Okay... so... a slight change of plans. I went back to the old chapters and realized something, I wanted to re-write.  Desperately so, this story's tone was so all over the place that I did not want to have to create new chapters to fix all the mistakes I made. I tried writing the next couple of arcs only to be stopped dead by how much I wanted to change. For the few who have joined Patreon, you guys know that I have been re-writing the story for a while now and made a slight change of plans. If you read the title you might have guessed, I am doing a rewrite. I know it might hurt some of the fans who wanted the story to progress and I am sorry. But I could not continue that story as it was. If you guys saw just how many times I sat down to write something only to scrap it halfway through. It was miserable and a major contributor as to why my uploads were so slow recently. The only reason TMG was normal was that I had quite a few stored chapters. Anyway, this is my longwinded of saying we are restarting this story(The overall throughline is going to be similar but I made major overhauls to almost every aspect.)

The story will remain as it is and the new version will be titled LOC(Lord of Cauldrons) if anyone still wants to read the story search that. Even if you guys become frustrated and want to leave the story I understand and accept it. If you want to still see where this story can take you, you are welcome to read the new version.

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A beast roared, but it was not fierce or an act of challenge. No, it was the dying cry of a being that was not long for the world.

The armadillo-like mythic creature had spikes of pure white metal penetrating through most of its armored hide. Gallons of blood oozed out of every hole coating it in red.

Its massive clawed paws and its massive morning star-like tail were encased in ice. The beady eyes on its elongated head weakly stared at the perpetrators.

The scene it saw would be shocking to most normal people but to cultivators, it was the norm.

A beautiful woman that would make even nuns swoon had her face buried in the crotch of an equally handsome man who acted like this was nothing novel.

He was instead more focused on the beast, even as weakened as it was, it was still a mythical beast. Despite being so close to death its destructive potential was not something an expert like him could ignore.

The dozens of destroyed villages in its wake were a testament to its power.

The man's mismatched eyes glowed, one an amber flame and the other white frost.

Essence, the raw resource that powered all that existed and the base of all reality flowed through his essence circuits. As it did so, the essence picked up the rules enforced by the circuit guided by the will of the cultivator.

In doing so it changed, becoming more and more engorged before splitting into two threads.

One heated up and as it materialized in the open air it turned into a massive ball of fire.

The other froze over and this one escaped his soul and body it turned into a ball of unrealistic energy powered by the essence it formed from. A ball of blue frost that burned while emitting waves of cold instead of heat.

This was the miracle of essence manipulation.

Cultivators like him and the indisposed woman were practitioners who mastered this art and used it to perform miraculous feats.

One the male cultivator was about to demonstrate as both balls of energy collided with the head of the trapped monster causing it to explode in a burst of flame before immediately freezing over ending the fight.

The rest of the body slammed down, it's creating tremors across the area.

"To kill such a majestic creature... such a shame..."

An audible gulp came from the woman below, following which she glowed in a metallic white hue.

Drinking cum or commonly referred to as vital essence was a very common tactic to refill one's tank on the battlefield. Given vital essence's near-endless benefits and uses this was just another for the pile.

She came off his manhood with a loud deliberate *pop* as she floated back up to his side. Both were flying which made the whole motion a tad unique.

"Yes, but the number of potential cultivators it killed by merely existing was doubly a shame."

Her voice sounded chiding but was filled with good humor.

Banter with her best friend was always a novel experience and despite the frustration it induced, she frequently engaged him.

"I did not say that what we did was unnecessary, Lucia. I am simply lamenting the loss of a creature that was so close to its transformation."

Lucia huffed pouting at Simon as she quipped back.

"Someday, your 'everybody who has potential should be given a chance' is going to bight you back in the ass mark my words."

"It has already happened. Did not you bite my rear to bring me out of my meditation?"

Lucia sighed.

"I did that because you have become immune to my blowjobs. The heavens above, sucking on you is boring, it is like trying to suck on an artifact."

"Then why do it so frequently?"

"Because your vital essence tastes so good that you have practically ruined food for me!"

"Consuming food is unnecessary for cultivators at the nascent soul. In fact, it is unnecessary even for cultivators at the origin spirit. Only in the first four stages of essence refining, foundation, essence condensation, and golden core do you really need sustenance."

The gorgeous woman grabbed her silver hair and acted pulling it off her head.

"And you wonder why you can't make friends Samuel! You talk and act like an artifact. Heck, even I think that you are only a few steps removed from one!"

Samuel's voice was even throughout this entire conversation only now showing any modicum of emotion.

"Ah. I see. Yes. It is something I am working on. In fact, after we are done with this mission, we will be just in time to see the recruits. I am planning on taking one in as a disciple, a cauldron to be more specific."

Lucia's eyes widened as she raised her arms high in the air.

She did not feel remorse for insulting him the way she did. It had become a form of banter, and one of the good parts of her friend. He took criticism extremely well. Also, she meant malicious when she said those things. If anything it came from a place of love.

Instead, she focused on the other half of his statement.

"Woah! Woah! Stop for a minute. You are going to take in a disciple?"

"Yes."

"The forever recluse? The nascent soul outcast? The lone master? That man is going to take a disciple."

"I am going to assume you are talking about me and say yes."

"Well damn! Maybe now you will finally come out of your shell!"

Lucia was teasing but she was genuinely happy for her best friend to take this step. The cultivation world was a cutthroat place, filled with self-absorbed ego maniacs who cared about nothing but themselves.

While Samuel was very self-absorbed he exhibited none of the negative traits she associated with most masters. She was sure that if he was just a bit more open and socially aware, he would drowning in lovers and admirers.

But you take the good with the bad. And maybe just maybe, this experience would open him enough that he would accept a Dao-partner.

Very unlikely, but a girl could dream.