Rebirth As A Human Cauldron Chapter 2

Chapter 2

When Qin Duan opened his eyes, darkness surrounded him, with only one figure ahead emitting a faint light as if beckoning him forward.

Without hesitation, he took a few steps and soon arrived before the figure. As he reached out his hand, the person suddenly looked up, and under the shimmering golden light, Qin Duan saw a face exactly like his own, but expressionless like an inanimate object.

Qin Duan, once the Demon Sovereign, wouldn’t be frightened by such an appearance; instead, he furrowed his brow and examined closely.

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“I am… your inner demon,” it said, its voice becoming smoother with a hint of ethereality, “You cultivated the ‘Supreme Forgetfulness Heart Sutra,’ which leads to the path of extreme emotions. When emotions reach their zenith, they become emotionless.”

“Since you are unfeeling, why speak of inner demons?” Qin Duan sneered, “I have endured ninety-nine of the eighty-one Heavenly Profound Thunders. I only lack one more…”

“And that last one is the Emotion Thunder,” the puppet said.

“If I am unfeeling, how can there be such a thing as Emotion Thunder?” Qin Duan gazed at the sole glimmer in the darkness, and the furrows on his forehead deepened. “Who are you, really?”

The figure slightly shifted, gradually becoming indistinct in appearance, transforming into a golden light.

“I am the Heavenly Dao.”

“Three hundred years ago, due to your unstable state of mind, you forcefully ascended, which attracted the ninety-nine Heavenly Profound Thunders. In the end, you couldn’t overcome them and perished on the spot.”

“Three hundred years later, your primordial soul is reborn and returned to the world. I have come here specifically to inform you of your tribulation.”

“Why…?” Qin Duan asked.

“…Because you prematurely triggered the Heavenly Thunder, disrupting the cycle of cause and effect. Due to your actions, some people have been entangled by inner demons, unable to move forward, causing chaos in the mortal realm.”

“Therefore, if you wish to return to how things were before, you must first overcome the Emotion Thunder.”

Qin Duan inquired, “What if I cannot transcend the concept of emotion?”

The Heavenly Dao replied, “You once practiced the Asura Body Refinement, leading to the loss of your five senses. Now, you have all five senses restored, but the disparity between them requires you to experience and sense it on your own.”

Upon hearing this, Qin Duan wanted to ask more questions, but suddenly, the light before him intensified. In the ethereal resonance, there was only one lingering voice.

“Today’s events are part of the heavenly secrets and must not be divulged.”

Apart from that, he could no longer hear or see anything.

…

When he opened his eyes again, the morning light shone on the scattered stones above him. Qin Duan blinked for a moment, slowly sitting up.

The silk-like outer robe on his body slipped down as he moved, exposing half of his chest. In the next second, he felt a gaze upon him, and when he turned around, he met a pair of ice-clear eyes.

Feng Li sat not far behind him, still in meditation. Upon waking up, he noticed Qin Duan’s partially exposed chest, feeling quite embarrassed.

Feeling guilty about what happened earlier, Qin Duan waved his sleeve, creating a white ice wall between them.

“You can dress yourself,” came the calm and unruffled voice, gradually matching his memories.

Qin Duan shook his arm and efficiently wrapped his clothes around himself.

After fastening his belt, the ice wall naturally melted away, and Feng Li remained seated in his previous position, eyes closed, with long hair cascading down, surrounded by spiritual energy swirling around his body.

He was meditating again.

Qin Duan stared at him for a while but eventually gave up.

Feng Li’s cultivation level far exceeded his own. Even if he had ill intentions, it would be in vain and not worth fearing.

Qin Duan turned back to glance at the entrance of the cave. The first light of dawn was seeping through the horizon. He took a few steps forward, and as he lowered his head, he noticed a bone-deep sword mark etched into the mountain stone. The sword intent was chilling, making it difficult for anyone to inspect it closely.

With a knowing smile, Qin Duan turned around and returned to the cave. He found a corner, sat down cross-legged, and began cultivating.

