Chapter 382: The Nine Cauldrons, Part Two

The Jiangnan cauldron was forged by gathering Jiangnan's metals and tempering them in the underground flame furnace of the Murong clan; this time, beneath the Western Regions' sacred mountain 【Mount Juxu】, it drew upon the metals of all thirty-six tribes.

In Jiangnan, the land of rice and fish, the people lived in abundance; the cauldron was forged from the everyday objects of the common folk—plows, sickles, and the like—seeking harmony in wind and rain, and the people's well-being.

The wind of the Western Regions was fierce and wild, like a roaring northern gale howling across cliffs.

To forge the Western cauldron, ordinary metals and tools would not do—it was made from the swords and blades of the thirty-six tribes, symbolizing the sharpness of Western Geng Metal; in casting this cauldron, they sought valor, dominating Metal and Fire in the Five Phases, embodying slaughter and icy severity.

The Fire Qilin spat fire directly, aided by the Nine-Colored Divine Deer.

Li Guanyi stood before the cauldron being forged.

Over a thousand years of warfare and slaughter in the Western Regions, the weapons that had once clashed across this vast land were melted down and cast into a cauldron in the Western Regions' unique forging style.

The Jiangnan cauldron was refined yet grand.

The Western cauldron was vast, ancient, solemn, and grim.

One was round and harmonious, the other square and upright; one bore delicate engraved patterns, the other bold and straight—both utterly different. As Li Guanyi forged the cauldron, the Nine Cauldrons within his body roared incessantly, representing the flow and thunder of the Western Regions' destiny, culminating in its replication within the cauldron.

Thus, golden runes etched into the ancient, rugged cauldron formed a map of the land: the Western deserts, oases, mountains, and rivers—all present; high above, faint auspicious cloud patterns hid the Nine-Colored Divine Deer.

The Nine-Colored Divine Deer suddenly felt a connection form between herself and this ancient cauldron; she froze for a moment, then suddenly understood—this was the help the Ancient Taigu Chilong had spoken of.

She felt as though she had become linked to this land itself.

The Nine-Colored Divine Deer was deeply puzzled: the Ancient Taigu Chilong, upon first meeting, had demanded to borrow eight hundred years of her lifespan—casual, utterly unceremonious.

So the usually gentle Nine-Colored Divine Deer had grown angry and fought him—but today's sight revealed no need for eight hundred years of her life; not only was it unnecessary, it brought her many benefits.

Strange—if this was such a good thing, why had the Taigu Chilong claimed he needed eight hundred years?

Could it be because he lied?

Next time I meet him.

I'll ask him face-to-face.

The Nine-Colored Divine Deer silently made a decision that could instantly shatter the Ancient Taigu Chilong's mood, then focused entirely on the magnificent spectacle of the cauldron's forging.

When the Second Nine Cauldron was completed, its terrifying aura shattered the simple yet effective large forging apparatus; golden-red flames surged upward like a colossal wave.

Li Guanyi pressed his palm against the cauldron and murmured, "The second one…."

In ancient times, the feudal lords of the Central Plains waged campaigns in all directions, established their dominions, and erected a cauldron to represent their territory; now that this Second Nine Cauldron had been successfully forged, where should it be placed?

Li Guanyi gazed at the new Nine Cauldron, lowered his eyes, and already had an idea.

Since it is the Western cauldron, there is no more fitting place than there!

Li Guanyi raised his hand and struck horizontally.

Boom!!!

The great cauldron roared, its voice coarse and thunderous.

Its legs lifted slightly from the ground.

In that instant, Li Guanyi reached out, gripped the cauldron, and rose abruptly; the blazing flames left the newly forged cauldron scorching hot—any casual touch would burn skin and flesh to the bone—but Li Guanyi seemed utterly unaffected by the terrifying heat.

Before the terrified gaze of the many Tian Kehan of the Western Regions, Li Guanyi lifted the heavy, blazing Second Nine Cauldron with one hand.

Radiant light streamed from the cauldron's surface as Li Guanyi unleashed his Eighth Heaven-level power.

The void rippled; dragon roars and tiger howls echoed all around.

Li Guanyi, holding the cauldron in one hand, stepped through the air, ascending step by step toward the heavenly palace.

All the Tian Kehan were shaken.

Li Guanyi, wielding his divine martial prowess, stormed to the peak of 【Mount Juxu】 and placed the great cauldron upon the stone tablet where victories were inscribed; the wind and snow raged, the clouds thick, and even standing here was treacherous—but the Second Nine Cauldron rested firmly upon it.

The Nine-Colored Divine Deer looked at the cauldron and said, "Placed here?"

