"Please give your command, Master."
At that moment, the Golden-Winged Great Peng flew over. It shrank to roughly the size of a human and spoke in human tongue. Aside from its avian form, it was virtually indistinguishable from a human in every other respect.
The Great Peng was well aware that under normal circumstances, its master would not come seeking it out without good reason.
Indeed, Lu Yuan's sudden appearance had not merely been to check on the selection of the thirty-six candidates. Most importantly, he was here for another matter entirely.
"The changes between heaven and earth are growing ever more violent. Anomalies are manifesting everywhere, and numerous fortuitous encounters have emerged. Having traversed the mountains and rivers with the Peacock King, you should have felt it as well."
Lu Yuan pondered for a moment, then continued, "So I want you to make another journey through the famous mountains and great rivers to search for the other cauldrons among the Nine Cauldrons."
Indeed.
The Nine Cauldrons.
He knew full well that besides the Yongzhou Cauldron, several other cauldrons still remained on Earth. Such treasures were of vital importance for controlling destiny and conferring godhood. The more destiny he possessed, the more he could accomplish.
However, no one knew where the Nine Cauldrons were hidden.
Furthermore, Lu Yuan needed to hold the fort at Mount Tai for now; there were matters he could not attend to in person. The Golden-Winged Great Peng was different. It possessed sufficient strength and supreme speed. Sending it to search for the remaining cauldrons naturally posed no problem.
"Master, I will naturally obey your command. It's just that the Nine Cauldrons are true sacred artifacts of state. I... I have no idea where to even begin." The Great Peng did not think searching for them was an issue in itself. But the world was vast, with countless famous mountains and great rivers. Where to search and how to find them presented massive problems.
Even with its supreme speed, given enough time, it could search every corner of the world. But the issue was that it would take far too long. Whether the Great Peng could even live long enough to finish was a serious question.
Lu Yuan was naturally aware of this. "I will naturally provide you with a way to find them. There is no need to worry."
He could not possibly expect it to comb every corner of the globe. That was far too unrealistic. Today's Earth was no longer the Earth of the past; it had expanded many times over. Even Lu Yuan himself could not cross such vast distances in a short time.
Without further ado, Lu Yuan raised his hand and closed his eyes.
Within his sea of consciousness, the Ancient Heavenly Emperor Token and the Investiture Decree gently radiated wisps of radiance—the power of destiny. Under his guidance, the light gathered at his fingertips and was injected into the Great Peng's body.
"This is a portion of destiny drawn from the Yongzhou Cauldron. It will allow you to sense the traces and whereabouts of the other cauldrons within a certain range. Remember, do not try to find too many at once. As soon as you locate one, report back to me immediately."
In Lu Yuan's memories, several cauldrons among the Nine Cauldrons were located on Earth, though not all of them. Many extraterrestrial beings knew their exact locations. Under such circumstances, he had to gather those cauldrons before those entities fully descended. Once collected, he would wield far more destiny to confer godhood, serving as a critical cornerstone for bolstering the Heavenly Court's might.
"Understood, Master."
Feeling the power of destiny within itself, the Great Peng nodded and prepared to set off.
Soon, however, the Peacock King and the other Beast Kings walked over. The Peacock King spoke up, "King Lu, we can assist with this as well. With more of us searching, the pace will be much faster."
They already regarded themselves as Lu Yuan's subordinates, so it was only right that they contributed. Otherwise, they would feel undeserving of the power of destiny bestowed upon them.
Lu Yuan was taken aback.
He had not intended to trouble the other Beast Kings, but the Peacock King was right. With their assistance, the search would indeed proceed much faster. Lu Yuan gave it brief thought. Knowing that time was what he lacked most, speed was of the essence. If they could expedite the process, they must.
"Very well."
Without hesitation, Lu Yuan nodded and extracted several more strands of destiny, injecting them into the Beast Kings. Led by the Golden-Winged Great Peng and the Peacock King, they immediately departed to take action.
The Spirit Monkey, however, remained where it was.
Watching the Beast Kings depart, it could not help but sigh with emotion. "Previously, the gap between you and me was small, and we interacted as equals. Now, you are truly beginning to display the bearing of the Lord of the Heavenly Court."
Lu Yuan chuckled at its words. "I know you've made progress in your cultivation. Make the most of it. Perhaps before long, you will become the first mutated beast to achieve sainthood."
The Spirit Monkey's talent and bloodline were practically top-tier. Coupled with its presence on Mount Tai and the blessing of destiny from the investiture, it had surpassed the Peacock King and the others in almost every respect.
Of course, achieving sainthood was no easy feat. Even Lu Yuan had spent considerable time doing so.
"I hope so," the Spirit Monkey nodded. "When the extraterrestrial invasion comes, I hope I can serve as a true force of the Heavenly Court."
With that, it offered a slight nod to Lu Yuan and immediately entered seclusion. Mount Tai was safe enough that it required no elaborate preparations.
Lu Yuan said no more and left as soon as the matter was settled. Down below, the selection of the thirty-six candidates was still underway, but he did not go down to watch. Instead, he returned directly to his quarters to resume cultivation.
As for Jiang Ningxian, just as she had said, she remained deep in seclusion.
*Now, it all depends on when the next cauldron among the Nine Cauldrons can be found.*
Lu Yuan's gaze seemed to pierce through the distance ahead. Ever since the great cataclysm, he had planned and prepared continuously to seize the initiative and face future crises. Now, with the third resurgence—the full-scale extraterrestrial descent—drawing ever closer, time was running short. This might well be his final preemptive layout, and he hoped it would yield the expected results.
The key lay in whether the Heavenly Court could accumulate sufficient strength. It did not need to be overwhelmingly powerful, only strong enough to weather the coming storm.
Setting his wandering thoughts aside, Lu Yuan calmed his mind. No matter what, his personal strength remained the ultimate foundation.
Over the following period, he spent most of his time cultivating and evolving while refining the framework of the Heavenly Court.
Additionally, the names of the thirty-six chosen individuals were inscribed onto the Investiture Decree. Because their initial cultivation had not been particularly high, the moment they received the blessing of destiny, several broke through on the spot, to everyone's astonishment.
To the outside world, Lu Yuan directly dubbed them the Thirty-six Heavenly Generals. Resources from the Heavenly Court, along with various breathing methods and visualization methods, were poured into their development in an effort to raise an elite vanguard in short order.
As for the Great Peng's search for the Nine Cauldrons, over half a month passed without any news. This was only natural. The world was vast and full of famous mountains and great rivers; Lu Yuan was in no rush.
Fortunately, during this period, his own cultivation and evolution advanced steadily toward the Demi-Saint Realm.
Time slipped by, and everything proceeded in an orderly fashion.
Until one day, a piece of news shocked the world once more.
The official authorities announced their formal departure from the stage of history, handing over their power.
Chapter 231