The Emotion Severance Sutra was an auxiliary cultivation method similar to the lineage of soul cultivation that allowed cultivators to detach their emotions. Without the burden of emotions, they could wholeheartedly seek out their desires, but at the same time, it would intricately affect the mindset of the cultivator, causing them to have no fetters.
Without fail, any who cultivated the Emotion Severance Sutra had turned into ruthless characters. They would even purposely break the sect's laws knowing of the punishment because the gains would be worth it.
And there was a crucial defect in the sutra.
If the cultivator couldn't successfully detach their emotions, they would not be able to advance in their cultivation anymore. More often than not, the cultivator would choose to eliminate the source of their emotions, whether it be their parents, children, significant other, or even their masters.
Sometimes, Sect Master Xia felt that the Buzhou Immortal Sect should have destroyed all evidence of the cultivation method when they destroyed Begonia Tower. Not only did they have to worry about Emperor Soulfish staring at them in the dark, but many issues had appeared thanks to the Emotion Severance Sutra. Still, no matter how unorthodox the Emotion Severance Sutra was, immortality was all but guaranteed to those who cultivated it. So there were still those like Xia Yushan who would willingly cultivate it despite knowing the detriments.
With how fixated Xia Yushan was on Tianyi, if he could not detach his emotions, then Xia Yushan's future would be destroyed.
"Yushan, you should think about it clearly. Once you choose to cultivate the Emotion Severance Sutra, you will no longer be eligible to become the future sect master. The sect master of the Buzhou Immortal Sect can be ruthless, but they must not be heartless," Sect Master Xia said.
"I'm determined. If I don't, Xi Tianyi will be the root of my inner devil."
Sect Master Xia sighed. "Don't be in such a rush. I'll prepare the materials for you to restore your lifebound artifact. In your current state, you can't even cultivate. I'll let you have time to reconsider until after your lifebound artifact is restored."
With those words, Sect Master Xia left to prepare pills and resources. Once he left, Xia Yushan forced himself to sit upright. Normally, objects couldn't be stored in a cultivator's dantian, but the lifebound artifact was different since it was so intricately linked to the cultivator.
He took out his lifebound sword and observed it. Cracks filled the sword body, and the places where Tianyi had punched had dulled to an extreme degree as if he had tried to slice metal with it. But the most glaring damage of all was the hole in the middle.
Xia Yushan closed his eyes and recalled the third eye that had suddenly appeared on Tianyi's forehead. 'Until the end, you never brought out your full strength. Am I that weak to you?'
In the next few weeks, while he was recovering, Xia Yushan discovered what Tianyi's third eye was. The Truth-Seeking Eye, said to be able to discern all the mysteries under heaven and earth, something only an immortal could cultivate.
While Xia Yushan was cultivating, one of the servant-disciples serving him knocked on the door. "Enter."
"Master, Miss Ji is seeking an audience," The servant-disciple said after entering and kneeling.
"Tell her that I'm still recuperating and won't see any guests," Xia Yushan said.
"Understood," The servant-disciple nodded and prepared to leave, but Xia Yushan stopped him.
"Has anyone else asked to visit?"
"Aside from Miss Ji, Mister Wei, Mister Heng, Mister Lin," As the servant-disciple listed the names, Xia Yushan's started to frown, causing him to start sweating. After a long pause, he added. "Mister Lovespot has also asked to visit Master, but I told him that you weren't accepting visitors now."
Thinking about Lovespot, Xia Yushan sneered. 'What does he want? Does he want to ally with me because I lost to Tianyi? Just because I lost doesn't mean I will stoop so low as to contact him of all people.'
"If Lovespot visits again, you can directly tell the gatekeepers to bar him from entering. Does he think he's still someone important after Immortal Redseal has been imprisoned?" Xia Yushan said.
The servant-disciple nodded and waited for further orders, but Xia Yushan became uncharacteristically silent. Just as the servant-disciple was about to ask to leave, Xia Yushan spoke again. "Did Daoyi come?'