"Aren't you afraid someone will take it?"

Li Guanyi replied, "If anyone has the courage to climb to this height and lift this cauldron, which bears the destiny of the Western Regions' people, then they deserve it."

"If they can do it, let them have it."

He reached out and stroked the newly forged cauldron.

The First Nine Cauldron rested beneath Jiangnan, where water and fire intermingled.

The Second Nine Cauldron rested atop the sacred peak, where wind and clouds churned.

Excellent, excellent!

The Son of Heaven himself forged the cauldron, carried the great vessel, stood suspended in the heavens, and placed the Nine Cauldron upon the most sacred ground; the onlookers of the Western Regions were stirred to the core, feeling a surge of energy in their chests, desperate to roar to the heavens.

Li Guanyi felt the surging tide of human destiny; the Nine Cauldrons within him connected with the Second Nine Cauldron.

Li Guanyi raised his hand and struck horizontally, pressing his palm against the rugged Nine Cauldron; the cauldron trembled, emitting a thunderous sound—though the volume was not impossibly high, it rolled outward with impossible reach.

Every onlooker heard the solemn, majestic tone of the cauldron with perfect clarity.

They felt their blood tremble, their hearts boil.

The sky had been layered with white clouds, but with these nine clear, resonant cauldron tones, the clouds gradually shattered and dispersed outward; the sound halted the clouds, and with the final tone, the sky stretched vast and clear, all clouds gone.

The onlookers all knelt on one knee and shouted—

"Son of Heaven!"

Finally, Li Guanyi saw the destiny of the thirty-six tribes, the destiny of the sixty Anxi cities, surge forth and pour into the Second Nine Cauldron; the cauldron glowed with radiant light, its destiny coiling like a dragon, rising into the heavens.

The Nine Cauldrons were reforged.

A powerful tide of destiny settled upon Li Guanyi.

Thus, the many divine wonders of the Nine Cauldron appeared in Li Guanyi's mind—in an instant, he understood them fully.

First: within the Western Regions, Li Guanyi was strengthened by the Second Nine Cauldron.

His strength and speed were both enhanced.

This is the aura of the Son of Heaven!

As he walked through the Western Regions, he walked as a Son of Heaven among nations.

This vast, surging energy allowed him to remain in a state akin to battlefield enhancement even in daily life, every gesture and movement imbued with mystery, far beyond mere Bazhongtian Sect Foundation Establishment realm.

Second, it was the trait inherited from the Nine-Colored Divine Deer upon this vessel of state.

The Ancient Crimson Dragon, roaming the Jiangnan region, could absorb torrential rains and floods, storing them within Jiangnan's Nine Cauldrons.

At this moment, two of the Nine Cauldrons could, like the Nine-Colored Divine Deer, discern storms and draw in the colossal gales, calming the winds of the Western Regions.

The Nine-Colored Divine Deer could also use the Nine Cauldrons' human destiny qi to guide water sources, enabling plants to grow more vigorously, enriching the lives of the people here, further strengthening human destiny qi—and benefiting the Nine-Colored Divine Deer in return.

And third, this was the difference from Jiangnan's Nine Cauldrons.

Li Guanyi extended his hand, sensing waves of grim, lethal energy; lowering his gaze, he saw that every soldier carried a flow of destiny qi—grim, sharp, nearly forming a natural battlefield formation.

Jiangnan's Nine Cauldrons, occupying the East, centered on the Dragon, radiating vitality; that one cauldron could elevate the innate qualities of all life under its human destiny qi. The Western Regions, occupying the West, bore the metal's lethal qi—grim and sharp.

The destiny qi descending from this cauldron was one of martial might and lethal aura.

Li Guanyi felt this cauldron could strengthen his military might through destiny qi, stabilizing the morale of his army beneath its influence, placing his forces in a state akin to 【Son of Heaven Leading the Charge】.

The East's Wood, Yi, is the Azure Dragon; thus, the first cauldron governs growth.

The West's Metal, Geng, is Bai Hu; thus, the second cauldron governs slaughter.

The four directions of the Nine Cauldrons each held unique mysteries, none identical.

Li Guanyi suddenly realized: the world had not yet been pacified; otherwise, if these two cauldrons were linked, Jiangnan's gentle qi and the Western cauldron's lethal qi could each exert their effects across their respective regions.

If the world were truly unified.

Then, when the people lived in peace and prosperity, the four quarters tranquil, the Nine Cauldrons' destiny qi would flourish; in such a golden age, holding the Nine Cauldrons would be like receiving ninefold blessings.

