First, the instant Lu Yuan began the sacrificial rite, he noticed that the Ancient Heavenly Emperor Token inside his body began to vibrate.
Streaks of purple light and a majestic, towering aura emanated from it. This was something he had never experienced during the previous rite, and Lu Yuan had no idea what it signified.
Next, he discovered that as the rite progressed, the surrounding space and time seemed to freeze in this moment.
Everything slowed down. He felt as though he had become the very center of this sacrificial rite, yet that transformation was entirely beyond his control—he could only let it run its course.
Time trickled past like this. The blood within Lu Yuan steadily merged into the small green copper cauldron.
It began to radiate light, slowly spreading across the entire Shennong Altar. More importantly, the Ancient Heavenly Emperor Token vibrated even more violently than before.
Lu Yuan was certain that this sacrificial rite would be completely different from the last. Sure enough, before long,
amid the surging light of the small green copper cauldron, Lu Yuan realized that the sacrifice seemed to have reached its conclusion.
Everything fell into silence. The altar was shrouded in layers of purple halos, looking ethereal and dreamlike. As for the Jiang siblings, they simply stood to the side without saying a word.
"The rite is over, though the changes aren't very significant," Lu Yuan remarked upon seeing this. However, the siblings gave no response at all and remained rooted to the spot.
Lu Yuan froze, completely baffled. He spoke once more, but the outcome was the same—neither of them showed the slightest reaction.
They stood there looking much like living people in both gaze and posture. Yet they seemed unable to hear him speak or see his actions.
*What is going on?* Lu Yuan was astonished. He immediately reached out to touch them, only to find that his palm passed right through their bodies—just as if he had no physical form and was nothing more than a soul.
*This...* Seeing this scene, Lu Yuan was utterly bewildered, having no clue what had transpired. But when he turned around to put away the small cauldron,
he suddenly discovered a person standing right in front of him. It was an elderly man dressed in a simple robe, with kind and benevolent features, appearing completely ordinary.
However, upon closer observation, one would find an exceptionally unique aura clinging to the elder, as though he could merge seamlessly with all creation across the heavens. Standing there, he seemed to embody the entirety of heaven and earth.
And such an elder had appeared so abruptly before his eyes.
"Senior, you are..." Lu Yuan maintained his composure and cupped his hands in greeting. Though shocked by the figure's sudden emergence, he sensed no hint of danger from the elder.
He felt somewhat reassured, and in his heart, he already had a guess regarding the person's identity.
Of course, he did not dare say it aloud carelessly, for it was far too staggering—it required the other party's own confirmation.
"Who am I?" Hearing this, the elder's expression shifted. His eyes were unfathomably deep, steeped in the vicissitudes of time, as if he were reminiscing about those glorious, turbulent years from long ago.
"I don't know what I should call myself either. Others have many names for me, but I feel somewhat undeserving of them." The elder spoke once more, looking at Lu Yuan. "I sense within you the Ancient Heavenly Emperor Token, the presence of the Nine Cauldrons, and the Investiture Decree.
"And of course, more importantly, your body has fully integrated my essence blood. That is precisely why I have appeared."
*His essence blood?*
What he had obtained in Shennongjia was the Human Sovereign essence blood. And that essence blood belonged to Shennong, one of the Three Sovereigns.
Although Lu Yuan had already guessed this in his heart, he still could not suppress his shock when hearing it confirmed.
Lu Yuan wanted to say something, but right then, the elder waved his hand dismissively and continued, "I do not have much time, so I must make this brief.
"As for your questions, I fear I cannot answer them either. Everything must be sought out by you alone." Having said that, he pondered for a moment before speaking again: "In short, you will be a pivotal figure in the future—an indispensable one. Perhaps all hope thereafter will rest upon your shoulders. In my current state, there is not much I can do, but there is something with which I can lend you a hand."
With that, the elder flipped his palm.
In an instant, bursts of radiance surged in his hand. A moment later, an ancient token materialized out of thin air.
It hovered quietly in midair, shedding a brilliant glow. The moment Lu Yuan laid eyes on this ancient token,
his gaze filled with astonishment.
For this was an Ancient Heavenly Emperor Token—the fourth one he had encountered.
"This item will serve as a great aid on your future path to supremacy. But remember, any external object is merely external strength; what you can truly rely upon is only your own power. Keep this firmly in mind—this is what I must entrust to you." The elder sent the Ancient Heavenly Emperor Token forward, then turned his gaze upon Jiang Ningxian and her brother.
In the end, he said nothing more, offering only a final admonition: "Remember, do not speak a word of what just transpired. Tell no one, no matter who they are."
As soon as his voice faded, the elder's figure vanished.
In the next instant, all the purple halos around them disappeared without a trace. When Lu Yuan snapped back to his senses, he found himself seated cross-legged on the ground, the mysterious small cauldron sitting before him.
Yet the sacrificial refinement had already ended, making it seem as though everything he had just experienced was an illusion. But feeling the Ancient Heavenly Emperor Token resting in his hand,
he knew it was no illusion—it had truly happened.
"Lu Yuan, how is it over already? Did you discover anything?" Right then, Jiang Ningxian's voice rang out.
A look of confusion showed on her face. From the beginning, Lu Yuan had simply been conducting the sacrifice without any reaction until it finally concluded.
Yet what about their surroundings? Nothing had changed, leaving her somewhat puzzled.
"No, I didn't discover anything." Lu Yuan originally wanted to explain what had just happened, but recalling the elder's parting instructions, he kept his silence.
At this moment, he had fully confirmed that the person was Shennong, one of the Three Sovereigns. Since it was an instruction from the Human Sovereign—
and the ancestor of the Jiang clan—he naturally could not disobey it. Even so, Lu Yuan had never expected that the Ancient Heavenly Emperor Token he had yearned for so long would be obtained in such a manner. It had truly been rather effortless, gifted directly by that Human Sovereign and Heavenly Emperor. Still, what did he mean by saying that he was pivotal and indispensable?
Chapter 325