To his pleasant surprise, the cultivation realm that had been disrupted due to forcibly entering the demonic path made significant progress after merging with Feng Li. He had leaped to the middle stage of Foundation Building and showed potential for further breakthroughs.

Qin Duan circulated the demonic energy throughout his meridians, refining it to a purer form. Simultaneously, he silently recited the cultivation mantra, occasionally feeling a warm sensation in his body as his Qi expanded bit by bit until it eventually flowed into his dantian.

After completing a small circulation of his inner energy, Qin Duan temporarily halted his cultivation. When he opened his eyes, the sky had darkened, and he had lost track of time.

He stood up and moved around a bit before turning to check on Feng Li’s situation. However, he was met with a wave of chilling aura, causing his face to pale. He took several steps back until he finally stopped at the sword mark.

The spacious cave was now filled with ice and snow.

Feng Li sat stably not far away, his eyes tightly shut. A faint red light flickered between his eyebrows but was quickly concealed by frost and snow. His entire body was enveloped in a frosty aura, and even his black hair was adorned with snowflakes, while even his long eyelashes had formed ice crystals.

As the surging spiritual energy akin to a blizzard swept through, even the slightest touch felt like sword qi brushing against the skin, razor-sharp.

Seeing this, Qin Duan took another half a step back and bit his fingertip, drawing a blood talisman in the air with his fresh blood. His movements were swift, and the blood droplets flowed gracefully from his fingertips. Within a few seconds, the wound healed, leaving only the blood talisman suspended in mid-air, radiating a crimson glow.

Qin Duan clasped his hands together and lightly clapped.

The blood talisman shot out and landed precisely near Feng Li, creating a barrier that blocked the intrusive sword aura.

At the same time, the red light between Feng Li’s eyebrows intensified. He grunted, and the frost and snow rapidly dissipated, leaving him sitting in their midst. He leaned forward and spat out a mouthful of blood.

Qin Duan was momentarily stunned, not expecting this reaction.

After spitting out the blood, Feng Li took a deep breath and closed his eyes to continue cultivating. The trace of blood at the corner of his mouth remained uncleaned, making his face even paler. In such a state, he looked somewhat disheveled.

Furrowing his brows, Qin Duan watched as Feng Li finished adjusting his breath and slowly stood up.

“…Let’s go.”

“What?”

Feng Li stood before him, his handsome face icy and cold. “They’re about to catch up… There’s still demonic energy within you, and they won’t let you go.”

“Who are they?”

“…Given my current weakened state, if they’re willing to risk their lives, I won’t be able to protect you.”

“What do you mean?”

Feng Li fell silent, refusing to answer any further. Instead, he reached out and lightly pinched Qin Duan’s pulse.

Qin Duan’s body trembled instinctively, wanting to break free. Feng Li’s grip eased slightly, just enough to gently hold it.

His fingers were cool, akin to thin ice in early spring. After a long contact, a faint warmth seeped through.

Qin Duan stopped struggling but couldn’t help asking, “Where are you taking me?”

Feng Li glanced back at him. “To where you should go.”

…

Feng Li’s cave was located in an extremely remote area. Qin Duan couldn’t currently fly with his sword, so he had to be escorted.

The flying sword beneath his feet was Feng Li’s most treasured weapon, named “Chilling Frost.”

Feng Li was a weapon cultivator, and among them, he was the one with the most ruthless killing intent and the strongest sword techniques. During his peak, he faced Qin Duan, who was still the Demon Sovereign at the time, in a fierce battle that lasted for three days and three nights, obliterating five mountains, with most of them frozen by unyielding ice, the Frost Chill Nine Provinces.

During that time, Qin Duan was at a bottleneck, and the battle was exhilarating, as if all the previous frustrations were swept away, leaving him filled with battle intent and blood. At the moment when both sides were exhausted, he had a sudden breakthrough.

Afterward, Qin Duan returned to his cave and secluded himself for a hundred years until the time of his tribulation and downfall…

The details of that time are better left untold. But now, recalling that final battle, it became an eternal farewell.

Strong winds blew at high altitude, and Qin Duan watched as the person before him’s clothes fluttered in the wind. A myriad of emotions swirled in his heart, but they quickly dissipated with the wind, leaving behind only emptiness.

