This wouldn't normally be a problem, since cultivation depends on one's own ability and comprehension; once one's cultivation level is high, this distinction disappears. Until… the method of dual cultivation appeared in the world!

Dual cultivation is a mutually beneficial practice, but in the realm of cultivation, just as there are righteous paths, there are also heretical ones. Some cultivators gradually became dissatisfied with the long and arduous process of cultivation and sought shortcuts. Thus, they developed heretical methods such as "absorbing yin to replenish yang" from the dual cultivation practice.

Initially, the righteous path suppressed and despised such cultivation methods, until the gods intervened...

Back then, the Six Realms were not as tightly separated as they are now. There was interaction between the realms, and as long as one had sufficient power, traveling to other realms was not difficult, and it was even simpler for the gods.

Unlike mortals who need arduous cultivation, the gods are born powerful and aloof. However, humans are the most numerous among all living beings. Most gods who enter the mortal realm do nothing, but over time, they inevitably become entangled in worldly affairs.

Dragons, in particular, are known for their promiscuous and indiscriminate nature, leaving behind a legacy of bloodlines. Many dragons remain in the mortal realm, and sometimes, for the sake of their bloodlines, they may intervene or even reform cultivation techniques.

The art of refining spiritual energy originated from the Dragon Clan and spread from there. It utilizes the innate yin and yang attributes of women to refine spiritual energy, absorb it for one's own use, and improve one's cultivation. Under the promotion of the Dragon Clan, this method quickly became popular in the mortal realm.

With the Dragon Clan taking the lead, the art of cultivating spiritual energy was no longer the practice of a few heretics, but became a universally recognized method of cultivation in the mortal realm. The number of female cultivators in the world dwindled, to the point that any woman discovered to possess spiritual roots was immediately confined and turned into a cultivation vessel.

And so the bottom line was gradually loosened. Cultivators in the world thought that since women could be used as cultivation vessels, were there other methods to increase their cultivation? Thus, flesh and blood, bones, and even souls—everything a woman possessed—began to be used as cultivation resources, and the human realm slowly became a purgatory for women.

"Though humans are weak, they are still living beings in this world. In my Underworld, gods, immortals, mortals, and even demons are all living beings, without distinction!" the King of the Underworld explained. "Living beings are the origin of the world. Using a woman's blood, flesh, and soul to refine elixirs and forge weapons is tantamount to sacrificing a living being, so naturally it will have certain effects. Mortals benefit greatly from this, as does the dragon race!"

They simply didn't understand this principle, nor did the dragons, so they assumed all these benefits came from women, and thus their plunder of women became even more frenzied. Until the world was thrown into chaos, and Heaven ordained a sage to descend upon the earth…