The bathhouse was silent except for the sound of rippling water and the disciples' heavy breathing. One by one, the concealment veils shimmered and dimmed, revealing exhausted figures rising unsteadily from their circles.
Some leaned against the flagpoles for support, others clutched their robes hastily around themselves. Faces glowed crimson, eyes dazed with awe and lingering heat. A few disciples wobbled on trembling legs, needing to be helped out by their sisters.
Yet despite their exhaustion, whispers began immediately.
"He… he really held all of us at once…""I broke through… I broke through three small realms in one night…"
"Senior Brother Haotian… he's beyond mortal limits…"
Their words carried reverence, disbelief, and a growing sense of devotion. By the time they staggered out of the bathhouse, the murmurs had become a tide—his name carried on every disciple's lips.
At the center, still within the veil of the source crystal, Haotian remained unmoving. Blindfold slipped aside, his chest rose and fell like a steady drumbeat. His entire body gleamed with sweat, muscles taut and glistening under the soft glow of the crystal's light.
That was when Ziyue approached.
Her steps were light, but her heart thundered. She had come to make sure he hadn't collapsed under the strain of hundreds of yin streams, but what she saw left her stunned.
Haotian turned at her presence—half a turn only, but enough to reveal his transformed figure. His shoulders were broader, his muscles more defined, his very aura sharper than before. His eyes, though weary, burned with a brilliance that sent her heart into chaos.
"I am fine," he said with a quiet smile, his voice steady. "In fact… I feel my original powers at Peak Soul Transformation returning."
Relief flooded her expression, her lips parting into a trembling smile. "Haotian… congratulations."
But before she could say more, Haotian stepped forward in a single motion. His arm slipped around her waist, pulling her flush against his chest. The sudden intimacy stole her breath, her eyes wide as his strength pinned her in place.
"Then to congratulate me…" his voice lowered, warm against her ear, "…why don't you give me a present?"
Her face burned scarlet, her body frozen in shock—but her heart did not resist. Slowly, she leaned forward, closing the space between them. Their lips touched. A soft kiss at first, trembling, then deepening with the fire that had been waiting within her all along.
The concealment and soundless formations shrouded them. Outside, no one could see, no one could hear. To the sect, their senior brother still stood like an unshakable pillar at the heart of the source crystal. But within that private veil, the embrace between Haotian and Ziyue grew more fervent.
There, in secret, they gave themselves to each other fully—her body pressed against his, his hands tightening at her waist, their breaths merging as their kiss deepened into something undeniable.
The sect outside carried whispers of awe and reverence. None knew that within the source crystal's veil, Haotian and Ziyue had chosen to remain behind—together, bound by fire and frost.
The following day, the sect buzzed with quiet awe. Everywhere one turned, disciples and elders radiated new realms—some had broken into Soul Transformation, others lingered at the pinnacle of Nascent Realm, consolidating. The sect master herself, Yinxue, had stepped into Peak Soul Transformation, her aura rivaling a mountain storm.
But what unsettled them most was Haotian. He now stood equal to Yinxue in cultivation, and in battle, whispers spread—he may have already surpassed her by a wide gulf.
The disciples rested, ordered to stabilize their breakthroughs before the next trial in two days. Yet Haotian did not rest.
Within the alchemy lab, fires roared. Rows of cauldrons glowed as he poured herbs, minerals, and powdered beast bones into the seething liquid essence. His brow furrowed in deep thought as he reviewed the Undying Dragon Sutra, cross-referencing the body tempering stages.
"The dual cultivation will take its toll. Their stamina is fragile… and their diets, lacking. If this continues, their foundations may suffer."
Resolute, he devised a solution—a pill to temper flesh, nourish vitality, and restore the stamina stripped by cultivation.
The flames shifted from gold to deep azure, not beneath a vessel, but within the air itself.
Before Haotian, the ingredients hovered in quiet suspension—body-strengthening minerals reduced to granular essence, spiritual herbs unraveled into flowing strands of vitality. There was no cauldron to contain them. The space itself served as the medium, held steady by his Dao.
He wove the Primordial Harmony Refinement Technique outward from his core.
Each cycle passed not through motion, but through alignment. Essence was drawn apart, purified, then guided back together under a single principle: balance. Hard mineral force softened without losing strength. Gentle spiritual vitality gained structure without becoming rigid. Yin and Yang folded into one another until no trace of conflict remained.
The ingredients ceased to be many.
Pressure gathered—not violently, but inevitably.
Then, with a muted bang, the suspended essence collapsed inward. Light flared briefly, contained by Haotian's will alone. When it faded, jade-colored pills drifted into existence, already complete, already flawless.