Now, he stood on the very blade that had nearly slit his neck multiple times back then. The chilling sensation seeped through his feet, reaching the back of his head. Qin Duan’s body tensed slightly with nervousness. Even though the person before him currently exuded no aura, he couldn’t forget the chilling and bone-piercing killing intent within Feng Li’s sword domain.

For centuries, they had fought countless battles, with only one move or half a technique separating them from potential death. For a sword cultivator, the sword itself was more important than their cultivation level. Feng Li, with his unwavering dedication to the sword, naturally excelled, while Qin Duan, though versatile and capable in various aspects, inevitably fell short in terms of attacking power.

Lost in thought, Qin Duan subconsciously eased his breathing. He lowered his head and looked at his current physical state. Apart from his body being a natural human cauldron , his spiritual roots were exceptional, his meridians intact, and he had no hidden ailments. If he wanted to start anew and overturn his previous path… it might not be impossible.

However, in doing so, everything he had achieved in his previous life would be nullified. Would he be willing to accept that?

Qin Duan touched his fingers one by one and then pressed on his pulse.

Under his fingertips, a faint force continuously pulsed, synchronizing with his heartbeat, eternal and unending.

Sensing movement behind him, Feng Li didn’t turn around but asked, “What’s wrong?”

Qin Duan smiled and said in a hushed voice, “Can you teach me swordsmanship?”

His voice was barely audible, but Feng Li still heard it.

So the tall figure paused slightly, his aura also slowing down, before responding, “Alright.”

After leaving the continuous mountain range, Feng Li put away the flying sword and settled in a small town for the time being.

Legend had it that in ancient times, Pangu opened the world, dividing the Chaos Grand World into three thousand small worlds. These three thousand small worlds, as the days turned and stars shifted, gradually pieced together the current Grand World. It was said that the edge of the world was encompassed by the Chaos Sea, and apart from that, there were some uncombined small worlds scattered throughout. Due to the abundant spiritual energy, they turned into independent secret realms, containing countless treasures for people to explore.

In the Grand World, apart from ordinary mortals, there were also various sects of cultivators and evil monsters. The demons were bloodthirsty and warlike, and they were sealed underground in the small worlds by cultivators to prevent them from wreaking havoc on the surface. The only way up was through the Ten Thousand Demons Abyss.

In addition, there were both good and evil among the monster race, common occurrences in the Grand World, but they still couldn’t rival the sheer number of ordinary mortals.

So, the place where they settled was merely a small town of mortals, with extremely thin spiritual energy, almost negligible. It was not a suitable place for cultivation, but Feng Li seemed unwilling to continue, and Qin Duan couldn’t do anything but let him have his way.

They found an ordinary inn and secured a guest room. After entering, Feng Li set up a restriction and then shook his wrist, taking out a common iron sword from his storage ring and throwing it to Qin Duan. “With no true essence, swing the sword five thousand times.”

After saying that, he sat on the bed, closed his eyes, and entered meditation.

Qin Duan held the heavy ordinary iron sword in his hand, feeling both amused and helpless.

It was just a whim, and he didn’t expect Feng Li to take it seriously.

…However, this person had always been serious and carried an inexplicable stubbornness. Despite competing with him for so many years, Qin Duan had never grown tired or resentful of him. Instead, there was a mysterious sense of affection—unfortunately, their paths diverged, and they couldn’t work together.

Feng Li was a disciple of the top sect, Xuan Zongmen, and even became the direct disciple of Elder Xuan Yì. In the end, he even ascended to become the Junior Sect Master, making him the most outstanding cultivator among the younger generation.

Thinking back to when they first met, Feng Li was just a teenager in the late Foundation Establishment stage. He wielded his sword skillfully but lacked the essence of the sword, and his killing power was limited. He also fell into a bitter battle after being secretly plotted against by fellow sect members due to jealousy.

At that time, Qin Duan had just cultivated the Asura Body, forcefully condensed the Core Formation while enduring the torment of demonic energy day and night. He rarely regained consciousness, lost and delirious.

