Yuan Wuji had been mourning when suddenly his perception stirred. Tilting his head back, he beheld the anomalous phenomena across the sky. His heart trembled slightly, and all traces of grief vanished from his countenance, replaced by flickering gleams in his eyes.
"So that's how it is! That's how it is!"
He threw back his head and laughed heartily, declaring aloud, "So the Nine Cauldrons were hidden here all along! No wonder I searched for so long in vain!"
Divine sense erupted from between his brows, and Xuanhuang Qi surged into existence behind him. Nine great cave-heavens appeared like bottomless earthenware urns, poised to swallow heaven and earth!
The nine urns suddenly fused into one, leaving behind a single massive, urn-shaped cave-heaven. Xuanhuang Qi formed its outer surface, etched with countless intricate patterns!
The already tilted sky of the Mount Li Mausoleum actually began tumbling into that earthenware urn!
Madam Yuan cried out in alarm, "Ancestor!"
Her heart was gripped by shock and doubt. The power Yuan Wuji displayed was far too terrifying. Though he was still executing the Yuan Dao Heavens Induction, the Yuan clan's ancestral art had never been this overbearing!
The Yuan Dao Heavens Induction originally required a practitioner to be cautious and meticulous, sensing the myriad worlds hidden within the void to comprehend the Great Dao concealed in the emptiness and elevate their own enlightenment.
Yet the Yuan Dao Heavens Induction Yuan Wuji was currently unleashing sought to devour the heavens and consume the void itself!
Could this truly be the result of cultivating the Yellow Court Dao Attainment Art?
Still, wasn't this transformation far too extreme?
"Why did the Old Matriarch tell me to leave just now?"
The thought sent chills running down Madam Yuan's spine. She gazed at the back of Yuan Wuji's head. She had once heard that after certain Nuo immortals entered their Hidden Scenery latent transformation grounds, they would abruptly turn into empty husks, devoid of all flesh and blood.
If one looked at the back of their heads, one could discern an impossibly thin ray of light, like a zero-width thread that had sliced the person open to strip away their flesh and blood.
What if their ancestor, Yuan Wuji, had also been consumed by something sinister? Did the back of his head bear such a fine line as well?
Her gaze settled upon the nape of Yuan Wuji's neck, searching for that line, yet she saw no luminous trace whatsoever.
"Perhaps I'm overthinking."
Just as she breathed a sigh of relief, Yuan Wuji seemed to sense her gaze and turned his head toward her.
Madam Yuan's scalp went completely numb. Yuan Wuji's shoulders hadn't shifted an inch, yet he had twisted his head clean around, his face turned squarely toward her!
His neck resembled a rolled-up cylinder of paper being wrung around, folding into dry, withered creases—as though beneath the skin, it were entirely hollow!
The mental discipline of the Yuan Dao Heavens Induction took effect, keeping Madam Yuan's heart as calm as clear ice, unflinching even if the heavens were to fall. She spoke softly, "Ancestor, please grieve no longer."
"I am fine." Yuan Wuji turned his head back around and looked up toward the sky, an edge of impatience creeping into his voice. With a booming shout, the Realm of Xiyi manifested behind him, and his Primordial Spirit emerged, immensely vast.
The earthenware urn cave-heaven grew even more terrifying as it devoured heaven and earth!
*No matter what, I must let Weiyang escape!* Madam Yuan vowed silently upon seeing this.
Yuan Wuji grew increasingly restless and barked, "The Nine Cauldrons forged this cave-heaven realm! For the cave-heaven realm to twist like this means an external force has invaded! Just who is opposing me? Come out!"
Roaring repeatedly, he pushed his cultivation to the absolute pinnacle. Within the Realm of Xiyi behind him, the Heavenly River surged, blasting through the Three Passes. The Jade Capital came into view, immortal light faintly radiated from the God Bridge, the Twelve-Storyed Mansions blazed with brilliance, and the Five Sacred Peaks immortal mountains soared toward the firmament in ten thousand beams of radiance!
He clearly sensed that besides the Nine Cauldrons, another horrifying power was tugging at them, locked in contention against him!
This power was utterly unfathomable and exceedingly formidable, leaving him no choice but to lay bare his true cultivation!
The sky twisted ever more violently, and the turbulence intensified!
"Stop hiding and show yourself!" he bellowed like thunder.
Suddenly, the sky tore open from east to west. The canopy of this subterranean cave-heaven was ripped apart, peeling open to both sides to reveal a colossal eye that blotted out the entire sky!
The pupil rolled, focusing upon Yuan Wuji.
The eye shifted once more, locking onto Yuan Wuji's form.
A deluge of clamorous voices surged forth, pouring straight into Yuan Wuji's mind.
His white hair whipped wildly as Yuan Wuji threw back his head and laughed. "You cannot sway my sanity! Whatever you are, you overestimate yourself! In the entire mortal realm, there is no longer any power that can rival me!"
The sky-obscuring eye suddenly trembled slightly. Yuan Wuji was struck as if by a thunderous blow. Blood spilled from his eyes, ears, mouth, and nose, and his chest caved inward like a hollow paper figurine.
