Without saying much, Lu Yuan waved his hand. The Yongzhou Cauldron, one of the Nine Cauldrons, appeared and settled firmly upon the ground.
It remained as primitive and unadorned as before, bearing the weight of ages, yet it seemed unremarkable to the eye.
In the old era, this would have been an immensely precious ancient relic. Now, things were different. Each of the Nine Cauldrons was a sacred artifact of state.
And its true purpose was certainly not as simple as its outward appearance suggested. Yet, whether in his past life or this one, this was the first time Lu Yuan had ever obtained one of the Nine Cauldrons, leaving him with no way to know its specific functions.
"Historical records say the Nine Cauldrons anchor the realm, embody the destiny of the human race, and symbolize supreme imperial authority. As for how that actually manifests, I suppose I can only find out through careful study," Lu Yuan pondered. He then reached out with his own power to touch the Yongzhou Cauldron.
When he first acquired it, he had felt an aura upon it that seemed somewhat similar to the Ancient Heavenly Emperor Token.
Thus, he wanted to bring the two into contact and see what changes might occur. By now, Lu Yuan was gradually gaining control over the Ancient Heavenly Emperor Token.
Mobilizing a bit of its power was simple. *Buzz, buzz, buzz...*
Sure enough, in the next instant, the Yongzhou Cauldron began to vibrate, its crimson body radiating light.
The flowers, birds, fish, and insects carved into its surface seemed to come alive. Beyond that, however, there was no other change.
"Huh?" Seeing this, a flicker of doubt crossed Lu Yuan's eyes. He could draw upon the Yongzhou Cauldron's power, but not completely.
It seemed this was because he had not truly subdued and mastered it. If so, he might as well try refining it with a drop of blood.
After a moment of thought, he did not hesitate. Drawing the Daluo sword core, he cut his palm.
Soon, drops of golden blood fell onto the Yongzhou Cauldron.
*Buzz!* In a flash, a dazzling brilliance surged forth from within it.
At the same time, an enigmatic, ethereal aura manifested, swirling around Lu Yuan. It was an extraordinarily bizarre aura—pure and flawless, yet seemingly representing all creation between heaven and earth; it was the destiny of the world itself.
Everything revolved around him, making him feel as though he were the very core of heaven and earth.
*Whoosh!*
Yet just as Lu Yuan prepared to perceive it more closely, the Yongzhou Cauldron vanished.
It sank into his brow between his eyes and finally appeared on the back of the Investiture Decree.
It turned into an illustration. The two seemed originally of one whole; through his refinement, he had simply gained complete mastery over it.
At the same time, Lu Yuan noticed that after the Yongzhou Cauldron appeared on the decree's back, the two characters "Di Yuan" seemed to grow even heavier, enveloped in continuously swirling purple qi.
The connection between these two characters and the Ancient Heavenly Emperor Token had deepened further.
"It seems I can write a few more names on the Investiture Decree now," Lu Yuan noted in slight surprise as he looked at the scroll.
Previously, the reason he had chosen to invest only the Golden-Winged Great Peng was that, firstly, his mount was trustworthy, and secondly, at his current stage, he could only write one or two names at most—meaning he could only confer investiture upon one or two beings.
Now that the Yongzhou Cauldron had been refined, his authority over the Investiture Decree had expanded. It felt as though even more of the world's destiny had been bestowed upon him.
"So to fully confer investiture upon immortals and gods..."
"Not only do I need to collect the Ancient Heavenly Emperor Tokens, but the Nine Cauldrons are also a crucial part?"
Lu Yuan inspected the back of the Investiture Decree and found that there was still room for eight more cauldrons.
This sparked a thought in his mind: could there also be nine Ancient Heavenly Emperor Tokens?
It appeared there were still many requirements for the Heavenly Emperor to confer divine investiture. At that thought, Lu Yuan smiled inwardly.
Then again, how could conferring titles upon immortals and gods be simple?
Next, he tested it out. He discovered that with a single thought, the Yongzhou Cauldron would instantly materialize before him.
At the same time, Lu Yuan sensed that the capabilities of the Nine Cauldrons certainly went far beyond this; he simply lacked the power to unleash them at his current stage.
It seemed he still needed to continue evolving and boosting his strength. Lu Yuan knew his next step was breaking into the sixth stage: the Saint Realm.
He was already fully prepared, lacking nothing in terms of breathing methods or visualization methods.
Becoming a saint was no simple feat. Of course, Lu Yuan had long anticipated this. It was his first time reaching such a high realm, so he had not been in a rush previously.
But he knew very well that with the arrival of the great era, he had to quicken his pace.
Without a word, Lu Yuan settled his mind and cleared his thoughts.
He intended to enter a brief period of secluded cultivation during this time, to see if he could step into the Saint Realm, and wait for news from Jiang Ningxian.
He had already explained matters to Elder Ji and the others, so he could focus with peace of mind.
Thus, Lu Yuan temporarily entered seclusion once again.
As for the external situation, he put it out of his mind for now. At present, there was only one overarching crisis: the impending full-scale descent of the extraterrestrial races.
Right now, the only thing keeping Earth safe was the Severance of Heaven and Earth. Yet even this final line of defense was on the verge of being breached.
Even Lu Yuan felt a sense of urgency, to say nothing of the world outside.
Ever since that day when numerous great stars appeared in the firmament, living beings all over the world had grown exceptionally tense.
Compounded by rumors and rhetoric spread by extraterrestrial beings, the situation grew increasingly chaotic.
This chaos affected nations worldwide, sparking conflicts.
Domestically, there were even signs that the turmoil might spread to the five super cities. Fortunately, the authorities stepped in to maintain stability and issued stern warnings. They knew this unrest was being fueled by extraterrestrial beings.
Once the authorities intervened, the situation did stabilize somewhat. Even if the broader landscape was changing and extraterrestrial beings would soon have powerhouse clansmen backing them, King Lu's reputation still carried immense weight.
The extraterrestrial beings did not dare push things too far. If they provoked his murderous wrath, who among them could withstand it? After all, their heavyweights had not yet descended.
Meanwhile, the authorities also understood that Lu Yuan's reputation could deter foes for a time, but not forever.
They began working feverishly to recruit more Awakened, forming defense squads across the five super cities.
The elite among them were gradually integrated into the Heavenly Court, led by Zhu Qingyu and others, to forge a force with true combat capabilities.
They knew they might not be able to change everything on their own, but they had to strive to be strong and offer support to King Lu. Only by uniting as one could they face the cataclysm ahead.
And so the days slipped by.
A month later.
In his room, Lu Yuan had essentially reached the absolute peak of the Sovereign King Realm.
His internal organs, physique, and even his soul verged on perfection. He was merely half a step away from advancing to the next stage and achieving the Saint Realm.
Yet that single step truly presented a challenge. There was no helping it; the Saint Realm was a crucial threshold on the evolutionary path. Crossing it meant undergoing another profound metamorphosis.
"This isn't something that can be rushed," Lu Yuan sighed.
Reflecting on it, he had only reached the Sovereign King Realm a few months ago. Expecting to vault straight into the Saint Realm in such a brief span was simply unrealistic.
Even the sequence prodigies, Divine Sons, and Holy Maidens could not manage such a feat. Keeping a steady mindset was what mattered most.
With that, he reined in his aura and prepared to take a walk.
Soon, however, he noticed someone walking into the courtyard. It was Jiang Ningxian.
*Has there been an update?* Lu Yuan wondered, stepping straight out of the cultivation chamber.
Chapter 195