Their surfaces gleamed smooth and cool, faint rainbow veins flowing beneath like restrained currents. A fragrance spread through the chamber—clean and crisp, like winter blossoms carried on cold air. Subtle, yet brimming with latent strength.
The Jade Body Nourishing Pill was born.
Haotian did not pause.
With a thought, the remaining essence split again, evenly, precisely. Each refinement cycle concluded with the same result: 173 perfect pills, Haotian continued ceaselessly, hands steady, eyes sharp, sweat dripping down his temples but never breaking his focus. By evening, cauldron after cauldron had been emptied, until jade-colored pills filled rows of jade bottles.
Hours passed without notice.
By evening, the air itself shimmered faintly from repeated refinement. Rows of jade bottles floated nearby, each filling as pills settled gently inside, sealed by a thread of Dao as soon as the last pill entered.
Only when the final strand of essence dissipated did Haotian withdraw his will. He looked at his finished work. Over 800,000 Jade Body Nourishing Pills, storm of resources, prepared not only for himself but for the women of the Moon Lotus Sect. With these, their bodies would endure the toll of dual cultivation, their stamina restored, their physiques tempered into greater strength.
While the Moon Lotus Sect celebrated their rapid ascension under the new dual cultivation method, one chamber remained silent.
Behind sealed doors, Shuyue sat cross-legged in meditation. Her chamber was dim, incense burning faintly in the corners, shadows clinging to the walls. Unlike the others, she had not stepped into the bathhouse, nor tasted the flow of Haotian's yin-yang conduit.
Instead, she poured her heart into the Heart-Seal Method. For days, she pressed her spirit into it, cycling endlessly, her face pale from strain.
But every time her focus faltered, whispers from beyond the chamber bled into her ears—disciples rejoicing at new breakthroughs, elders marveling at their progress, even Sect Master Yinxue rising to Peak Soul Transformation.
Each murmur was a knife.
Her hands clenched into fists on her knees. The seal on her heart pulsed faintly, cracks spider-webbing deeper each day. She told herself it was fine—that she was preserving her path, that she was resisting the corruption of dual cultivation.
But as time went on, and the sounds of awe only grew louder outside her walls, her breaths grew heavier. Her mind turned again and again to Haotian's figure, to Ziyue at his side, and to the rising tide of disciples who had all surpassed her.
Still, she did not open her door.
Not yet.
Shuyue remained in seclusion, locked in battle not with demons, nor with enemies, but with her own heart.
The great hall of the Moon Lotus Sect was filled from front to back. Elders stood in solemn rows, while disciples in their white-and-blue robes whispered softly among themselves. The air carried an undercurrent of fatigue—traces of the toll from the grand cultivation two days before.
Then Haotian stepped forward.
His presence silenced the hall instantly. He scanned the sea of female cultivators, his expression firm yet gentle, before his voice carried across the chamber:
"You've all seen the results of our new cultivation. Your realms have advanced rapidly, faster than any method this sect has ever known. But with such rapid gains comes a hidden danger."
The disciples straightened, listening intently.
"Your stamina is limited," Haotian continued. "Cultivating this way exhausts more stamina than your spirit. It drains your very bodies. Yet I have watched many of you eat only herbs, roots, and portions far too meager to restore what is lost."
He raised a hand, and with a flick of his sleeve, rows of jade bottles appeared in the air, shimmering under the morning light. They floated forward in neat formation, hundreds upon hundreds of them. A faint fragrance drifted from the seals, cool and refreshing, like dew on moonlit lotuses.
"I will not allow your foundations to crumble because of neglect," Haotian declared. "So I have refined a new pill—the Jade Body Nourishing Pill. In one day, I created more than eight hundred thousand of these."
A gasp swept through the hall. Even the elders exchanged shocked glances. Eight hundred thousand in a single day? For anyone else, the number was impossible. For Haotian, it seemed almost casual.
"These pills," he explained, "will nourish your bodies, restore your stamina, and strengthen your physique. Not only will this allow you to cultivate without fear of collapse, it will temper your foundations for the future, making your bodies resilient for the storms to come."
He gestured, and the jade bottles floated down to the disciples, one after another. Each girl caught theirs with trembling hands, gazing at the cool, glowing pills inside. Some sniffed the fragrance, others pressed the bottles to their hearts as if holding something sacred.
Whispers rippled through the assembly:
"He… he really thought of everything…"
"So many… for all of us…"
"Senior Brother Haotian… he's carrying us forward."
At the head of the hall, Sect Master Yinxue's expression softened despite herself. Beside her, Ziyue's eyes lingered on Haotian, filled with quiet pride.
Haotian's gaze swept over them all one final time, his voice steady:
"These pills are for you. Use them well. We cannot waste a single day—the demons will not."
