Dual Cultivation System: The Villainous Servant’s Rise

“There’s a punishment?” Han Lie recoiled, shaking his head vigorously. “Forget it. Absolutely not.”

If there was a reward, he could muster some enthusiasm—perhaps even find a way to fleece Grand Elder Chi Lian. But a punishment for failure? That was a losing bet. He preferred to fold before the cards were dealt.

Chi Lian blinked, momentarily thrown off by his shameless pragmatism. Most disciples would jump at a chance to impress a Grand Elder. This old fox simply calculated the profit margin and walked away.

“How about you listen to the terms first?” Her left eye twitched slightly, a crack in her lazy demeanor.

“I suppose that’s free,” Han Lie conceded cautiously.

Chi Lian leaned forward, her voice dropping to a sultry purr. “If you grow strong enough to defeat Hall Master Black Sha within ten years, I will reward you with one session of… dual cultivation. With me.”

She brushed a stray lock of hair from her forehead, her gaze heavy and meaningful. “I imagine such a reward holds significant appeal?”

Han Lie’s pupils contracted. He nearly slipped off his chair.

“Ahem…” He coughed, trying to stabilize his heart rate. “Grand Elder, are you serious?”

With a woman like Chi Lian, one could never tell if she was offering heaven or hell.

“Hehehe. Do I look like I joke about such things?”

Hard to say.

“Grand Elder,” Han Lie ventured carefully. “Then… what is the punishment?”

“The punishment~” Chi Lian covered her mouth, her eyes crinkling with amusement. “If you fail, you must serve as my furnace cauldron. For three years.”

“Excuse me?!” Han Lie’s jaw hit the floor.

Three years as a cauldron? That wasn’t a punishment; that was a sentence to be drained dry. It seemed the Grand Elder had decided to eat him up, one way or another.

“Well? Are you interested in this challenge?” Chi Lian licked her vermilion lips, looking every inch the apex predator eyeing a particularly juicy rabbit.

“Alright. Grand Elder, I accept!” Han Lie declared with sudden solemnity.

Then, he immediately threw his hands up. “And now, I concede. I cannot do it. I surrender.”

“……?”

Chi Lian froze, then burst into a melodious, terrifying laugh. “You little slave… trying to play games with me? No. Once accepted, there is no surrender. You must try.”

“I… refuse to accept that refusal,” Han Lie tried.

“Denied!” Chi Lian shook her head, her tone brook no argument.

“Since I cannot surrender…” Han Lie’s expression shifted to that of a seasoned market haggler. “Grand Elder, the risk and reward are unbalanced. If I succeed, I get one night. If I fail, I lose three years. The math doesn’t work. If you don’t sweeten the pot, I might as well slack off for ten years and accept my fate.”

Chi Lian tapped her chin, pondering. “You make a valid point. Very well. I will increase the reward.”

She held up a hand, fingers splayed. “Five sessions.”

“Deal!” Han Lie accepted instantly.

Five sessions with a Grand Elder versus three years of servitude? It was a no-brainer. Besides, once he hit the Nascent Soul stage, a single cultivation retreat could last decades. Three years was a blink of an eye. Five sessions, however, could boost his cultivation immensely.

“You really know how to bargain,” Chi Lian murmured, her figure beginning to blur. “Do your best. Don’t disappoint me.”

The world spun.

In the blink of an eye, Han Lie was standing back on the immortal bridge outside the Violet Heaven Palace. The scent of Chi Lian’s perfume still lingered in his nose.

“Interesting,” Han Lie muttered, stroking his chin.

The bet confirmed one thing: Chi Lian—and likely Ye Qingxuan—knew about his Pure Yang Sacred Body. Why else would a Grand Elder set a trap where he ended up in her bed regardless of the outcome? It seemed the allure of the Pure Yang physique was absolute.

She wasn’t even pretending anymore.

With Old Ghost Black Sha confined to the Ice Wind Cave, Han Lie’s world became blissfully quiet.

For the next three years, he fell into a rhythm. Cultivation, sect missions, and the occasional ‘training’ session.

When Ye Qingxuan was in seclusion, Han Lie visited Su Mei or Bai Ling for physical relief. But for true cultivation progress, he sought out Qin Lan. Her Nascent Soul cultivation provided the necessary pressure to refine his own energy.

Three years passed in a flash.

Zhuo Hongyi had yet to return. In her absence, Han Lie became a nightmare for the Sun Moon Sect. During his missions, he clashed repeatedly with their disciples, to the point where they issued a standing bounty on his head.

Han Lie didn’t care. He was still at the late Golden Core stage, but unless a Nascent Soul monster crawled out of their hole, he feared no one. Let them come. Their blood would only serve to feed Crimson Oath.

“Phew… almost there.”

Inside his wooden hut, Han Lie opened his eyes, exhaling a plume of turbid air that hung in the room like gray mist.

He clenched his fist, feeling the spiritual energy in his dantian surge like a tidal wave. It was thick, heavy, and majestic.

Three years of grinding had brought him to the precipice of the Golden Core Perfection stage. He was just one push away.

“One session with Ye Qingxuan,” he muttered. “That’s all I need.”

Without her, it might take another two years. With her? It would be instant.

As if summoned by his desire, a cool, imperious voice echoed in his mind.

“Han Lie. Come to the palace.”

“Coming!” Han Lie’s eyes lit up. He scrambled to his feet and dashed toward the Violet Heaven Palace.

Violet Heaven Palace, Third Floor.

Ye Qingxuan sat in the center of the room, her presence vast and serene. She watched Han Lie enter, noting the eager sparkle in his eyes.

“What are you expecting?” she asked, her voice dousing his excitement like a bucket of ice water.

“Uh…” Han Lie rubbed his nose. Can I just say it?

“You want to dual cultivate?”

She didn’t beat around the bush. Her gaze was sharp, dissecting his thoughts with surgical precision.

“The Sect Leader is wise. Nothing escapes your eyes,” Han Lie chuckled, masking his awkwardness with a bow.

“It has been some time,” Ye Qingxuan acknowledged, her tone neutral. “But before that, there is a matter you might find interesting.”

“Please enlighten me, Sect Leader.”

Ye Qingxuan’s expression remained impassive, but her words carried the weight of a death sentence.

“Qingzhou City has entered another period of upheaval. A cultivator named Yun Xuanzi has launched an attack on the city.”

She paused, letting the silence stretch.

“Unless there is an unexpected variable, the city will fall. Your father and mother will be killed. The lordship of Qingzhou will change hands.”

“Furthermore,” she added, “Chi Lian has confirmed that the Sun Moon Sect is backing this Yun Xuanzi.”

She looked at him, her eyes searching for a reaction.

“Do you… wish to save them?”