Even more shocking to Ling Que than his own defeat and injuries was the Daluo sword core. It seemed he had recognized its origins, which explained his extreme reaction.
He glared at Lu Yuan, his expression turning increasingly savage. "Speak! Where did you obtain Eternal Divine Gold? Hand it over! Otherwise, you will bring about a catastrophe beyond redemption!"
Ling Que struggled to steady his aura as best he could. Though his injuries were severe and his very foundation had been damaged, his life was not yet in danger; a Saint Realm being was not so easily slain. He had even forgotten the established fact of how powerful his opponent was, directly demanding that Lu Yuan surrender the Daluo sword core.
"Do you know the origins of Eternal Divine Gold? Right now, you are offending not only my Spirit Clan, but beings far more formidable!"
Hearing the words "Eternal Divine Gold," the other Spirit Clan members also surged with aura. They, too, seemed to forget their precarious situation, insisting that Lu Yuan surrender the treasure.
"Ridiculous," Lu Yuan replied coldly.
He had no desire to waste any more words and slowly raised the Daluo sword core.
"Stop here and now! Otherwise, everything will be past saving, and your body and spirit will be completely obliterated!"
Sensing the scent of impending death, Ling Que's face twisted with pure malice. "You will regret this! You are about to cross paths with beings you cannot hope to contend with!"
"Noisy."
Lu Yuan paid no further heed to their reactions and brought the sword down.
*Clang, clang, clang!*
A tempestuous sword intent erupted as chilling sword light annihilated everything in its path.
*Splat, splat!*
One by one, the Spirit Clan members were wiped out of existence.
As for Ling Que, the so-called third sequence prodigy, his body ruptured and collapsed. The moment his final words fell, his form vanished entirely, as though he had never existed in this world.
Having dealt with them, Lu Yuan reined in his aura and looked down at the Daluo sword core.
"Eternal... Eternal... Could it be connected to the Eternal Clan?"
Lu Yuan suddenly recalled Jiang Ningxian mentioning them.
The Daluo sword core was also known as Eternal Divine Gold.
A divine artifact like this had to be exceptionally important even among the Eternal Clan, had it not? Otherwise, it could not have been named "Eternal."
Judging from Ling Que's reaction—disregarding his own injuries just to prioritize claiming the Daluo sword core—this item held immense significance and was tied to one or more unfathomably powerful beings. It was quite likely an arm of battle wielded by the ancients of antiquity, and what it represented were those unknown, terrifying foes.
*Yet what exactly is Eternal Divine Gold? Why does the Spirit Clan recognize it, and what relation does it have to the Eternal Clan?*
*It seems I will have to ask Jiang Ningxian to get any real answers.*
Shaking his head, Lu Yuan pushed the thoughts aside for now. "Let's go."
It was best to handle the most important business first.
The Golden-Winged Great Peng and the Nine-Tailed Fox King flew over.
"Are you two all right?" Lu Yuan asked.
"Master, we're fine. Just minor wounds, we'll recover in no time. But what was with that group just now?" the Golden-Winged Great Peng replied, utterly perplexed.
Why hadn't those extraterrestrial beings backed down even after learning he was its master? Instead, they had actively challenged him to a fight. Even if they had just descended, they shouldn't have been so reckless.
From their earlier words, Lu Yuan had gleaned some information.
"Extraterrestrial beings are using special methods to open extraplanetary pathways and enter Earth," Lu Yuan answered. He knew that folded spaces within such famous mountains and great rivers were the ideal sites for constructing such passages.
"Those just now were merely the first batch. Even more will arrive in the future."
It was something not even he could halt.
The Golden-Winged Great Peng lowered its head in realization. How had it forgotten about that?
In that case, where had they emerged from? One of the Nine Cauldrons was bound to be inside.
The two Beast Kings snapped to their senses and pointed toward the tallest, most colossal peak.
"Master, we know it's there, but not its exact location," the Golden-Winged Great Peng said helplessly. "This peak rises ten thousand meters high and is riddled with crisscrossing caves. I'm afraid it will take some time to search."
This was the Hengduan Mountains, after all. The area was immense; conventional methods certainly wouldn't do.
Hearing this, Lu Yuan smiled faintly and shook his head, taking a step forward.
At the same time, Lu Yuan opened his Martial Dao Heavenly Eye and began inspecting the massive mountain before him. Divine radiance flared within his eyes, seeming capable of piercing through all things.
Everything within the mountain was clearly visible. He even spotted several divine materials and a profusion of spirit fruits and exotic herbs. The divine materials could be of use, but unfortunately, his cultivation realm was already too high for ordinary herbs to be effective.
Yet he did not see the cauldron.
More notably, Lu Yuan discovered a peculiar power in a certain area that actually obstructed the Martial Dao Heavenly Eye's vision. Even with his divine techniques, he could not see through it.
Still, that was not enough to stump him.
Walking forward slowly, Lu Yuan pondered for a moment, gazed at the mountain, and estimated the obstruction to be roughly halfway up.
With a slight wave of his hand, the Fantian Seal appeared.
He infused it with Saint Realm power.
*Whoosh!*
In an instant, the Fantian Seal expanded to several hundred zhang in size, resembling a boundless, ancient mountain range.
Under Lu Yuan's control, it hurtled straight into the mountain peak!
*Boom!*
*Rumble!*
Heaven and earth shook, and the entire Hengduan Mountain Range trembled.
The peak fractured clean across at mid-mountain, its stone body shattering as countless boulders tumbled down.
It was a scene of true cataclysm—moving mountains and filling seas, nothing less. Yet it had been wrought by Lu Yuan with a casual gesture.
Seeing this, the Golden-Winged Great Peng and the Peacock King marveled in awe, before turning their gaze once more toward the fractured mountain.
Soon enough, an exposed platform came into view.
With a flash of movement, Lu Yuan stepped directly onto the platform.
Upon it lay ruined walls and crumbling pillars, remnants of what had once been a grand architectural complex, long swallowed by the river of time.
He observed the collapsed structures. They were ancient, and the carved patterns were simple and unadorned. Having studied little of such antiquities, he had no way of knowing what era they dated back to or whom they were associated with.
Far more importantly, situated at the very center was an altar of modest size.
*Another Nine-Color Altar?*
Nine colors swirled atop it, imbued with profound mystery—just like the one in the Kunlun Secret Realm.
Lu Yuan was well aware of the immense significance of Nine-Color Altars; under the observation of his Martial Dao Heavenly Eye, there was no danger present here.
Seeing this, Lu Yuan nodded and led the two Beast Kings over.
Entering blindly without preparation was out of the question—who knew what lay beyond? Thus, he said nothing more. That was to say, one of the Nine Cauldrons had to be right inside.
Lu Yuan walked up to the Nine-Color Altar and stepped directly onto it.
He retrieved the small green copper cauldron and sat cross-legged, while the Golden-Winged Great Peng and the Nine-Tailed Fox King stood guard at his flanks, ready to strike at the first sign of trouble.
Focusing his mind, Lu Yuan dripped his fresh blood into the small green copper cauldron.
*Buzz!*
Before long, radiant beams of light streamed continuously from within.
Within the Nine-Color Altar, the ethereal phantom of a cauldron slowly emerged.
Though he had anticipated it, Lu Yuan was still struck with wonder upon seeing it appear.
Looking upon it with curiosity, Lu Yuan murmured softly to himself, "Which one will it be?"
Chapter 237