"This is... the Crimson Cauldron of Sinful Fire and Punishing Thunder."
A scorching gale howled past, sending Qing Cang's hair flying. He narrowed his eyes, his heart inevitably rippling with emotion.
Even a Ninth-Tier Classholder was vastly inferior compared to the Morning Star tier. Their levels of existence were completely different. The weapons they used were forged at an imnse cost, possessing extraordinary might.
Yet, heaven only knew what kind of battle this martial uncle of his had fought in life to end up in such a battered state.
With a deafening boom, the shattered crimson cauldron planted itself into the earth. It resembled a boundless tallic mountain. The collapsed ground beneath it was swept over by an invisible force, rapidly compressing and solidifying.
As fire and lightning boiled around it, even the lingering mist in the surroundings faded away, revealing a rare mont of clarity.
'This cauldron...' Su Chen clicked his tongue in wonder. The true form of this artifact far exceeded his imagination. It was absurdly massive—if flipped upside down, it could probably cover half of Yingfeng City.
"So this is the true form of the ruins," Chong Jingtian muttered, looking up at the colossal cauldron in a daze.
The entrance to the ruins they had previously known was nothing more than a tiny fissure beneath the cauldron's belly. From this distance, it was nearly imperceptible to the naked eye.
"Just what is this thing..." Ming Lin murmured softly, hidden among the crowd. The sheer majesty before him had already surpassed anything he could conceive.
anwhile, aboard the airship enveloped in Qing Cang's energy and suspended in midair, Lan Hao and Lin Yue had noticed the commotion. The two stood at the ship's hatch, staring blankly at the scene unfolding before them.
"The cauldron was pulled out?" Lin Yue's expression was filled with shock and suspicion. "Why make such a massive commotion all of a sudden?"
Lan Hao was equally baffled, his mind spinning as he blurted out, "Did Master Qing disable the cauldron's screening chanism?"
"Even if he did bypass the screening chanism, is there a need to cause such an earth-shattering racket?" Lin Yue looked at him like he was an absolute fool.
Lan Hao could not be bothered to argue. A bad premonition swelled in his chest, leaving him restless and anxious. With this sudden turn of events, it was completely impossible for him to notify Ni Chuan.
The two floated down from the airship and approached the rest of the group. Lan Hao had wanted to ask what was going on, but Wan Chen completely ignored him.
Feeling snubbed, Lan Hao's gaze swept past Su Chen before finally landing on Xia Jie.
Just as he was about to inquire, an ancient, echoing voice resonated from above the cauldron. "Qing Cang, the other half of the stone slab."
'There is soone on top of the cauldron?'
The sudden voice startled everyone. Xia Hanshi's expression wavered slightly as he looked toward the peak of the colossal cauldron. Only by squinting with extre focus could he faintly make out a suspended sphere of azure light.
'Is that the so-called Ancient Bronze King?' He frowned slightly. The image of this Ancient King was quite different from what he had imagined.
"Yes!" Regardless of what the others were thinking, Qing Cang did not dare show the slightest negligence.
He hurriedly retrieved the half stone slab sealed within a spatial compression pouch. The mont it appeared, it was drawn by an invisible force, drifting gently toward the top of the great cauldron.
"Why can't I see anything clearly?" Su Chen, mingling in the crowd, kept his piercing gaze locked on the trajectory of the drifting stone slab.
However, the cauldron alone was easily over ten kiloters tall, and their current vantage point was still quite a distance from its massive body. Coupled with the scattered crimson flas and arcs of lightning radiating around it, Su Chen could barely make out a single detail.
Currents of wind surged around his body, subtly obscuring his mouth. He whispered, "Amplify my vision tenfold."
His ambush on Lan Hao that day had been carried out in the shadows. Later, when he openly manipulated him, his face had been concealed by a tal visor. Even if Lan Hao saw him now, Su Chen was not worried about being recognized.
As his words fell, a chunk of his ntal energy vanished into thin air. His pupils instantly contracted, adjusting as though he had just peered through a pair of high-powered binoculars.