Yet the earthenware urn grew increasingly radiant. Raging flames enveloped the urn cave-heaven—thunderous flames born from space collapsing into the cavern—as though it intended to swallow even the abyssal eye into the urn!
A violent tremor shook heaven and earth. The mountain ranges of the Mount Li Mausoleum swayed wildly, and gradually, the outermost walls of a massive cauldron emerged!
The outer surface of the cauldron was engraved with depictions of mountains and rivers. The light of those landscape motifs shone forth, projecting into the interior of the Mount Li Mausoleum to form the magnificent peaks and rivers of one of the Nine Prefectures of Shenzhou!
Now, these projected mountains and rivers abruptly vanished, allowing the massive cauldron to reveal its true form!
Zhu Chanchan gasped in astonishment, blurting out, "It really is the Nine Cauldrons of the Son of Heaven of Zhou! That's the Liangzhou Cauldron!"
As the heavenly artisan to the Son of Heaven of Zhou, she was no stranger to the Nine Cauldrons. She had once wanted to chisel off a few scrap pieces to forge treasures, but had never found the chance.
Beams of brilliance erupted from that great cauldron, forming dazzling auroras that contended against Yuan Wuji's urn cave-heaven, resisting both the cave-heaven and the colossal abyssal eye in the sky.
The Mount Li Mausoleum shook ceaselessly, beginning to collapse.
Mountains and rivers vanished from sight one after another. Just as the crowd stood in bewildered shock, a second massive cauldron materialized where the landscape had disappeared, its walls carved with the majestic terrain of a second great province!
More mountains and rivers within the mausoleum dissolved.
Then a third cauldron appeared, followed by a fourth, then a fifth...
In a brief moment, the miniature version of Shenzhou within the Mount Li Mausoleum vanished without a trace, replaced by nine massive cauldrons arranged according to the Nine Prefectures, seated in nine directions of the grand tomb, each corresponding to its province!
The entire landscape of Shenzhou within the Mount Li Mausoleum had been manifested by these Nine Cauldrons; walking among them, one could never tell the difference from reality!
Four thousand years ago, the Qi Refiners of the Great Qin Empire had used the Nine Cauldrons as a blueprint to map out the subterranean mountains and rivers, crafting an underground world for Zulong.
They had hoped that on some future day, they could awaken Zulong to rule the world once more!
Between these illusory mountains and rivers, the Qin Qi Refiners had also laid down various seals and restrictions to strangle intruders, diverted rivers of mercury teeming with evil god worms, and stationed the Twelve Golden Men to guard this magnificent imperial tomb!
"Simply magnificent!" Zhu Chanchan praised repeatedly in wonder. "This First Emperor Zulong truly is extraordinary! These Nine Cauldrons were originally the possessions of the Son of Heaven of Zhou, and right now, the Son of Heaven of Zhou is likely still on the other shore... As his heavenly artisan, it's only right that I inherit the Nine Cauldrons!"
At the same time, the collapsing Mount Li flew piece by piece toward the sky, pulled into the colossal abyssal eye above.
Xu Ying and Yuan Weiyang had attuned their divine senses to the Nine Cauldrons, merging with them. Originally, they were being pulled downward toward that enormous eye, but an overwhelmingly mighty force suddenly surged forth, grasping the Nine Cauldrons and wrestling with the giant eye for their possession!
Startled and overjoyed, the two immediately seized the window while that power locked horns with the abyssal eye to make their escape.
Meanwhile, along the cliffs of the abyss, figures of writhing flesh and blood also scrambled upward, plunging the abyss into chaotic turmoil!
Aided by that immense power, Xu Ying and Yuan Weiyang surged out of the abyss along the path of the Nine Cauldrons in one breath, their divine senses returning to their physical bodies. Opening their eyes, they saw Yuan Wuji driving his urn cave-heaven—nine cave-heavens merged into one, devouring heaven and earth as he wrenched the Nine Cauldrons toward himself.
Both were seized by shock and doubt.
Madam Yuan looked toward them. Seeing them open their eyes, a gentle smile surfaced on her face, and she murmured, "Weiyang, the Yuan clan is in your hands from now on. Uncle Xiao, treat her hereafter just as you have treated me."
Yuan Weiyang was bewildered, but before she could react, Madam Yuan's figure drifted up. She struck a light palm against the back of Yuan Wuji's head and shouted, "Go—!"
Yuan Weiyang cried out in alarm, "Mother!"
The moment the shout left her lips, she saw a fine line split open at the back of Yuan Wuji's head where Madam Yuan's palm had landed, faint light shining from within.
Madam Yuan's sneak attack struck true, and the Nine Cauldrons were immediately dragged toward the sky.
Yuan Wuji had no time for anything else, frantically steadying his divine sense to regain control over the Nine Cauldrons.
Yuan Weiyang froze in a daze.
Seeing this, Xu Ying pieced together the reasons in an instant. Grabbing her hand, he retreated swiftly backward, roaring, "Feilai Peak!"
The shout seemed completely out of nowhere, but Zhu Chanchan understood at once and yelled, "Which one?"
Xu Ying pointed at Yuan Wuji and shouted, "Lord Bell!"
