The Yongzhou Cauldron was already in Lu Yuan's possession. Now, eight cauldrons remained.
Each of the Nine Cauldrons was exceptionally important, all of them sacred artifacts of state. The power of providence contained within them could augment both the Ancient Heavenly Emperor Token and the Investiture Decree.
The more providence accumulated, the greater the benefits bestowed upon those invested with titles—even those of mediocre natural talent would receive boosts.
One could say the foundation of the Heavenly Court Lu Yuan was establishing was intimately tied to this. After all, time was short, leaving him with no choice but to adopt such a method.
At this moment, as the sacrificial ritual continued, the light atop the Nine-Color Altar grew even more dazzling, illuminating the firmament.
Upon it, the phantom of a cauldron gradually solidified. An inscrutable power slowly emerged as well.
The Golden-Winged Great Peng and the Nine-Tailed Fox King could not help but turn their gazes toward it. Both had inscribed their true names upon the Investiture Decree and were invested beings.
They were naturally exceedingly sensitive to this kind of power. Finally, the cauldron fully materialized. Three-legged with two loop handles, its entire body cast in blackish-green, exuding an aura of antiquity.
It seemed to have weathered endless ages yet remained eternal, enduring to this day. The Nine Cauldrons had been forged by Yu the Great; even putting aside their overt symbolic significance, they were still extraordinary, especially for Huaxia.
"Three legs and two loop handles, blackish-green throughout... It is the Qingzhou Cauldron." Lu Yuan observed it and promptly confirmed the cauldron's name.
The power and aura radiating from it were essentially no different from the Yongzhou Cauldron. After all, the Nine Cauldrons formed a single unified whole.
Then, he scanned the surroundings. Seeing that nothing out of the ordinary had occurred, he hesitated no further and took the Qingzhou Cauldron into his possession.
"Congratulations, Master, on obtaining another cauldron." The Golden-Winged Great Peng descended, its voice laced with excitement and reverence.
"There is nothing to congratulate. The Nine Cauldrons represent Huaxia, and they are also a responsibility." Lu Yuan shook his head. When he decided to gather the Nine Cauldrons and establish the Heavenly Court, he already knew certain burdens had to be shouldered—such as safeguarding the people. While he could easily leave, his character would never allow him to do so.
These were extraordinary times, and his mind remained perpetually vigilant.
"Let's go. It's time to head back," Lu Yuan said without further thought. Now that the Qingzhou Cauldron was in hand, he needed to return and integrate it.
To augment the might of the Ancient Heavenly Emperor Token and the Investiture Decree was a matter that could brook no delay. As for the elevated platform before him, though he found nothing else special about it, he did not wish to leave it exposed to the open world.
Thus, he employed his techniques once more, shifting over portions of the surrounding mountains to completely bury the site.
Having done all this, Lu Yuan departed directly with the Golden-Winged Great Peng and the Nine-Tailed Fox King. At the same time, he instructed them to notify the Peacock King and the others that if they encountered extraterrestrial beings again, they should keep their distance as much as possible and avoid provoking them.
Even if they knew one of the Nine Cauldrons was nearby, they had to withdraw. Although the Beast Kings considered themselves his subordinates, he did not want any harm to come to them.
As for the Nine Cauldrons, so long as their whereabouts were known, securing them would not be difficult.
Mount Tai, Trial Academy. The students continued to cultivate and evolve as usual.
With more breathing and visualization methods available, along with various resources, their evolution had gradually formed distinct systems.
Depending on individual talent, one could choose which breathing method and visualization method to cultivate. And the Trial Academy served as the Heavenly Court's reserve.
(Equivalent to future reserves. If one compared the Heavenly Court to a major faction, every framework was already in place. It was merely because of the lack of time that its accumulation remained very shallow. Even so, absent interference from extraterrestrial beings, it could take complete control of everything without the slightest strain. The Heavenly Court had already taken shape.)
Inside the room, Lu Yuan sat cross-legged. Before him rested the Qingzhou Cauldron, one of the Nine Cauldrons.
He dripped fresh blood onto it.
Buzz—
In an instant, a dazzling light welled up from within. Simultaneously, an inscrutable, distinct aura emerged and swirled around Lu Yuan.
This aura was peculiar, pristine and flawless, yet seeming to represent all things under heaven and earth—it was the providence of heaven and earth.
It was identical to when he had refined the Yongzhou Cauldron. Sure enough, the Qingzhou Cauldron vanished directly. When it reappeared, it was on the back of the Investiture Decree.
Streaks of providential power radiated from it, merging into the Ancient Heavenly Emperor Token. Lu Yuan noticed that upon the Investiture Decree, besides his own name, the names of the Golden-Winged Great Peng, the Peacock King, and the Thirty-six Heavenly Generals were all glowing at this moment, blessed by a surge of providence.
He knew they would likely reap benefits once again. Yet why was there still no change in himself? At this, Lu Yuan felt helpless.
He could not discern the reason either. One step at a time.
Without dwelling on it further after refining the Qingzhou Cauldron, Lu Yuan examined the Investiture Decree and the Ancient Heavenly Emperor Token once more.
Finding nothing new, he went straight into seclusion while waiting. The Peacock King and the other Beast Kings were still outside.
They had not yet returned. Hopefully, there would be good news.
Thus, time slipped by bit by bit. As Lu Yuan cultivated, he also kept tabs on the outside world.
In the Hengduan Mountains, the Spirit Clan had descended, and one of their high-ranking sequence prodigies at that. Extraterrestrial beings were evidently making their moves, exhausting every means to open passages into Earth.
However, there was no news for some time. Everything seemed exceptionally quiet. But Lu Yuan knew very well that more extraterrestrial beings were likely descending through secret channels, simply not wanting him to find out. There was nothing he could do; the world was truly vast, and he could not keep watch over every single region.
Nevertheless, the Heavenly Court was steadily growing stronger, and after the Qingzhou Cauldron was refined, those listed on the Investiture Decree reaped noticeable benefits, making marked progress.
From this, it could be deduced that as long as there was sufficient providence, he could use it to continuously strengthen the Heavenly Court.
If only there were more time.
Once the power of the Severance of Heaven and Earth weakened further, beings in the Saint Realm would be able to descend in their peak states through special methods.
This was not a good omen, and he could not attend to every aspect alone. Lu Yuan understood this clearly.
His current focus had to remain on this. As for his cultivation and evolution, he had temporarily hit a ceiling. To break into the Demi-Saint Realm, blindly remaining in seclusion would not suffice; he needed an opportune moment. Thus, Lu Yuan temporarily shifted his focus to the Heavenly Court.
At times, he would personally instruct others in their cultivation.
A few more days passed like this. Word finally came from the Peacock King: they had also located the aura of one of the Nine Cauldrons. Its location was likewise amidst a range of mountains, though one not nearly as renowned.
Upon receiving the news, Lu Yuan mobilized immediately, rushing to the location suspected of harboring the cauldron.
Just as they had said, it was an unnamed mountain range. It was not nearly as majestic as the Hengduan Mountains or Kunlun, appearing utterly ordinary. Lu Yuan paid it no mind, however. Employing his techniques, he located yet another of the Nine Cauldrons.
This cauldron had four legs and two loop handles, its entire body a purplish copper, with an aura identical to the other two cauldrons. Through careful observation, Lu Yuan determined that this was the most mysterious of the Nine Cauldrons: the Yuzhou Cauldron.
Chapter 238