Chapter Fourteen: The Origins of the Demonic Clan

When the Demon Clan was mentioned, the Elder of the Cauldron's expression shifted constantly. "In the ancient era, when a hundred schools of thought contended and myriad races flourished, there arose two outstanding individuals. These two cherished each other as brothers, exploring martial arts together, their strength unrivaled in their time.

One day, however, a disagreement arose between them as they delved into the realm of immortality. One believed the soul was paramount—that only with a powerful soul could one command the world. The other argued that the body was the key; when one's cultivation reached a certain level, the body could merge with the heavens and earth, and the soul could become the will of the world, thus achieving true immortality.

Neither would yield to the other, and eventually, they parted on bad terms. The ancestor of the Demon Clan, Shi Shang, seeking to prove his path and his correctness, resorted to schemes and set off an unprecedented war, collecting souls in secret to further his own cultivation.

Qin Haotian, meanwhile, used the energies of the cosmos to create the Creation Cauldron, hiding it within his own body. He wished to find an exceptionally gifted disciple, hoping that through this student, he could realize his own dreams and test his theories. Unfortunately, he was unaware that while he poured all his strength into forging the Cauldron, Shi Shang had already unleashed devastation across the universe. Shi Shang, promising immortality, gathered many like-minded powerful beings, and through cunning conspiracies, ignited conflicts among the various races, plunging the cosmos into war. He secretly harvested the souls of the dead for his cultivation.

Qin Haotian, the champion of justice, witnessed the world ravaged by war—cities in ruins, people displaced, the earth stained red with blood. Grief-stricken, he sought out Shi Shang to urge him to end the carnage. But Shi Shang, proud and unyielding, saw Qin Haotian’s plea as a denial of his path. The two parted in anger once more.

Returning, Qin Haotian rallied those who opposed the war, while Shi Shang, unwilling to be outdone, gathered a host of ruthless warriors bent on creating gods through slaughter. Each led their followers into a cataclysmic battle—the first of its kind. From that day, the righteous began calling Shi Shang’s faction the Demon Clan. Thus was the Demon Clan born.

That war turned heaven and earth upside down, shattering the land and giving rise to the countless small cosmic worlds you know today. In the end, both Shi Shang and Qin Haotian were gravely wounded and fell into a deep slumber, vanishing from the world, and the war they started has continued from millennia past to this very day.

The Demon Clan abandoned cultivation of the flesh, focusing solely on gathering souls, opening a new path of practice. Humanity, unable to understand this new system and bereft of Qin Haotian’s leadership, suffered defeat after defeat. In the worlds conquered by the Demon Clan, humans became livestock, bred and fattened, their own darkness stoked to provoke wars and harvest souls.

The mighty among humanity joined forces to summon Qin Haotian. Upon learning all that had transpired, he used all his remaining power to seal off the worlds with powerful barriers, preventing any strong being from entering—unless Shi Shang himself intervened, no one could break these seals.

Fearing that these young worlds, born late, could not withstand an assault from the Demon Clan, Qin Haotian used his life force to forge multiple Creation Cauldrons. With their emergence, the Demon Clan saw a glimmer of hope: if they could control the chosen owner of a Cauldron, they could bypass the seals.

Having done all he could, Qin Haotian understood he could never recover. With his final strength, he reincarnated to start anew. The heroes of humanity have clung to the belief that Qin Haotian would one day return, fighting and bleeding on the front lines.

But thousands of years have passed, and the ancestor Qin Haotian has never reappeared. Now, humanity is nearly at its limit. The reason your world, though under the Demon Clan’s shadow, has not yet been attacked is twofold: first, they have not found the Cauldron’s master—for the Cauldron will never acknowledge them—and second, your world has only recently undergone a great trial and has not yet recovered its vitality. But after centuries of recuperation, your world could face another purge at any time. Therefore, Yaoye, you must strive to grow strong. Only then, when the next cleansing comes, will you have the power to resist!"

Hearing that humanity was nothing more than livestock bred by the Demon Clan, Yaoye clenched his fists in fury, though he could not help but admire the brilliance of Shi Shang and Qin Haotian—both were unrivaled geniuses.

After learning the origins of the Demon Clan, Yaoye burned with anger. "Elder, what should I do now?"

The Elder of the Cauldron looked at the furious Yaoye and replied, "First, let us leave this place. The Creation Cauldron has many uses—healing wounds is but one of them, as you have already experienced. Little Tian had you undergo these trials for a reason. The Cauldron’s greatest power is to simulate all possibilities. Your most urgent task is to deduce a cultivation method uniquely suited to yourself. As for its other powers, only when your own abilities reach a certain level will you be able to access them. I will do all I can to help you."