The bronze bell whistled through the air with a deep hum, walls of light blooming from within as it cried out, "Ah-Ying, I'm barely holding together, don't count on me!"
*Boom!*
Feilai Peak came hurtling through the air at an angle, smashing into Yuan Wuji from the flank. Yuan Wuji only had time to raise a hand to make a feeble parry before being pinned under the mountain!
A terrifying shockwave rippled out, hammering toward Xu Ying and the others. The bronze bell tolled clanging chimes, shielding the group as they rode the blast and drifted far into the distance.
The outer light barriers instantly shattered. Still carrying its previous injuries, the bronze bell had reached its absolute limit.
Xu Ying shouted, "Lord Qi, open the umbrella!"
Without a second thought, Yuan Qi curled his tail around a green paper umbrella and snapped it open with a hum. A green sun rose from the umbrella, casting down its radiance to shelter everyone.
Under the violent blast, the green sun sparked and flared, drifting like ash and smoke as it steadily dimmed.
Tossed unsteadily by the shockwave, the group had barely touched down when Feilai Peak was hurled into the air, flying straight at them and descending directly over their heads!
Suddenly, a figure flashed. Madam Yuan appeared before them, all eight of her cave-heavens flaring open behind her. She shouted sharply, "Run, quickly!"
*Boom!*
Her divine sense met Feilai Peak, halting the falling giant treasure in midair, then violently hurled it backward. Xu Ying, Yuan Weiyang, and the rest were swept up uncontrollably by her divine sense and deposited onto Feilai Peak!
"Go—!"
She thrust out a palm, sending Feilai Peak tearing through the air!
By now, Mount Li had completely collapsed. Meeting no obstacles, Feilai Peak shot outward unimpeded.
Having forcibly withstood Feilai Peak to secure a path of survival for Yuan Weiyang, Madam Yuan suffered severe tremors that caused faint cracks to spider across her eight cave-heavens, and a mouthful of fresh blood welled up in her throat.
She raised her head to see that in the distance, the human skin of Yuan Wuji had split apart, tattered and ruined, illuminating pure white light from every part of his body.
An enraged voice shouted from within this Nuo immortal's form: "In four thousand years, this is the first time I have been injured... You have angered me..."
Madam Yuan no longer suppressed her surging emotions. Giving free rein to her Heaven-Human Induction, she sprinted toward that terrifying figure!
Her speed climbed higher and higher, her body turning into a streak of flowing light, plunging like a moth to a flame toward the figure emerging from Yuan Wuji's skin!
Across the sky, chaotic divine senses fluttered. Hidden worlds within the void emerged amid the turbulent divine sense, hanging across the heavens like celestial bodies of various sizes.
And behind these myriad heavens, the abyss loomed like a colossal eye, casting its shadow over everything.
"Ancestor, Old Matriarch, I shall avenge you!"
Madam Yuan leaped resolutely forward, her divine sense sweeping toward the figure tearing through the human skin as she cried out fiercely, "Monster, fall into the abyss with me!"
The figure stood tall within the radiance. With a loose clench of his fingers, the Nine Cauldrons flying toward the abyss froze in midair.
Behind him, cave-heavens manifested one after another: the Sea of Chaos, the Tushita Fire, the Jade Clarity Realm, the Nether Sea... a chaotic multitude of phenomena.
"Overestimating yourself."
With a flick of his finger, Madam Yuan's divine sense exploded.
Madam Yuan coughed up blood, her body tumbling to the ground, her life force extinguished.
In her dying moments, she saw the Nine Cauldrons descending from the heavens, accompanied by a glittering golden cloak and a towering figure.
In those fading moments, she watched the Nine Cauldrons plummet from the sky, flanked by that brilliant golden cloak and towering silhouette.
"Do you think you are worthy of claiming Our Nine Cauldrons? Tai'e!"
Breaking free of the abyssal eye, the Nine Cauldrons bore down. A beam of sword qi shot forth from among the stars, slashing at the suppressed figure!
Madam Yuan saw the figure shrouded in light retreat continuously under the sword light, his body shuddering repeatedly as he was sliced until blood sprayed freely.
Suddenly, the figure in the light vaulted into the air and fled far into the distance, sneering coldly, "Zulong, you merely took advantage of your treasures! In terms of methods, you are inferior to me!"
Madam Yuan slowly closed her eyes, a faint smile gracing her lips.
*Weiyang should have escaped by now...*
The towering figure walked over and looked down at the fallen woman on the ground, somewhat perplexed. He murmured softly, "Clearly so weak and frail, yet why stake your very life? Truly bizarre."
He turned his body away, his glittering golden cloak obscuring the ruins and mountains behind him. The Nine Cauldrons took flight, settling into his Realm of Xiyi.
Within his Realm of Xiyi, the mountains and rivers were picturesque, identical to Shenzhou.
The towering figure caught the returning Tai'e Sword and strode off in the direction Feilai Peak had vanished.
"Our ageless immortal, you must still be alive, aren't you?"
A wave of his aura pulsed, splitting the earth to bury Madam Yuan.
Once the cloak swept past, the earth sealed shut, leaving no trace behind.
Chapter 131