The Red Emperor forged the Son of Heaven's ultimate art with the Crimson Sky Sword.

It condensed myriad arts into one person, enabling immense power regardless of circumstance.

There were many mysterious methods.

Li Guanyi did not fully siphon the human destiny qi for his own cultivation; instead, he returned it to the people. Each cauldron stood independent of him—even if he left Jiangnan, Jiangnan's cauldron continued to function.

While he fought in the Western Regions, without Jiangnan's cauldron's blessing, he could only rely on sheer grit and brute force.

The Nine Cauldrons stood independent.

Thus, each cauldron within them bore its own aura.

A single cauldron alone was inferior to the subtlety of the so-called Son of Heaven Divine Art.

But if all nine cauldrons were present, the world united.

Then, that vast energy would converge upon one body—vitality and slaughter both residing within—no longer merely the so-called Son of Heaven, but—

The Human Emperor!

Another cauldron was added.

Li Guanyi felt a sense of fulfillment.

Yet the Nine-Colored Divine Deer, who had observed all, suddenly felt puzzled: such a divine weapon-cauldron was powerful, yet its power felt strangely redundant.

Perhaps the player is too close to see clearly.

Under the Nine-Colored Divine Deer's observation and gaze, Li Guanyi's prestige here, and the morale of his army, were already higher than normal.

To the Anxi City army, he was the general who slew enemy commanders from among a hundred thousand troops; to the Western Alliance, he was Tian Kehan—the one who defeated the kings, offered sacrifice to heaven, and cast the cauldrons to appease gods and mortals.

His troops should naturally possess the morale of a prince's presence, soaring like a banner.

The observing Nine-Colored Divine Deer was puzzled.

Was it because one acquired the divine weapon-cauldrons that one became the Human Emperor?

Or was it because one's achievements had already made one the Human Emperor, thus the cauldrons were forged?

Was he using the divine subtlety of the cauldrons?

Or was he, through this very process of pursuing the cauldrons, forging the righteous, glorious achievements of the Human Emperor with his own body and sword?

This was true 【casting the cauldrons】—this body as the cauldron.

But Li Guanyi no longer cared about these thoughts; he suddenly began to imagine.

His mind clattered with calculations.

If the Nine-Colored Divine Deer could go to Jiangnan, the land of rice and fish, and guide plant growth.

And the Ancient Crimson Dragon could come to this dry, arid Western Region and bring clouds and rain.

There might be wondrous changes—though such changes could also trigger climate shifts and other consequences, none of which could begin with a mere word; there must be ways. Then the people could rest and recover, and their lives would swiftly grow prosperous.

Then Li Guanyi would no longer lie awake, head aching from worries over gold and silver.

"Still, without trying, I can't help but feel unsatisfied," Li Guanyi murmured, pressing his palm against the second cauldron, his eyes naturally radiating a divine aura.

In his vision now, the world appeared as the Yin-Yang School would see it.

Destiny qi flowed and intertwined; Li Guanyi saw the turmoil of the Central Plains, the entanglements of the Western Regions, and toward Jiangnan, a pillar of destiny qi shot skyward.

That was another cauldron.

As Li Guanyi noticed that cauldron, the Western cauldron suddenly trembled and roared; the human destiny qi surging skyward widened immensely, surging wildly, while the Jiangnan destiny qi pillar subtly shifted.

Between the two cauldrons, a faint resonance seemed to stir, seeking to link their destiny qi.

But it ultimately failed.

The distance between the two lands was too vast, and the southwestern region, along with the waterways crossing that territory, remained severed by raging martial lethal qi—no matter how hard Li Guanyi tried, he could not succeed.

"So it won't work… still lacking something."

Li Guanyi could not help but feel regret.

After all, the Nine Cauldrons' destiny qi was tied to terrain and geography; a vast stretch of land still lay between them, impassable.

Yet at this moment, Li Guanyi suddenly perceived, through the cauldrons, a region lying between the two cauldrons—occupied by a destiny qi unlike that of Chen or Ying in the Central Plains.

Li Guanyi suddenly felt a faint resonance.

Through the qi of destiny, fleeting images flickered before his eyes.

It was an architectural style unlike the pavilions and terraces of Jiangnan, the stately courtyards of the Central Plains, or the flat-roofed buildings of the Western Regions built from yellow earth, brick, and stone—here, bamboo was used extensively, structures nestled unevenly along the mountainside, terraced fields carved into the slopes like steps.

It was the southwestern region—

Inside the southwestern Wang Fu, a man dressed in Chen-state official robes stood in the center, looking slightly uneasy, while above him, a man in lavish robes held a letter.

