that had stalled him at the ninth level of Qi Refinement for twenty years began to loosen!
Within half an hour, the vortex in his dantian doubled in size, and his spiritual energy surged.
Qi Refinement, Tenth Level!
"Incredible!"
He couldn't help but exclaim, his face alight with joy.
With this breakthrough, his senses sharpened. A simple fireball spell now left a scorched crater in the ground.
"The fireball's power has increased. It could kill my former self instantly, and the casting speed is faster too."
Ye Bufan marveled at the changes.
Qi Refinement had thirteen levels, each progressively harder to reach.
Most low-grade Spirit Root cultivators never advanced beyond the eighth or ninth level.
Yet this demonic art had propelled him forward instantly!
The speed rivaled that of a top-tier Spirit Root.
Glancing at a nearby puddle, he saw his reflection—no longer the decrepit, near-death visage of before.
His pallor had improved, and his white hair showed hints of darkening.
He was growing younger!
"The reversed technique is insane! Fifty major cycles—500 extra days of life, over a year and a half?!"
Overwhelmed, Ye Bufan nearly wept.
"This is practically a divine technique!"
Without delay, he resumed cultivating the Blood Spirit Art.
Who could resist gaining ten days of life per cycle?
Meanwhile...
Outside the courtyard.
Chu Zixue sensed the rising energy within, her flawless lips curling into a smile.
"Good. As long as he practices the Blood Spirit Art, he'll soon become my perfect cauldron."
Her eyes gleamed with ambition, as if the throne of Holy Maiden were already within reach.
The Holy Maiden of the Demonic Heaven Sect—second only to the sect master, wielding immense power and resources coveted by all.
Beside her, a green-robed girl remained silent, her gaze toward the courtyard filled with pity.
"That's the Blood Spirit Art. The last person who practiced it was in his late teens. After a month, his hair turned white, his cultivation collapsed, and he died of old age."
"This Ye Bufan doesn't have many years left. He likely won't last long."
The girl shuddered at the memory of the rumors.
The Blood Spirit Art, designed for Qi Refinement, was created by an ancient demonic patriarch.
Most demonic cultivators avoided it like the plague.
"Lü Luo, I'll be in seclusion to prepare for my Golden Core breakthrough. Guard this place—no one is to approach, especially those scheming bitches!"
Chu Zixue's expression darkened as she thought of her rivals.