Global Awakening: I'm the Only One Ready

Chapter 233. Imperial Divine Artifact—The Yongzhou Cauldron and Its Ultimate Secret

A pillar of light shot forth from the altar.

All eyes focused upon it. Everyone knew something was about to emerge.

Sure enough, a deep rumble sounded from the altar as a cauldron slowly appeared.

Its body was entirely crimson, supported by four legs below and crowned with two upright handles above. Standing at roughly half a man's height, it exuded an ancient and solemn aura. The four sides of the cauldron were exquisitely detailed, engraved with intricate patterns of flowers, birds, fish, and insects.

And with its emergence, a mysterious force began to spread outward. Be it the four beast kings, Lu Yuan, or Jiang Ningxian, all of them felt a trace of reverence arise in their hearts.

It felt as though this single cauldron possessed the power to suppress vast mountains and rivers.

"Lu Yuan, that's enough," Jiang Ningxian spoke again.

Her gaze lifted toward the sky where the pillar of light pierced the heavens.

Space itself seemed to have taken a hit; cracks began to appear and spread like fractures across glass. If this continued, the fabric of space might shatter entirely. As for where the rift might lead or what might emerge from within remained hard to say.

Lu Yuan noticed the same thing. He nodded immediately and halted the sacrifice. Then his gaze fell upon the cauldron that had risen from the altar.

"Crimson body. Four legs. Two handles...That's one of the Nine Cauldrons, the Yongzhou Cauldron."

Though the whereabouts of the Nine Cauldrons had long vanished into the river of history, many records still remained. Even without the memories from his past life, the appearance of the cauldron alone was enough to identify which of the nine it was.

"The Yongzhou Cauldron?"

Jiang Ningxian's eyes glimmered with curiosity as she looked at it.

A thread of power flowed from her body and made contact. The next moment, an immense heaviness descended upon her. It felt as though the entire heaven and earth were pressing down upon her existence.

Jiang Ningxian immediately withdrew her power and abandoned any further probing.

"As expected of one of the Nine Cauldrons forged by Yu the Great. It's truly a divine artifact of the nation. If I continued, I might suffer serious injury," Jiang Ningxian said, shaking her head. This was no longer something that could be categorized as a Sage Weapon or an Immortal Weapon.

Even though it had not been forged for warfare, its power was still terrifying.

"According to legend, Yu the Great cast the Nine Cauldrons to gather the fortune of the human race and stabilize the mountains and rivers.

"Each cauldron represents a region of Huaxia, its rivers and peaks. Its significance is far too profound," Lu Yuan said with a solemn gaze.

He had just noticed that the aura emitted by the Celestial Emperor's Ancient Token and the Celestial Emperor's Edict felt somewhat similar to the cauldron before him.

Could it be... that both items represented the fortune of humanity?

Lu Yuan couldn't confirm for sure and would require further investigation.

"So what should we do with this cauldron?" the Spirit Monkey spoke, staring at the Yongzhou Cauldron. "This thing is too important, but I'm not that interested in it. I'd rather have that stone pillar from the Eastern Sea Dragon Palace."

Clearly, it still had lingering thoughts about that pillar.

"Indeed. The Nine Cauldrons are not something we can control," said the Peacock King.

The Nine Cauldrons had been forged by the sages of antiquity. Although beast kings could keep them as rare collectibles, their usefulness was limited.

The Nine-tailed Fox King echoed the same sentiments.

As for the Golden-Winged Great Peng, there was nothing much to be said. It was merely a mount.

"The Nine Cauldrons are divine national treasures, symbolic of humanity's Providence. Anyone who saw them would be tempted to seize them without hesitation. But... my ambitions do not lie here," Jiang Ningxian spoke, and as she finished, her gaze settled upon Lu Yuan.

She knew very well that placing the cauldron in his hands was far better than keeping it herself. Of course, she would never outright tell her clansmen the same. Otherwise, it would certainly cause trouble. This was merely a personal decision on her part.

"I understand. Thank you, everyone," Lu Yuan replied.

He naturally understood what everyone was thinking. Regardless of the reason, they had chosen to leave the cauldron to him. That alone deserved his gratitude.

Without saying anything more, he waved his hand, and the Meridian Heavenmend Furnace appeared. It expanded rapidly with the wind and directly swallowed the Yongzhou Cauldron.

Lu Yuan truly yearned to know the functions of the cauldron. However, they were still within the Kunlun Secret Realm, where Outer Cosmos beings were present. He did not fear them; he was just concerned that if word of the cauldron spread to the outside world, countless people would surely covet it.

The Great Age had already descended. Powerhouses from the various starfields would soon arrive upon this world.

No matter what, he had to remain cautious.

Jiang Ningxian's eyes lit up the moment she saw the Meridian Heavenmend Furnace.

Seems like he carries more secrets than I thought...

Her curiosity toward Lu Yuan deepened further. She even felt the urge to uncover everything about him.

After storing away the Yongzhou Cauldron, Lu Yuan understood that the two greatest providences within the Kunlun Secret Realm had now fallen into his hands.

He turned toward Jiang Ningxian, saying, "I have accomplished what I came for. What do you need to do next?"

If she wished to continue exploring the secret realm, he would naturally assist her. After all, that was their agreement prior.

"It's clearly impossible to figure out what the Primordial Dragon encountered back then by examining a single location," Jiang Ningxian replied calmly. "Besides, we have no idea of the situation outside right now. It would be better to leave."

She had already learned some things from Lu Yuan earlier and understood that secrets of that magnitude could never be uncovered in a single attempt.

More importantly, she knew clearly that the power of the Separation of Heaven and Earth was gradually weakening. The outside world was changing with every passing day. They needed to exit this folded space and understand the situation.

"Alright." Lu Yuan nodded.

He then called for the four beast kings and prepared to leave the city. For him, this place no longer held many secrets. Then, he used his methods to conceal the Nine-Colored Altar once more.

Lu Yuan had studied the altar for a long time. Aside from activating it with the small cauldron, there was no other method that had an effect on it. So, he no longer pursued the matter.

If he wanted further information, he could always ask Jiang Ningxian. She clearly knew more than she had revealed.

Soon enough, they set off and left the land of blooming Red Spider Lilies behind them.

Along the way, some Outer Cosmos beings were hurrying in the same direction, seemingly searching for providences spoken of in legend.

Lu Yuan paid them no attention. Instead, he turned toward Jiang Ningxian and said, "You seem to have seen that Nine-Colored Altar before."

"Yes."

Jiang Ningxian had clearly anticipated the question. After a moment's thought, she continued, "I cannot say that I have seen it personally. But it is recorded in the ancient texts of my clan.

"The altar is a kind of passageway, or rather, it could be called an ancient road leading to an unknown place.

"Our clan's progenitor referred to it as the Altar of Conquest."

The progenitor of the Jiang Clan was none other than Shennong, one of the Human Sovereigns.

The Altar of Conquest?

Lu Yuan frowned slightly. The first part of the explanation matched what the Spirit Monkey had speculated earlier. But what exactly did the name "Altar of Conquest" mean?

Lu Yuan followed up with more questions. "Conquest? Against whom? Does your Jiang Clan also possess such a Nine-Colored Altar?"

Lu Yuan had always felt that the Nine-Colored Altar concealed a huge secret and was perhaps connected to the great enemy the Primordial Dragon had once mentioned.

But he still did not know what exactly this secret was. [1]

He hoped Jiang Ningxian could provide an answer, because he posited that this matter likely touched upon some sort of finale, ultimate secret.

1. You don't say. XD ☜