The hall resounded with a unified bow, disciples and elders alike crying out:
"Thank you, Senior Brother Haotian!"
That evening, after the assembly, the disciples and elders gathered in the cultivation bathhouse once more. This time, however, there were no dual cultivation formations, no yin-yang merging. Instead, each carried a Jade Body Nourishing Pill in hand.
At Sect Master Yinxue's signal, they swallowed a pill.
The effects were immediate.
A cool rush spread through their bodies, like moonlit water coursing through their veins. Muscles that ached from overuse relaxed instantly; the hollowness left by exhausted stamina filled with warmth. Bones vibrated faintly as if tempered by unseen hammers, their marrow nourished. Skin grew clearer, spirit seas steadied, and even meridians seemed to hum with resilience.
Gasps echoed through the bathhouse:
"My body… it feels light again!"
"It's like I've been reborn."
"I can feel my stamina returning, my strength surging…"
Some of the younger disciples touched their faces, startled to find their skin smoother, their complexion glowing. Others flexed their fingers, marveling at the restored vitality. Even the elders exchanged astonished looks, silently acknowledging what Haotian had provided them.
By the end, the bathhouse buzzed with fervor, disciples bowing in reverence. The Jade Body Nourishing Pill had exceeded all expectations.
Later that night, in a quiet chamber lit by lantern light, Haotian sat with Sect Master Yinxue and Elder Ziyue. Tea steamed gently between them, untouched, as the three poured over maps and jade slips.
Haotian's voice was calm but resolute.
"The disciples' foundations are now secured. Their stamina will no longer limit their progress. But this is only the beginning."
He tapped the map, a marked path leading eastward toward the sea bridge.
"I am still working on the grand formation here in the sect. Once it is fully established, the sect will stand as a fortress. But in one month, I must go to the seal at the sea bridge itself… and attempt to reinforce it."
Yinxue's hand tightened slightly around her teacup. "You mean to shoulder the seal alone?"
Haotian nodded. "It must be done. Three years remain before it breaks. If we can extend its life even a little longer, we gain time. Time for the sect to grow, for the world to prepare."
Ziyue's gaze lingered on him, equal parts admiration and worry.
"You carry too much alone, Haotian."
He smiled faintly, though the weight in his eyes betrayed the burden.
"I promised to buy you all time. That is my duty. But I will not lie—what lies ahead will test me to my very limits."
The chamber grew silent, the only sound the faint crackle of lantern flame. Yinxue finally exhaled, her voice steady but grave:
"Then we must ensure the Moon Lotus Sect reaches heights never before seen. If you march to the sea bridge, Haotian, we will march with you—in strength, in spirit, in unity."
Ziyue's hand hovered as if to reach for him, but she withdrew, her heart unspoken.
Haotian's gaze hardened.
"Then let us begin. We have one month to make this sect unshakable."
At dawn, steam rose once more from the bathhouse waters. Haotian stood blindfolded within the veiled source crystal, his formations humming faintly, while hundreds of disciples and elders entered their designated spots.
The session began.
A surge of yin and yang chi intertwined like roaring rivers, flooding the waters. Pleasure and power mingled; cries and gasps echoed within the soundless barriers. One by one, the disciples' auras flared with brilliance—soul seas bursting open, realms shattering their bottlenecks.
By the time the last cycle ended, every disciple had stepped into the Soul Transformation Realm. Their awe was uncontainable. Some wept in disbelief, others bowed in silent reverence.
Even Sect Master Yinxue, seated apart, felt her cultivation boiling on the edge. Yet, despite the tremors within, her foundation held at Peak Soul Transformation Realm. She rose silently, her expression unreadable, though her heart was pounding with what this meant for the sect.
The Nine Sects Tournament
That very night, news arrived: the Tournament of the Nine Sects had been announced. It would be hosted at the Iron Heaven Sect in one month's time.
When the message spread through the Moon Lotus Sect, the female disciples erupted with the same answer: refusal.
"We have never participated in such things."
"Why reveal our strength? Let them think us weak."
"Other sects will only mock us."
The hall was filled with rejection. But then Haotian stood.
"You should go," he said, his voice cutting through the murmurs.
Hundreds of eyes turned toward him.
"At this tournament, the Moon Lotus Sect has always been seen as weak. Insignificant. A sect of women who could never match the so-called great sects of the Nine."
His eyes narrowed, the faintest trace of a smile on his lips.
"But this time… when the other sects see hundreds of disciples all at Soul Transformation Realm, their sect masters will pee in their pants." His words carried no jest—only the certainty of shock that awaited the world. "This time, you will not enter as prey. You will enter as the storm."
Silence followed, then a ripple of excitement spread. The disciples' eyes began to gleam. The elders exchanged heavy looks. Sect Master Yinxue, after a pause, finally nodded.