His line of sight extended endlessly, bringing the previously blurry scene into sharp focus. The tallic engravings on the giant cauldron, the minute cracks running across its surface, and the fine scales on its dragon-shaped ornants all beca crystal clear.
Naturally, this included the Ancient Bronze King hovering above the great cauldron. Astonishingly, the figure was only the size of a human palm. Its entire body appeared to be cast from bronze tal. It sat cross-legged in the void, and behind its head hovered a gear-shaped halo that rotated at a leisurely pace.
'Why does he look like a tiny action figure... kind of cute, actually,' Su Chen criticized internally. It was a world apart from the majestic visage of the Ancient King he had pictured.
'I wonder what tier this Ancient King belongs to...'
"It is the Ancient King!" Even though Lin Yue could only make out a blurry cluster of green light, she was still visibly thrilled.
The Ancient King resided upon the Eternally Silent Star. Even within the sect's headquarters, very few ever had the chance to behold his presence.
'The Ancient King actually followed us here...' Lan Hao's heart sank. Under these circumstances, would Ni Chuan still be able to seize the Morning Star tier Class spirituality?
'What the hell is going on?!' Lan Hao roared in his mind. Having already tipped them off in secret, he now hoped for Ni Chuan's success more than anyone else.
Yet for so reason, the previously inactive Ancient King had made a sudden appearance. If Ni Chuan was waiting for reinforcents from the Royal Court, it was already far too late.
The half stone slab had finally drifted to the top of the cauldron.
At the sa ti, wisps of crimson light and arcs of lightning gathered beside the Ancient Bronze King. They gradually coalesced into an ethereal silhouette—a man with crimson hair and a crimson beard, his countenance radiating absolute authority.
"It is a pity that I cannot save you," the Ancient King said softly.
The crimson-haired figure shook his head, devoid of any emotional fluctuation. "I am rely a spiritual fragnt, carrying the final will of my main body."
The Ancient King sighed lightly. From beneath the shattered giant cauldron, another half of a stone slab slowly floated upward, similarly enveloped in a hazy crimson mist.
Drawn to one another, the two fractured stone slabs trembled as they drifted closer. As their mists intertwined, lightning crackled violently. Crimson fire erupted from their edges, forming energy channels that looked like connecting blood vessels, gradually fusing the two halves into a single, flawless whole.
A resounding dragon's roar suddenly pierced the air. The billowing mist abruptly condensed, and the stone slab vanished, transforming into a lifelike crimson dragon that soared across the sky, thrilling with absolute euphoria.
"Co..." the crimson-haired figure reached out. The crimson dragon shook its body and quickly coiled around his arm, though a hint of confusion lingered in its lively eyes.
"I dragged you down with , nearly causing your destruction." The crimson-haired figure stroked the dragon's head before turning to the Ancient Bronze King. "Since Senior Brother has brought people here, let them take a walk through the cauldron. Consider it fulfilling the final wish of my main body."
The Ancient King nodded. "It shall be so."
Quite a distance away, in what appeared to be a desolate plain, a rock lizard several ters long was sprinting across the ground. Despite its thick, yellowish-brown hide, it was incredibly agile, clearing over ten ters with a single bound.
Bang!
With a muffled thud, the rock lizard bounced backward. It shook its head, a look of confusion flashing through its grayish-brown pupils as it stared at the seemingly empty expanse of land before it.
Swoosh!
A blue laser suddenly shot out from the void, instantly carbonizing the rock lizard. A passing breeze scattered its remains into fine ash.
Behind an optical camouflage array, several silver-gray airships lay in wait. Aboard the largest vessel, Ni Chuan stood with his hands behind his back, gazing out the window.
"Lan Hai is truly ruthless this ti. To hand over a Morning Star tier Class to us just like that—do you know why?"
He turned to look at the brawny young man in a black military uniform standing before him. The youth sported a buzz cut and a crossed sword-and-shield insignia pinned to his left chest. Hearing the question, a thoughtful look entered his eyes. "Is it because of the Wan family? Lan Hai and Wan Yang are competing for the position of Commander of the Bronze Sect Army. If Wan Chen becos the Chosen, Lan Hai is guaranteed to lose."
