Lu Yuan gazed ahead, his voice calm. Yet when Jiang Haokong stepped forward and followed his gaze, he found nothing out of the ordinary in the distance beyond a stretch of mountain forest, looking just as it had before.
"Didn't you say you found it? Why can't I see anything?" Jiang Haokong asked, a puzzled look in his eyes. Divine sense was suppressed for all of them, so how could Lu Yuan see more than he did?
"Some things aren't seen with eyes; they're felt. Lu Yuan naturally has his own ways, so stop chattering at his side," Jiang Ningxian said, shaking her head.
She knew well that since Lu Yuan had taken the lead, nothing would go very wrong. Hearing the siblings' banter, Lu Yuan gave a faint smile and said nothing more, continuing forward.
The only reason the Nine-Tailed Fox King and the other Beast Kings had been able to locate the Nine Cauldrons was that he had shared a portion of his providence with them. In truth, his perception of the cauldrons was far sharper than that of any Beast King.
The trio pressed on in silence. Before long, waves of powerful aura surged toward them from ahead—the strength of the Saint Realm.
"You really found them?" Astonishment flitted across Jiang Haokong's eyes as he sensed the aura.
Though Shennongjia was unique, no native Saint Realm existence had emerged here at this stage. Thus, this aura could only come from the Nine-Tailed Fox King and her companion; there was no other explanation.
Lu Yuan remained silent and kept walking. There was no helping it—this place was simply too bizarre. Divine sense could not extend outward, and even certain divine abilities could not be deployed. Any Awakened below the Saint Realm who came here would likely be stripped of most of their abilities, rendering them barely stronger than ordinary mortals.
Therefore, once he returned, he would have to instruct everyone in the Heavenly Court to avoid entering Shennongjia unless absolutely necessary.
From what he recalled of his past life, certain areas here would outright suppress internal power, even for mutant beasts. It was exceptionally perilous—a forbidden zone in every sense of the word.
"King Lu?" While Lu Yuan was deep in thought, a melodious voice laced with pleasant surprise drifted over from ahead.
Not far away stood a young woman of about sixteen, clad in a long gown. An undeniable allure hung between her brows and eyes, and a single sweep of her gaze was enough to captivate anyone.
Beside the maiden was a spirit monkey covered in golden fur, holding a black iron rod. It was equally overjoyed to see Lu Yuan.
"King Lu, you're finally here!"
"If you had taken any longer, we probably would have headed straight back out," the maiden—the Nine-Tailed Fox King in human guise—said coquettishly. As she spoke, she moved to lean in close.
Yet she soon felt a razor-sharp glare boring into her back, chilling her to the bone, and she instantly shrank back. That glare naturally belonged to Jiang Ningxian.
"What happened?" Lu Yuan asked, ignoring her antics and inquiring directly about what had transpired with the two Beast Kings during this period.
The Spirit Monkey explained that they had not intended to enter Shennongjia at first, but after suddenly sensing the aura of the Nine Cauldrons, they had no choice. Yet after entering, they lost their bearings. Fortunately, guided by the cauldron's aura, they reached this place.
In the end, however, they discovered that no messages could be sent out. Even so, the two Beast Kings knew they had sent word before entering Shennongjia and were certain Lu Yuan would come, so they waited where they were.
Who would have guessed that this wait would drag on for over half a month? Fortunately, the Nine-Tailed Fox King had possessed enough patience. Had it been only the Spirit Monkey, he likely would have given up and left.
Lu Yuan smiled upon hearing their explanation. He knew that once they returned, he would need to bless these hardworking Beast Kings with more providence.
"Waiting was no trouble, but this place is far too uncanny. If you hadn't arrived, something bad might have happened," the Spirit Monkey added, revealing the true root of its anxiety.
"Have you pinpointed the exact location of the Nine Cauldrons?" Lu Yuan nodded, understanding the monkey's concern.
"Right ahead. There is a massive abyss there, though no one knows when it appeared," the Nine-Tailed Fox King said, pointing into the distance. Her face paled slightly, as if she sensed some terrifying existence lurking there.
Seeing this, Lu Yuan nodded and prepared to move forward.
Just then, the Spirit Monkey stepped up to warn him, "Be careful. We tried getting closer earlier, only to find that the nearer we drew, the less power we could muster inside our bodies, until it became nearly impossible to use at all. It's too strange here."
Suppressing a person's power? Hearing this, Lu Yuan grew even more intrigued. Even Jiang Ningxian and her brother couldn't help looking over.
Ahead still seemed to be nothing but mountain forest, but upon closer inspection, one could indeed discern a chasm deep within.
An inexplicable aura seeped out from it, yet when one tried to probe closely, there was nowhere to begin, because divine sense could not leave the body.
"No matter. I'll go see what's happening first," Lu Yuan said. It felt strange to him as well, but he already sensed that one of the Nine Cauldrons lay inside. Regardless of what awaited, he had to take a look.
Without another word, Lu Yuan turned and made his way toward the chasm abyss.
Jiang Ningxian, her brother, and the two Beast Kings remained waiting outside. They all knew that rushing in would accomplish nothing; it was better to wait until he saw what was going on.
Meanwhile, as Lu Yuan drew closer to the chasm, an inexplicable force surged steadily toward him from ahead. Even his own power began to be suppressed, preventing him from wielding it smoothly. The closer he approached, the more intense the sensation became.
By the time Lu Yuan reached the edge of the chasm, he discovered that he could muster less than thirty percent of his peak strength.
Even so, he paid it no mind, merely looking down into the fissure before him. It was quiet, bottomless. With his divine sense suppressed, he could not use it at all. Even Lu Yuan's Martial Dao Heavenly Eye was utterly useless here.
At this moment, aside from his physical constitution, he had nearly been reduced to an ordinary mortal in every respect.
"There must be a secret hidden inside," Lu Yuan thought, gazing into the abyss. Under normal circumstances, Shennongjia should not have displayed such phenomena at this stage, so there had to be something within the depths.
After a brief moment of contemplation, he turned to look back at the siblings and the two Beast Kings in the distance. "The cauldron is definitely down below. I'm going down to see."
Without waiting for an answer, he leaped into the air and plunged straight down into the depths.
Chapter 327