Around him were chieftains from various citadels—men and women, young and old—he glanced around, ignoring the envoy, and said:

"This is the letter from Chen Dingye to us."

"He wants us to send troops to the Central Plains to help him fight against Ying State."

The Chen envoy said: "Your Majesty, you must address him as Your Majesty!"

Yet all the southwestern Yi chieftains suddenly sneered.

The man shrugged: "Your Majesty? Fine, then—Your Majesty. It seems all the brothers feel the same?"

The Chen envoy tightened his face, gritted his teeth, and shouted: "Your Majesty, you have already submitted to our great Chen State—you are a subject of Chen! Now the sovereign commands you to lead troops and aid the throne—why won't you go?!"

The man called the southwestern king spat, flinging the letter straight onto the envoy's face, and sneered: "Fine! So you're using Chen Dingye to pressure me? You think I was raised on fear?"

"Come, look at the alliance scroll!"

The southwestern king pulled out the alliance document, pointing to the text: "Read it clearly—it says the man who made this pact with us was Li Wanli, not Chen Dingye!"

"We recognize no one else. We stand by this truth."

"We made our promise to Brother Li Wanli. Now that Li Wanli is gone, you come here with a letter to threaten me?"

"Chen Dingye? Back then, in the Tai Ping Army, he wasn't even among the top three."

"A timid, scheming snake in a proper robe—what's the point of his whining?"

"Does he think he can scare me?"

"Back then, you planned to drag me off to Chen State—Li Wanli helped me."

"I gave Li Wanli our national treasure—the twenty-four pearl beads—to have him marry the girl he spoke of. That boy freed me, and freed all my kin. That's why we submitted to Chen State."

"We honored his Wu Gong, his methods—we followed him. We didn't like fighting, didn't like bowing and kneeling—we only wanted him to realize his dream of a peaceful world, so we could till our fields and pick our tea in peace."

"But after only a few quiet years, we looked up—and Li Wanli was gone?"

The southwestern king sneered: "Li Wanli's gone? You say Ying State killed him—I'm not that easily fooled."

"Do you think you've earned the Chen imperial family's face?"

"Li Wanli was murdered. If I go, won't I soon die in a palace fire? Or like Yue Pengwu—twelve letters flying in, driving me to death?"

"Those two men served Chen State far more than I ever did, and their Wu Gong was far greater—and they're dead. What chance do I, a mere southwestern man in your eyes, have? Will you skin me alive and boil me in a pot?"

"Bring him out! Feed him to the Iron Beasts!"

The southwestern king's anger grew.

Pacifying the southwest was one of Tai Ping Gong's greatest achievements, and he did it through benevolence—he held immense prestige here. Without his peace, the southwest would have rebelled the moment Tai Ping Gong died.

But back then, Chen State was strong, its armies mighty, its generals like Yue Pengwu still alive.

Yue Pengwu was ordered to personally pacify this region.

Yet he did not bring his elite Bei Wei Army.

He came alone on horseback, spoke of old times with Tai Ping Gong—the southwestern chieftains wept openly, and so peace was restored. Dan Tai Xianming petitioned Chen Dingye to execute the rebel leaders, but Chen Dingye, moved by old ties, refused.

Now, Chen State is stretched thin, and has written many letters demanding troops.

When the southwestern king spoke those words, some southwestern Yi did move to drag the envoy away to feed the Iron Beasts—the envoy's legs turned to water, and he cried out to stop them. After a long silence, he finally said: "Take the letter back. We don't intend to fight Chen State, nor be used as your weapon."

The Chen envoy, humiliated, spat out bitterly:

"When the world is at peace, the heavenly armies will come to punish you!"

The southwestern king burst into loud laughter, cursing: "Tai Ping Gong is dead, Yue Pengwu is gone, Yu Langwang has rebelled, the night is restless, your state's greatest ministers and generals all meet the same end—your Chen State's marrow is dry, you're a dying snake! Who are you trying to scare?!"

"When your Chen State falls, I'll go to your imperial palace and piss right in front of it!"

"Back then, even when I pissed farther than you, I couldn't outdo that damn brat Li Wanli. Now he's dead—you can't beat me, ha ha ha!"

The Chen envoy stared, dumbfounded, watching this barbarian chieftain boast like a child, recounting old tales with pride—speechless, the southwestern king added two more lines, regaining the aura of a great warlord:

"Wait until the world is at peace."

"And see if Chen State still exists!"

Flogged dozens of times, banished.

"If you don't leave, strip you naked and feed you to the Iron Beasts!"

"Get out! Get out! Get out!"