"It is more than that," Ni Chuan shook his head. "That alone isn't enough to make Lan Hai commit an act of betrayal against the sect's interests."
"A Chosen is not irreplaceable. Whether it is our Royal Court's Star Seeds or the Star Seeds of the Five Great Sects, countless eyes are fixed upon every single one of them. Replacing them rely requires taking a few risks."
As long as the spirituality remained, if one Chosen died, another could simply be found. It was rely a matter of expending ti and effort. This was equivalent to a foundational legacy, sothing no one would surrender easily.
"Hmm..." The young man frowned. After pondering for a long ti, he was forced to shake his head. "I cannot think of any other reason."
Ni Chuan finally elaborated, "The Ancient Bronze King's true body hasn't made an appearance in a century. The flas of the Eternally Silent Star are constantly weakening. Lan Hai is afraid. He is looking for a way out."
The young man's eyes twitched in astonishnt. "Is it just like the rumors say? Is the Eternally Silent Star really on the verge of dying out?"
"It is hard to say what the exact situation is," Ni Chuan replied with a cold expression. "I hope it is true. The Five Great Sects have relied on their founding rits to completely disregard the Royal Court. They should have died out long ago."
The young man fell silent. Matters of such magnitude were still sowhat beyond his reach.
"However..." Ni Chuan changed the subject, "This is a rare opportunity. The last ti a Morning Star tier Class was born was a hundred and twenty years ago."
"If you can beco a Star Seed, our Ni family might just ascend to the ranks of the Royal Court nobility."
As he spoke, a burning fervor lit up Ni Chuan's eyes.
Just as the young man was about to voice his resolve, his expression shifted slightly. He suddenly felt a violent tremor run through the airship.
"What is going on?" Ni Chuan's reaction was much faster. He had already sensed an intense energy fluctuation rolling in from afar. Considering that the Underworld Mist suppressed perception, one could only imagine how trendous this energy wave truly was.
Soon enough, he saw the Underworld Mist surging backward, as if sothing incredibly powerful was forcefully repelling it.
"It is coming from the location of the Crimson Thunder Cauldron," Ni Chuan murmured, an inkling of a guess forming in his mind. As the tremors in the earth grew increasingly violent, his expression darkened. "Not good!"
He instantly grabbed the bewildered young man and darted out of the airship.
"Is that... the previous holder of the Crimson Fla Answering Thunder Exalted Class, Martial Uncle Chiyang?" Qing Cang narrowed his eyes, unable to hide his astonishnt as he stared at the phantom lingering beside his master.
Observing the spiritual dragon coiled around the crimson figure, Qing Cang sighed with emotion. "This Martial Uncle was a fiercely ruthless and domineering individual. Even when he was alive, Master found it difficult to sway his decisions."
"If you want an audience with the spiritual dragon, you must first pass his scrutiny."
"Is that so..." Wan Chen listened, an inevitable trace of worry crossing his face. Though he was quite confident in himself, nothing was guaranteed.
After all, an intact spirituality was not strictly obligated to choose a Chosen from among their small group.
His chances were rely slightly higher. If he failed and the Class spirituality was taken back for a massive, large-scale selection process, he would never have another opportunity.
And now, he had to earn the approval of Exalted Chiyang. The difficulty had just spiked considerably.
anwhile, the crimson-haired figure completely vanished, plunging back into the cauldron. As for the spiritual dragon, it reverted to the form of a stone slab, hovering steadily beside the Ancient Bronze King.
"Qing Cang, have those you brought prepare to step forward," the Ancient King's voice echoed leisurely.
Wan Chen took a deep breath, steeling himself.
Lin Yue's face was flushed red, clearly vibrating with excitent.
Only Lan Hao's face lacked even the slightest hint of anticipation.
"Yes," Qing Cang complied. Just as he was about to make a move, his face darkened slightly, his gaze whipping toward a certain direction.