The Training Regime
Haotian stood tall in the grand hall, his voice carrying steady authority.
"From today until the Nine Sects Tournament, you will follow this cycle without deviation. It will raise your cultivation and forge your unity."
He raised his hand, fingers marking each day:
Day One: Mass Dual Cultivation.
Day Two: Rest during the day. At night, use the Moon Lotus Codex cultivation and chi circulation to stabilize and refine your realms.
Day Three: Practice the Moon Lotus Codex sword techniques. At night, refine and stabilize your cultivation with the Codex.
Day Four: Train the Sword Formation of the Moon Lotus Codex. At night, again stabilize and refine your realms using the Codex.
His gaze sharpened as he continued.
"This is especially true for the Sect Master… and for any of you who have reached Peak Soul Transformation Realm. At that level, the dual cultivation method serves mainly to push through minor realms. But to step through major realms, you cannot rely on dual cultivation alone. It requires not only refining your chi… but also comprehension."
He lifted a jade slip of the Codex.
"The Moon Lotus Codex will be your guide. It is designed to help refine chi while also nurturing comprehension. With it, you will not remain bound—you may reach as far as the Peak of Saint Realm."
The words rang through the hall like a great bell, sinking deep into every heart.
A wave of realization spread across the disciples and elders. They had seen dual cultivation as the ultimate method… but now, under Haotian's reminder, they understood. Without comprehension and refinement, their paths would falter.
One by one, voices rose in unison, firm and resolute:
"We understand now, Senior Brother Haotian!"
Even Sect Master Yinxue, seated upon her dais, lowered her gaze slightly, her expression solemn. His reminder had pierced through her as well.
Haotian's voice softened, but his words still carried power.
"Good. Remember—dual cultivation is a tool. The Moon Lotus Codex is the path. Do not confuse the two."
The disciples bowed once more, their unified response echoing through the mountain halls.
The day after Haotian's announcement, the Moon Lotus Sect moved with new energy. The disciples and elders alike carried determination in their steps, their gazes sharper than ever.
Day One – Mass Dual Cultivation
At dawn, the bathhouse glowed once again with chi light. Haotian sat blindfolded at the concealed source crystal, hundreds of yin streams flooding toward him, mixing and returning in harmony. The disciples endured the waves of pleasure, their moans muffled by soundless formations.
Throughout the day, brilliant auras burst forth across the waters—disciples rising from Mid to Late Nascent Realm, others breaking into Early Soul Transformation. Elder Ziyue's aura shone steadily beside them, stabilizing at her new height.
By the evening, the sect brimmed with vitality. A hundred breakthroughs in a single day.
Day Two – Rest and Refinement
The sect remained quiet during the day. Disciples rested, meditating within their courtyards, while elders oversaw order.
That night, the bathhouse filled again, but this time without Haotian. Each disciple sank into the waters in lotus position, circulating the Moon Lotus Codex. Chi swirled gently like streams of moonlight, refining their newly gained realms. The frosted waters glimmered as bottlenecks smoothed out, their foundations becoming steadier.
Day Three – Sword Techniques and Cultivation
In the morning, the training grounds rang with steel. Rows of disciples stood with Yuehua Jian in hand, practicing the fluid sequences of the Moon Lotus Codex sword techniques.
Blades sang through the frosty air, arcs of light shimmering as formations of sword intent began to echo each other. Many stumbled at the speed, but the discipline was unshakable—each mistake followed by correction, each slash more precise.
By evening, their arms ached and sweat soaked their robes, but their spirits burned with pride. That night, they once again cultivated within the bathhouse, refining the day's exertions into strength. More breakthroughs came—this time fewer, but steadier, solidifying the sect's growing foundation.
Day Four – Sword Formation and Refinement
The final day of the cycle dawned with a chill wind. On the training platform, Haotian guided the disciples into formation—swords aligned, movements synchronized.
At first, the lines were uneven, blades clashing out of rhythm. But as the day went on, something clicked. The air thrummed with resonance, sword energy rising into the sky as dozens of disciples moved as one body. Their combined force rivaled even the elders.
When the sun dipped, they collapsed to their knees, panting but exhilarated. And once more, they entered the bathhouse by night, refining with the Moon Lotus Codex, tempering their cultivation with calm determination.
The Results of the First Cycle
By the end of the four days, the sect had transformed. Nearly every disciple had stabilized at Late Nascent Realm or Early Soul Transformation. The elders stood taller, their strength visibly sharper.
The whispers spread among them:
"This is only the first cycle…"
"In one month, what heights will we reach?"
Above them all, Haotian watched silently. His heart swelled—not with pride, but with resolve. This was only the beginning.