"Who?"
"Jiang Daoyi, Grand Elder Xi's disciple." Xia Yushan clarified.
"Miss Jiang? No, I haven't seen anyone related to Jade Peak aside from Mister Xi sending over materials," The servant disciple said.
"He's still sending materials?" Xia Yushan said.
"Yes, but I've put them all into storage, per your orders."
Xia Yushan nodded. "Alright, you can leave."
After the servant-disciple left, Xia Yushan clenched his hands so hard the air within his palm popped. His master's words floated in his mind once more, and he unclenched his hand.
Thanks to Sect Master Xia's efforts, Xia Yushan repaired his lifebound artifact within a year. The first thing he did after recovering was to visit Jade Peak.
"Senior Brother Xia!" Tianyi cried out, and then an awkward expression appeared. He coughed into his hands and asked. "How are your injuries?"
An even more awkward expression surfaced, but Xia Yushan ignored that. He stared at Daoyi with a serious expression. "Miss Jiang, I have something important to tell you."
Tianyi also looked at Daoyi, happy that Xia Yushan directed his attention elsewhere. What could he say? "Sorry, I beat you so badly that I almost destroyed your lifebound artifact. Now that you're healed, let's forget that ever happened." Yeah, no.
"What is so important that Senior Brother needs to come to Jade Peak immediately? Your face is still pale. Perhaps you should recuperate a bit more." Daoyi politely said.
Xia Yushan gave a smile. It was a smile that even dazzled Tianyi. Had he been a girl, his heart might have thumped.
"Jiang Daoyi, I have a deep fondness for you. Please become my dao companion."
If Tianyi had been drinking something, he would have spat the contents out in shock. Since he didn't, he could only settle for hanging his mouth wide open.
Xia Yushan began to grow anxious upon seeing no reaction from Daoyi. "Daoyi, I have had a good impression of you ever since I heard you play your guqin. Since that time, my feelings for you have only deepened. I promise you that I will never mistreat you, and I will protect you. You are like the celestial moonlight in my heart."
"Senior Brother Xia," Daoyi started, causing Xia Yushan's heart to thump. "What do you like about me?"
"Your music is akin to the worldly laws cultivators seek, your gentleness is like Empress Houtu's embrace, and your beauty surpasses Chang'e. I like everything about you."
Even as a bystander, Tianyi felt his face flush up just by hearing Xia Yushan's words. Daoyi, however, didn't even have a hint of redness on her cheeks.
"Senior Brother Xia doesn't understand me at all. Music is just an external talent, and I'm only gentle on the surface. As for beauty, that's even more laughable." Daoyi shook her head. "Senior Brother Xia, please return."
Xia Yushan's face turned ashen. Tianyi even worried that he might vomit blood. He stared at Daoyi, trying to see any trace of falsity. "Daoyi, you won't even consider a little bit? We don't have to become dao companions immediately."
Daoyi shook her head. "No need. Senior Brother Xia should have understood the moment I distanced myself from you years ago. And, please don't address me by my given name, we aren't close enough for that."
Xia Yushan staggered back. "Since back then, you already knew?"
"I had an inkling, but I didn't want to risk it."
"Is there any chance then? We could complement each other, you just have to give me a chance to understand you!"
"Unfortunately, you will never be able to understand me. Few people would." Daoyi said.
Xia Yushan's eyes became heated, and he glanced at Tianyi. "What about Junior Brother Xi? Is he one of them?"
Daoyi didn't even hesitate to confirm Xia Yushan's words.
Xia Yushan staggered back as if he had taken a physical blow. His gaze lingered between Tianyi, who averted his eyes, and Daoyi, who stared straight back at him. "Then I hope you two become...become..."
He never finished his words as he turned around and left as if fleeing from some horrifying monster.
Xia Yushan didn't go back to his mansion but went to look for Sect Master Xia instead. At least he still had the last semblance of sanity left and didn't barge into the grand hall where Sect Master Xia was discussing the current affairs of the Heaven Continent with the other head elders.
