A beam of light shot straight up from the altar.
The surrounding space seemed shaken, cracking like glass. If this continued, the void itself would shatter completely.
Jiang Ningxian looked toward the heights of the sky, right where that beam of light pierced into the heavens. At that moment, she spoke up once more: "Lu Yuan, you can stop now."
Lu Yuan had noticed this as well. Nodding immediately, he ceased the sacrificial offering.
As for where it led, or whether something would emerge from within, no one knew. Everyone focused their attention intently, knowing that something was about to come out.
Sure enough, not long after, accompanied by a rumbling roar from the altar, a cauldron appeared. It was crimson throughout, with four legs at the base and two ears at the top. Roughly half the height of a person, it emanated an ancient, rustic aura. Carved across its four sides were birds, beasts, fish, and insects, wrought with exquisite craftsmanship.
After a moment, Lu Yuan turned his gaze toward the cauldron that had emerged from the altar and slowly spoke. "Crimson, four legs and two ears—one of the Nine Cauldrons, the Yongzhou Cauldron."
Although the whereabouts of the Nine Cauldrons had long vanished into the river of history, many records still remained. Even without memories of a past life, one could easily determine which cauldron it was from the patterns and design.
Especially after this cauldron appeared, an inexplicable power gradually began to seep outward. It felt as if this single cauldron alone could suppress vast mountains and rivers.
Whether it was the four Beast Kings, or Lu Yuan and Jiang Ningxian, a sense of reverence could not help but well up in their hearts. The Nine Cauldrons were forged by ancient human sages.
"Legend has it that Yu the Great cast the Nine Cauldrons to gather the destiny of the human race and suppress the mountains and rivers of the earth," Lu Yuan said with grave eyes. He realized that the aura radiating from the Ancient Heavenly Emperor Token and imperial edict within his body bore a striking resemblance to this.
Did both represent the power of human destiny? He wasn't certain; it required verification.
Hearing his words, Jiang Ningxian cast a curious look toward it. Threads of power emanated from her body, reaching out to make contact. The next moment, she felt an incomparably heavy, suffocating pressure, as though the entire world was pressing down directly upon her.
Immediately, Jiang Ningxian withdrew her power, choosing not to investigate further.
"As expected of one of the Nine Cauldrons cast by Yu the Great, a true sacred artifact of state. If I had continued, I fear I would have been severely injured." She shook her head, understanding that this object could no longer be encompassed by terms like Saint weapons or immortal weapons. Even if it was not meant for warfare, it was still terrifying.
"Then how should we deal with this cauldron?" the Spirit Monkey spoke up. Looking at Jiang Ningxian, it continued, "This thing is far too important, but my interest in it isn't very large—it's not even as good as that stone pillar in the East Sea Dragon Palace."
Clearly, it still held some lingering longing for that pillar from before.
To the Beast Kings, a single cauldron represented the mountains and rivers of Huaxia; its significance was far too immense. Although it could serve as a secret treasure, its utility to them was not very great.
"That's right, the Nine Cauldrons aren't something we can control." The Peacock King also spoke up, stating that he would not covet or claim it. The Nine-Tailed Fox King felt the same, and as for the Golden-Winged Garuda, there was no need to ask—it was a mount.
"The Nine Cauldrons, sacred artifacts of state, symbols of human destiny—anyone who sees them would be tempted to seize them without hesitation. However... my ambitions do not lie here." Jiang Ningxian spoke, finally turning her gaze to Lu Yuan.
She knew very well that giving this cauldron to him was far better than keeping it in her own hands. After all, this was her personal decision. Of course, such matters could not be told to her clan members back home.
No matter what, all of them wished to yield the Nine Cauldrons to him. To this, Lu Yuan nodded. "I understand. Thank you, everyone."
He naturally understood the considerations in their hearts, so this word of thanks was well deserved.
Saying no more, he waved his hand. The Ziwu Heaven-Mending Furnace appeared, expanding in the wind, and directly took the Yongzhou Cauldron inside.
Seeing the Ziwu Heaven-Mending Furnace, Jiang Ningxian's eyes lit up. "It seems he holds even more secrets than I imagined." She couldn't help but feel even more curious about Lu Yuan, wanting to investigate thoroughly.
After Lu Yuan stored the Yongzhou Cauldron, he used his techniques to conceal the Nine-Color Altar once more. He had studied this thing for a long time; aside from using his small cauldron, no other method had any effect on it. He didn't linger on it, as he could simply ask Jiang Ningxian for relevant information, since she clearly knew something.
Lu Yuan turned to look at Jiang Ningxian and said, "You seem to have seen this Nine-Color Altar before."
Hearing this, she showed no surprise, having anticipated this question. After a moment's thought, she continued, "Actually, I haven't seen it in person, only in our clan's ancient texts. That altar is a kind of passage, or rather an ancient path leading to an unknown place. Our ancestor also referred to it as an Expedition Altar."
"Expedition Platform?" Lu Yuan frowned.
It was similar to what the Spirit Monkey had said before, but what was this Expedition Platform about?
He couldn't help asking once more, "An expedition—fighting whom? Does your Jiang clan also have this kind of Nine-Color Altar?"
"That's right," she replied.
The ancestor of the Jiang lineage was naturally Shennong, one of the Human Sovereigns. But as for what was truly behind it all, even she wasn't entirely clear, hoping he might provide an answer.
Could it be...
Lu Yuan had always felt that this Nine-Color Altar harbored a massive secret, perhaps related to the great enemy mentioned by the Ancestral Dragon. That might touch upon the ultimate secret.
A great era had arrived, and powerhouses from various star domains were soon to descend upon this world. He also knew that the effects of the Severance of Heaven and Earth were gradually fading. In any case, he had to remain cautious, or trouble would surely follow.
He turned back toward Jiang Ningxian and said, "The things I needed to handle are finished. What do you plan to do next?"
Lu Yuan indeed wanted to know what wonderful uses this cauldron possessed. In the Kunlun Secret Realm, there were still extraterrestrial beings; while he had nothing to fear from them, if news leaked out, it would surely attract many covetous eyes. If she wanted to continue exploring the secret realm, he would naturally assist her, as that was their prior agreement.
"To understand what the Ancestral Dragon encountered back then through just one place is impossible. Who knows what's happening outside right now—let's just leave," Jiang Ningxian replied.
Earlier, she had learned some details from Lu Yuan, understanding that secrets of this scale could not be unraveled all at once. Besides, this place held no great secrets left for her. The outside world was changing daily; they needed to understand the situation out there.
"All right."
Lu Yuan then called to the four Beast Kings, telling them to prepare to leave this city. Soon, the group set off and departed the field of blooming Equinox Flowers, knowing that the two greatest fortunes within the Kunlun Secret Realm had already been gathered into their possession.
Along the way, there were still some extraterrestrial beings rushing in this direction, searching for legendary fortunes and the like.
Chapter 189