Qin Duan saved the boy from certain death and addressed him with respect, calling him “senior.” Qin Duan didn’t hide his demonic energy, but the teenager didn’t mind, saying, “The desire to pursue the Dao is beyond good and evil. The evil demons harmed me and wanted to consume my flesh and blood, while Senior saved me from that fate, making you different from the evil demons.”

Qin Duan burst into laughter, revealing some clarity in his laughter. “If that’s the case, isn’t your fellow sect member who harmed you the same as an evil demon?”

“…Indeed, he is no different from an evil demon.”

“Since that’s the case, what will you do?”

The young man hesitated slightly, and a trace of killing intent flashed in his eyes. “I will… clean up our sect, the Xuanzong Gate.”

Qin Duan couldn’t help but extend his hand and touch the young man’s icy face. “If you can remain true to yourself, your future will be limitless.”

“I will remember your kind words, Senior.”

It took two years to wash away the demonic energy from his body. Two years later, Qin Duan left with Feng Li and pierced him with a sword at the foot of the Xuanzong Gate mountain.

Afterward, Feng Li soared to the sky, just as he had said back then.

Qin Duan shook his wrist and swung the sword in mid-air.

The ordinary iron sword was extremely heavy, and coupled with the fact that he didn’t use true essence, his body was weaker than those ordinary mortals. After a little over a hundred swings, his arms were already sore, making it difficult to lift the sword any further.

Qin Duan let out a breath and threw the iron sword to the ground. He then sat cross-legged and circulated his demonic energy to barely counter the exhaustion.

He stood up and tried to grasp the hilt of the sword again, but his hand suddenly froze in mid-air. After a while, he sighed.

His original aspiration was lost, even if his body was restored to its former state, he would never be destined for the path of the sword.

Even if time could turn back, allowing him to return to the moment before he was abandoned in the demonic realm, he might not be able to follow his initial intentions of pursuing the way of the sword.

Even if he gave up all his achievements, he still couldn’t start over from the beginning because the memories of surviving in hell were still fresh. Even if his demonic body had regained its original form and his lost five senses were fully restored, he remained the same Qin Duan, who used demonic energy to form a core and was unwilling to bow to fate.

Nothing had changed, and he… had never made a choice.

Since the last trace of confusion had dissipated, Qin Duan stopped overthinking and focused on refining his physical body. He knew that once his primordial spirit naturally recovered, his previous cultivation would slowly return, and returning to the pinnacle would not be difficult, but he needed time.

Feng Li’s meditation sessions were becoming longer and longer, sometimes lasting for a whole week without opening his eyes. Qin Duan was bound by his restrictive barrier and couldn’t leave a radius of twenty meters. Besides, with his current cultivation level, forcefully breaking through the barrier would lead to disastrous consequences.

Qin Duan had always gone with the flow and never inquired about Feng Li’s intentions or where he was taking him. In any case, even if he knew, he couldn’t escape. Given Feng Li’s nature, he wouldn’t harm a junior like him…

Thinking of this, Qin Duan couldn’t help but smile. Back when they were in the Ten Thousand Demons Cave, Feng Li was just a junior like him, respectfully calling him “Senior.”

If there was indeed reincarnation and karma, this might be an unpleasant retribution.

After all, it was his sword that had decisively severed their bond. Their next meeting would be decades later, at which time Feng Li had become a genius representative of the Dao sect, gaining fame; and he had become the notorious demon lord with an infamous reputation in the eyes of the world.

Since ancient times, righteousness and evil stood apart, so when they reunited, it was a matter of life and death.

Looking at the situation now, Qin Duan never imagined that one day, Feng Li would shield him and block the flying artifact that came at them from above.

Chilling Frost, his sword, emitted a low humming sound. Feng Li grabbed Qin Duan’s wrist, placed him on the ground, then turned to face the floating cultivators in the air. His lips pressed tightly together, remaining silent.

With just one glance, Qin Duan quickly retreated a few steps, using the cover of the trees to hide his figure, quietly observing the situation in front of him.