The very next mont, a fierce, thunderous roar erupted from within the churning grayish-white clouds. A blast of white air tore through the heavens, accompanied by a sonic boom ring that violently blasted the mist apart.
In the blink of an eye, the newcor arrived right before the group. He ca to an abrupt halt, and the sheer kinetic energy trailing behind him churned up a torrential sea of mist that cascaded forward like a collapsing ocean of clouds.
A tyrannical life aura ran rampant. The expressions of Chong Jingtian and the others changed drastically. The newcor made no effort to conceal his presence, imposing himself like a terrifying apex predator at the top of the food chain.
'Is this the person Xia Hanshi saw? With such formidable strength, to think he didn't discover him...' Chong Jingtian felt a tremor in his heart. 'Is this the person Su Chen saw? With such formidable strength, to think he didn't discover him...' Xia Hanshi clicked his tongue inwardly.
"Ni Chuan!" Qing Cang shouted fiercely. With a sweep of his broad sleeve, a violent gale surged forth, tearing apart the collapsing mountain of mist. He glared coldly at the burly middle-aged man standing before him.
"Haha, Qing Cang, it has been a long ti!" Ni Chuan laughed boisterously on the surface, but inwardly, he noticed sothing was off. The other party was not overly surprised by his arrival; it was as if he had anticipated it.
This left him slightly unsettled. His eyes rapidly swept the surroundings. When his gaze landed on the cauldron, his heart skipped a beat—the Ancient Bronze King had actually split his consciousness to follow them.
'Ni Chuan? He is a mber of the Royal Court. Why is he here too?'
Wan Chen furrowed his brows tightly. No wonder Master Qing suddenly entreated the Ancient King to intervene. So he had already sensed the people of the Royal Court lurking in the shadows.
"What are you doing here?" Qing Cang demanded coldly.
"Why would you ask such a thing?" Ni Chuan chuckled. "The Five Great Sects and the Royal Court have a standing agreent. Any Morning Star tier spirituality belongs to whoever finds it, and anyone present has the right to contest for it."
As long as the spirituality remained undamaged, even if a Morning Star tier Classholder died, another could eventually be born given enough ti.
No one would willingly give up such an invaluable foundation.
In the past, the scramble for Morning Star tier spiritualities had escalated into brutal, all-out bloodbaths, dragging upper echelons into chaotic brawls that caused catastrophic casualties. It was only later that an agreent was ford, restricting the scale of these battles to a certain limit.
"This is a relic previously lost by my Bronze Sect," Qing Cang reprimanded.
"You cannot say that," Ni Chuan shook his head. "Since it was lost, it no longer belongs exclusively to your Bronze Sect."
"You want to contest it, but can you?" Qing Cang's face tightened with anger before morphing into a cold sneer. "By yourself?"
"If the Ancient King issues the command, I will withdraw imdiately." Ni Chuan first expressed a respectful attitude before firing back with a question, "However, Qing Cang, are you certain you want the Ancient King to intervene this ti? Tearing up the agreent will bring down the collective wrath of all factions upon you."
Qing Cang's expression shifted back and forth. The idea of collective execution was nothing more than a deterrent, but dealing with this Ni Chuan was undeniably a troubleso affair.
'The Royal Court is incredibly strong...' Qing Cang was highly wary. anwhile, Su Chen continued to mingle in the crowd, watching silently from the sidelines.
'It makes sense... one faction against five. If they were even slightly weak, they would have been devoured entirely long ago,' Su Chen mused.
Ni Chuan did not push too aggressively, respectfully shouting instead, "I implore the Ancient King to uphold the agreent and grant our Royal Court a chance to contest this."
"What chance do you want?" Qing Cang furrowed his brows, picking up on the hidden implication.
"Since the spirituality will select a Chosen, my son should also et the requirents." Ni Chuan stated deeply. "You must allow him to face the spirituality as well."
Speaking up to this point, Ni Chuan continued in a cold voice, "If His Excellency Qing Cang is unwilling to give this chance, then I have no choice but to fight with everything I have. Even if I die at the hands of the Ancient King, it will be worth it."
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