That it was steeped in mystery did not mean it was bizarre or strange.
Lu Yuan recalled historical records: after King Zhao of Qin wiped out the remnants of the Eastern Zhou, he ordered his generals to transport the Nine Cauldrons back. But en route, one of them—the Yuzhou Cauldron—fell into the Si River. Despite sending people to dredge the waters multiple times, nothing was ever found.
Rumors held that this omen foretold that although the State of Qin would unify all under heaven, its triumph would be fleeting and ephemeral, destined to be brought to an end by someone from the Si River. And indeed, through the course of history, Qin collapsed after only two emperors, ultimately supplanted by Liu Bang, the pavilion chief of Sishui.
Other legends claimed Liu Bang was the Red Emperor, fated to unify the realm.
Whether these accounts were official history or folklore, no one knew for sure. Yet, in light of the New Era and everything Lu Yuan had come to understand, things were clearly not as simple as they appeared on the surface.
Having known this beforehand, Lu Yuan was not particularly surprised. He brought the Yuzhou Cauldron straight back.
Upon returning to Mount Tai, he began the refining ritual without hesitation.
The process was identical to that of the previous two cauldrons. Augmented by providence, its aura grew ever heavier and more profound. The providence within the Ancient Heavenly Emperor Token and the Investiture Decree was bolstered once again. With the Nine Cauldrons, as providence swelled, he too would reap the rewards.
Securing the Yuzhou Cauldron meant Lu Yuan now possessed three of the Nine Cauldrons. Yet with three in hand, the remaining six would likely be exceedingly difficult to find. Lu Yuan knew that not all of the Nine Cauldrons were necessarily on Earth. After all...
He did not want any of the Beast Kings under his command to perish merely while searching for the Nine Cauldrons. The Beast Kings were a formidable fighting force and could not be squandered. Thus, he ordered all the Beast Kings to return to Mount Tai and cease their search. Naturally, the Peacock King and the others had no objections to Lu Yuan's command.
Meanwhile, he inscribed several more names onto the Investiture Decree, conferring titles upon them—such as Zhu Qingyu, Ice Fairy, and Little Celestial Master Chunyang.
Only his own name remained unchanged. This left Lu Yuan quite helpless; he wanted to know the reason, but he had no idea where to even begin and had no clues whatsoever.
So he simply set the matter aside for the time being, continuing to build his strength and work alongside Elder Ji and the others to develop the Heavenly Court, bringing every district across the five super cities under control.
As time passed, the Heavenly Court grew steadily more powerful.
Day after day went by. Within the Heavenly Court, many broke through to higher realms and grew stronger, their progress remarkably evident. This proved Lu Yuan's previous choice had been correct—nurturing them would undoubtedly make them an immense asset.
For now, the global situation seemed unchanged on the surface, but more and more people descending from various star sectors were gradually coalescing into different factions: the Yin Sparrow Clan, the Three-Headed Ghost Clan, the Nether Bull Clan, and others. These were merely the ones known to the public; far more remained hidden.
Batch after batch of extraterrestrial beings were currently arriving, each possessing formidable strength. Though their movements were cloaked in secrecy, their descent had not gone unnoticed. According to rough estimates, the number of extraterrestrial beings who had descended upon Earth had already surpassed one hundred thousand. While that sounded like a colossal figure, in the grand scheme of today's world, it was actually not that significant. Having prepared in advance, they quickly concealed themselves upon emergence, stepping out from famous mountains and great rivers before lying low.
Under Lu Yuan's deliberate direction, intelligence from across the realm steadily converged. Lu Yuan was well aware of the vast amount of information flowing in. None of this concerned him directly for the time being. Fortunately, all preparations were proceeding in an orderly fashion, and the Heavenly Court's might would soon be reinforced once more.
On this day, as usual, Lu Yuan was immersed in cultivation. Wreaths of golden vital blood surged and undulated from him, making him appear like a true deity.
"My accumulation in the Void Saint Realm has essentially reached its limit. I can't keep gathering power unless I take another step forward."
Feeling the energy coursing through him, Lu Yuan could not help sighing, feeling somewhat helpless.
He understood his own condition, but the crucial point was: how long had it even been since he entered the Saint Realm? Even with a progenitor bloodline and consummate natural talent, evolution could not happen overnight; it still required time. Anyone else might have taken decades or centuries just to take a single step further.
He murmured to himself, then rose and walked out of the room, intending to continue cultivating and evolving in hopes of making further headway.
Yet just as Lu Yuan was reflecting on this, he suddenly raised his head.
A figure in a white dress had appeared in the courtyard.
Tall and slender, she stood apart from the world, radiating an ethereal, transcendent aura, while a powerful presence continuously emanated from her. With her extraordinary bearing and a quiet yet playful disposition, this Holy Maiden of the Jiang clan was truly remarkable. Now, as the seals on Earth steadily weakened, she too had attained the Saint Realm. Reaching this stage without the augmentations of the Heavenly Court's providential power was genuinely commendable—she possessed true ability.
A smile blossomed on Lu Yuan's face. Just as he stepped out into the courtyard, he asked, "Are you out of seclusion? Congratulations on stepping into the Saint Realm."
"You're in such a hurry to see me—it looks like King Lu has quite a few questions," Jiang Ningxian replied with a laugh, two charming dimples appearing at the corners of her lips, looking thoroughly adorable.
Lu Yuan looked at her and gestured for her to be seated.
Without hesitation, Jiang Ningxian sat down in the courtyard and continued, "Go on, tell me. What is it you want to ask?"
After waiting for so long, he had many questions that it was finally time to resolve.
"Not much, really. While you were in seclusion, I found another of the Nine Cauldrons in the Hengduan Mountains. At the time, I ran into several people who claimed to be from the Spirit Clan," Lu Yuan said candidly, his tone calm.
"The Spirit Clan?"
Jiang Ningxian was taken aback. She sized Lu Yuan up and down and could not resist asking, "Don't tell me you slaughtered them all?"
Lu Yuan nodded without denying it, recounting the events.
Jiang Ningxian curled her lip in clear disdain for the clan. "Good riddance. It'll teach them what it means to kick an iron plate."
She continued, "The Spirit Clan relies on having a few innate divine talents to throw their weight around in the deep cosmos. They've even annihilated several ancient life planets. Their reputation is utterly rotten."
"Throw their weight around?"
Hearing this, Lu Yuan could not help chuckling. "Among the myriad races of the starry cosmos, the strong are limitless. The Spirit Clan doesn't even appear to be in the topmost tier. By acting so brazenly, aren't they afraid of provoking backlash from the great clans of other star sectors and facing a united crusade?"
He knew the Spirit Clan ranked among the top hundred star sectors, but strictly speaking, they were roughly on par with the Yin Sparrow Clan and the Celestial Clan. With that level of strength and foundation, how could they possibly dominate the starry sectors?
"There were incidents like that in the past, but in the end, nothing ever came of them."
"Naturally," Jiang Ningxian smiled. "They have a backer—and that backer is someone even my Jiang clan holds in immense dread."
"Could it be... the Eternal Clan?"
The thought struck Lu Yuan suddenly, and he asked once more, "By the way, do you know of Eternal Saint Gold?"
Chapter 239