It was only at night, when the other head elders had left, that Xia Yushan could meet his master. Upon entering, he immediately repeated his request.
Sect Master Xia took a deep look at Xia Yushan and said, "Yushan, are you sure? Once you embark on this path, you will never be able to return."
"Master, I am sure."
Sect Master Xia closed his eyes and sighed. When he opened them, the way he looked at Xia Yushan was completely different. "Since you have chosen to embark on this path, I'll tell you right now, if you break even a minor law of the sect, I will destroy your cultivation base. Don't think that just because you are my disciple, you won't receive punishment. Your punishment will only be heavier."
Xia Yushan's body trembled, and he kowtowed three times to Sect Master Xia. "Disciple thanks Master for your concern."
Sect Master Xia only gently shook his head and helped Xia Yushan up. He handed Xia Yushan a jade pendant, one with the characters 'sect master' carved onto it. "Take this to the Immortal Scripture Repository. The Emotion Severence Sutra will be there waiting for you."
Xia Yushan stared hard at the pendant before cupping his hands, thanking Sect Master Xia before leaving. Sect Master Xia shook his head again and resumed scheming for the Buzhou Immortal Sect's interests. If their plan succeeded, then the million years of planning would be worth it. If it failed, they might have to wait another million years.
Xia Yushan took the pendant and entered the Immortal Scripture Repository. Despite the rising moon, numerous disciples were still active. Upon seeing Xia Yushan, they all cast a curious glance at him. Some gazes were more penetrating than most.
Xia Yushan clenched his fist and ignored the gazes. While he had been recovering, the news of his defeat at Tianyi's hand had already spread throughout the sect.
There were hardly any detrimental rumors against Tianyi and Xia Yushan since Xia Yushan's identity and strength as the eldest senior brother had been recognized for decades. Someone posting a video of the battle to the Xiyinet also helped, preventing people from distorting the battle to their will, but that still didn't prevent a few sour words from being spoken.
They questioned Xia Yushan's ability to remain as the eldest senior brother, citing his absolute defeat from Tianyi. They were both in the Unity Realm, so Xia Yushan should have never been defeated so horribly. Still, they were in the minority and came from the scions who disliked Xia Yushan.
Xia Yushan no longer cared. Once he chose to embark on the path of emotion severance, he no longer had any fate with the position of sect master. Why would he need to curry favors with them anymore?
He nodded to the elder guarding the Immortal Scripture Repository and ascended all the way to the ninth floor. There, all the jade slips were veiled in an illusionary curtain, preventing him from peeking at their details, all except one.
Xia Yushan grasped the jade slip and sent a wisp of his spiritual sense into it. Upon doing so, a massive amount of information entered his mind. When he awoke, a week had already passed.
He returned to his mansion and immediately began to cultivate the Emotion Severance Sutra. He continued to cultivate for three years and reached the peak of mid Unity Realm.
The more detached Xia Yushan became with his emotions, the greater his sensitivity to the worldly laws. In the past three years, he was able to double the number of concepts he had mastered.
However, Xia Yushan came to a problem. He had encountered a bottleneck and an emotion he couldn't severe no matter what. Love had been the first emotion he had severed, so Daoyi's presence no longer affected him.
To break the bottleneck, Xia Yushan visited Sect Master Xia and asked to visit the Xia Clan to bid farewell to his past.
"Since you have embarked on this path, it is about time to say goodbye to your past," Sect Master Xia said. "However, you can't go during war times for petty reasons like this. Instead, I'll issue you a mission. You are to investigate the rumors that the Tripartite Alliance is aiming to destroy the clans associated with the sect."
"Disciple understands." Xia Yushan nodded.
"Also, there, you should go pick up a certain person. The current patriarch has discovered a good seed with heavenly spiritual veins. If his willpower is strong enough, he will become your junior brother."
Xia Yushan's body paused for a moment, and he nodded. "Disciple understands."
"Go," Sect Master Xia said.