Among the pursuing group, one person stepped forward and raised his hand to call back the previously launched artifact. Looking down on Feng Li, he said, “Feng Li, after betraying the Xuanzong Gate, you injured my Shenwu Sect disciples. Now the Golden Order has been issued by the Law Proclamation Assembly. We are here to capture you, and if you want to live, you better surrender obediently.”

His voice was filled with a powerful true essence that made people’s heads spin. Qin Du’s expression darkened, knowing that this person’s cultivation was not low; he was probably at the Golden Core stage, just one step away from forming a Nascent Soul.

Three hundred years ago, Feng Li had already reached the Mahayana stage. It was ridiculous to think that these few people could capture him.

Moreover… given Feng Li’s character, how could he possibly betray his sect? It was the Shenwu Sect that had always been at odds with Xuanzong Gate. He had heard about this a hundred years ago, but he didn’t take it to heart.

However, if this was just a simple act of revenge, where did the Golden Order from the Law Proclamation Assembly come from? Those who were sentenced with the Golden Order would be hunted down by righteous cultivators, so the Golden Order was mostly given to evil cultivators who committed all sorts of atrocities or notorious demon lords—like his own past self. It would never be someone like Feng Li, a disciple of the righteous path.

Unless…

A thought flashed through Qin Du’s mind, and he looked up at the white-clad figure holding a sword, his eyes showing complexity. But before he could ponder further, Feng Li had already made a move. Chilling Frost blossomed into a swirling sword flower in the air, carrying a torrent of sword intent that pierced straight into the sky!

The person on the other side saw Feng Li’s lethal move and a trace of panic flashed across his face. He raised his hand and summoned a treasure to defend against the attack. His treasure was a small cauldron, palm-sized, with a dark purple hue. In an instant, spiritual light burst out of the cauldron, forming a shield several meters high. When Feng Li’s sword struck the shield, it produced a deafening sound that even shook the earth.

After the strike, the shield dissipated into purple mist. The person holding the cauldron had a pale complexion. He gritted his teeth and said, “Kill!”

As he spoke, his four companions behind him rushed forward, each summoning their own treasures.

Although Feng Li was now outnumbered and surrounded, he remained calm, without any sign of panic. With a wave of his hand, Chilling Frost hummed, and sharp sword energy radiated from him like a whirlwind, making the four feel an overwhelming chill, as if their bodies were about to be sliced apart. Inevitably, they lost some of their momentum, and they didn’t even touch Feng Li’s clothes before being instantly devoured by this invisible chill.

Taking advantage of the chaos, Qin Duan retreated a few more steps and drew a blood talisman, completely isolating himself from the battlefield. His current cultivation was too low; he couldn’t get involved in this kind of battle.

Observing Feng Li again, he was facing five enemies but had an absolute advantage. Yet, despite this, Qin Duan still found it strange… because he knew very well that this person’s strength was far from this level.

The merciless sword, Feng Li, who had once defeated more than forty people in one go and secured the top spot on the Law Proclamation Board, was now being surrounded by five lackeys, barely maintaining the upper hand?

It shouldn’t be like this!

Frowning deeply, Qin Duan looked at the white figure standing tall in the center of the blizzard and the faint trace of… demonic energy emanating from the layers of sword intent.

The Law Proclamation Assembly was an institution of the righteous path, issuing four types of wanted orders: Golden, Silver, Copper, and Iron, targeting all evil cultivators in the world. The degree of danger ranged from highest to lowest.

“If it was just a case of falling into the demonic path, there would be no reason to issue a Golden Order for the pursuit unless he had committed other acts that harmed the righteous path.

…So, what happened during the three hundred years of his soul’s wandering? 

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Translator’s note: A little bee told me that this has plot and meat. LOL. So, yeah, here I come running. I’m into BL these days like Kinnporsche ( A thai bl) Does anyone know this? Ahhhh~~~ I’m still waiting for some of my favorite actors to release their new dramas like offgun, joongdunk, and GMMTV Only Friends drama.  Does anyone know this?  ~~~~ ah. I can’t get enough thai bl, someone help me. hahahaha. (Just ranting). LOL. 

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