Waves of mighty power continuously radiated outward.
An imposing aura surged, filling the entire room. Anyone else would have found it unbearable. Yet Lu Yuan sat cross-legged in the center, steady and unmoving as golden blood-vitality rose from his body.
His blood continuously poured into the two cauldrons, and the power stirring within them grew far richer than before.
An inexplicable force surged forth. It carried no overbearing pressure; instead, it seemed capable of soothing any agitation within the human heart.
It felt as though its very presence could quell all chaos and upheaval—a truly wondrous sensation.
"The Nine Cauldrons were originally sacred vessels forged to anchor the realm."
"Back then, Yu the Great cast them precisely to establish peace under the heavens and end the suffering of war."
"Now, as I refine them and the power of providence within is fully released, it is only natural to feel this way." Lu Yuan pondered the feeling. He had never experienced anything like this while refining the previous cauldrons. In all likelihood, it was because he had finally assembled all nine.
The final two vessels before him were the Yanzhou Cauldron and the Jizhou Cauldron. Gathering the complete set symbolized the unification of the Nine Provinces—and the Nine Provinces were Huaxia.
Lu Yuan therefore proceeded with great care throughout the refinement process, distinctly sensing every trace of power in hopes of uncovering more and greater insights.
As time passed, that power of providence grew stronger and more turbulent, flooding the entire room. At the same time, Lu Yuan noticed that as the final two cauldrons were gradually refined, the Investiture Decree began to glow. More importantly, the purple qi swirling upon the Ancient Heavenly Emperor Token deepened as well.
He knew better than anyone what power resided within the Nine Cauldrons: the power of human providence. Yet why would this force cause even the Ancient Heavenly Emperor Token to stir?
Though Lu Yuan did not fully understand, he was certain of one thing. It was precisely because he possessed the Ancient Heavenly Emperor Token that he had a way to direct that power of providence. Otherwise, even if he had gathered all nine cauldrons, he could only have stared at them in frustration, lacking any means to utilize them.
"Could it be that the Ancient Heavenly Emperor Token truly represents the Heavenly Emperor, and the Heavenly Emperor used the providence of the human race to confer titles upon gods and establish the Heavenly Court?" Lu Yuan continued to ponder as he felt the power course through him.
He seemed to have stumbled upon the link between the Nine Cauldrons and the Ancient Heavenly Emperor Token. Of course, all of this remained speculation, impossible to verify for now.
Still, it mattered little to him. He had plenty of time.
*Buzz, buzz, buzz—*
Amid his contemplation, the remaining two cauldrons were at last completely refined. Just like the ones before them, they dissolved into patterns that integrated into the Investiture Decree.
Immediately after, another formidable torrent of power surged forth from within. Lu Yuan felt the providence on the decree intensify in an instant. The patterns of the Nine Cauldrons seemed to fully merge into one, causing the newly released power of providence to surge to a terrifying height.
Every name inscribed upon the decree radiated light, each shining as brightly as a star. At the very top, the two characters "Di Yuan" blazed like an eternal, indestructible sun.
All of this was brought forth by that tremendous providence.
What shocked Lu Yuan even more was that the power of providence was so immense—reaching an unimaginable scale—that a vast portion of it remained banked within the decree, completely untouched.
"The Nine Cauldrons anchor the providence of the human race. Could this be the providence of the entire human race?" Lu Yuan was genuinely startled by the sheer awe of it.
He could clearly sense that if he had the means to control all of this power, it would be frightening beyond measure.
The providence had been completely restored, reaching an astonishing level that shook even Lu Yuan.
Granted, refining these final two cauldrons did not drastically elevate his cultivation realm.
Yet it allowed him to experience the true might of providence. Lu Yuan knew full well that this power could aid him in countless ways, whether in conferring divine titles or facing powerful foes.
Indeed, once providence grew strong enough, it could be drawn upon directly to enhance one's combat prowess. The more one used, the greater that strength became.
Unfortunately, as Lu Yuan observed further, he realized he could currently utilize only a small fraction of it.
The reason was simple: the Ancient Heavenly Emperor Token was not yet capable of channeling more. Drawing upon providence had little to do with his personal cultivation; the root issue was that he had not collected enough fragments of the ancient token. That meant that despite having such immense power at his disposal, he lacked the means to deploy it in full.
Learning this left Lu Yuan somewhat disappointed, but only briefly. He did not take it to heart.
Formidable power was alluring, but it carried inherent risks. It was all too easy for one to lose themselves in it.
Imagine an ordinary person suddenly becoming a billionaire. Without exceptional willpower, such fortune would not be a blessing; it would turn into a disaster because they could not control it.
Lu Yuan roughly estimated that even drawing fully upon the portion currently available to him would be a considerable strain. Even if he succeeded, it would likely cause some harm to his body.
Nevertheless, Lu Yuan remained delighted.
Refining these two cauldrons had granted him another trump card. This providence had arrived at the most opportune moment.
By his estimate, utilizing a portion of it would ensure he remained undefeated even against a Grotto-Heaven Immortal. Drawing upon more might even allow him to slay a being of that caliber.
Naturally, that would come at a price, as it was not power he had cultivated himself. But for Lu Yuan, this was already more than enough.
"The power of providence, the human race's providence..."
"How does this relate to the so-called great era providence?" Lu Yuan mused, sensing faint threads connecting it all. An inexplicable relationship seemed to exist, yet piecing it together proved difficult, as though a crucial clue was still missing.
Shaking his head, he cast the thoughts aside and rose to his feet.
Refining the final two cauldrons had seemed brief, but several months had actually slipped by. For now, Lu Yuan had no clear picture of the situation outside.
Not long after stepping out of the room, he sensed several presences approaching. It was Zhu Qingyu and the others, accompanied by Jiang Ningxian. They appeared to have been waiting for his emergence for quite some time.
Lu Yuan felt a flicker of doubt. *Did something happen?*
Without hesitation, he asked them directly.
Zhu Qingyu nodded in response. "For some reason, the great wars between the major extraterrestrial clans across various star fields have begun to subside. Clashes aren't as frequent anymore, and some have even begun scouting toward the five super cities."
This was a grave development, and none of them had been sure how to handle it.
Lu Yuan offered no immediate reply. Instead, he turned his gaze to Jiang Ningxian, knowing she was certain to possess even more critical news.
Chapter 379