The Chen envoy fled in disgrace. The southwestern king fell silent for a long while, then held the old alliance letter and sighed deeply: "Brother Li Wanli, our meeting back then was our final one. In this chaotic world, a man like you—your death is a tragedy."

Someone asked: "Are we truly going to do nothing?"

"They say Qin Wu Hou of Jiangnan is Tai Ping Gong's son."

The southwestern king said: "A hero's father doesn't guarantee a hero's son."

"Besides, there are two sons of Tai Ping Gong in Saibei."

"Who knows which one's real? Let them fight their Central Plains wars—who cares about our southwest? Isn't it all just about grain? Even if he truly is Li Wanli's son, I've never met him."

"I heard he's a mighty chancellor."

"Nothing like Li Wanli."

An old man sighed: "Yes, but Li Wanli couldn't handle spicy food—if he could, he'd have been the perfect man."

The southwestern king laughed loudly: "A man who cries from spicy food—what kind of hero is that? A man who jumps around from eating fish mint—who the hell calls that a hero? How did such a hero die?"

"How did such a hero die in Chen Dingye's hands?"

Laughing, he fell silent, and sighed deeply:

"If heaven has mercy, and I ever meet Li Wanli's child…"

The old man asked: "If Qin Wu Hou truly carries Tai Ping Gong's spirit—should we honor our old pact with Tai Ping Gong?"

The Prince of the Southwest said: "Li Wanli has failed too."

"Unless it's someone greater than him, one shouldn't enter the fray lightly. Besides, wasn't Yu Langwang, who once had an excellent relationship with Tai Ping Gong, still here? We signed an alliance with Li Wanli's brothers, yet our true overlord remains the Chen imperial house."

"This is truly a muddled mess."

"If we form alliances carelessly, we'll invite criticism. When the Central Plains come here to settle accounts, they'll have a ready excuse. I don't care—but the children mustn't fall into danger because of our past whims."

The old man fell silent for a long while, then said: "If Li Wanli and Chen Fubai's children came together, it would be better…"

The Prince of the Southwest fell silent for a long while, as if seeing the scene, and said: "Yes."

"But how could that possibly happen?"

"Stop dreaming."

The flow of destiny shifted; the roaring of the Nine Cauldrons gradually faded. The vision Li Guanyi saw vanished. The Nine Cauldrons of the Western Regions stabilized. Li Guanyi remained dazed for a long while, then suddenly remembered what General Yue Qianfeng had said—that years ago, his father Li Wanli had taken a pearl to propose to his mother.

Eventually exposed for embezzlement, stripped of his office, Yu Langwang Chen Fubai pleaded for him; the two men fought each other before the emperor's throne. Li Guanyi muttered to himself:

"... The Southwest?"

This was precisely the first time Li Guanyi spoke with Po Jun.

One of Po Jun's strategic elements: seize the Western Regions, grow strong, leverage Tai Ping Gong's influence, and easily take the Southwest.

In the past, even though Li Wanli had immense prestige in the Southwest, it benefited Li Guanyi not at all. Only now, as his own momentum surged upward, did he gain the right to claim the advantage brought by his father's reputation.

Only he himself could secure this alliance.

Only then could he take this step.

His father's prestige could spare him this battle.

The momentum is rising.

Seize the Southwest, descend the waterways into Jiangnan, and the Nine Cauldrons will be linked!

I wonder what grandeur will emerge when the Nine Cauldrons unite—there will be an ultimate transformation.

Li Guanyi whispered: "Wind rises at the tip of a green duckweed."

Now the wind was fierce. At this very moment, Li Guanyi, who could see the flow of destiny by pressing his hand upon the Nine Cauldrons of the Western Regions, saw far off—a military aura like a wolf's assault surging toward Anxi City, shattering the peace after the cauldrons were forged.

That was—Yu Langwang?!!

Is Yu Langwang planning to attack Anxi City?

Li Guanyi's expression froze.

This sudden shift stunned him. Yu Langwang's move had directly shattered his strategy. His expression shifted slightly—he knew that if he did not act, and Yu Langwang attacked without seeing him respond, Yu Langwang would suspect his ties to the Western Regions.

Yu Langwang is truly cunning!

Li Guanyi sensed Yu Langwang's pressure once again.

But immediately, his expression grew calm.

Two of the Nine Cauldrons are forged. Eighth Heaven Realm—now he was no longer what he once was.

Since he's come, then let's fight Yu Langwang once more!

Li Guanyi turned to the Nine-Colored Divine Deer. "I have a request."

The Nine-Colored Divine Deer: "???"

Li Guanyi said: "Please take me back to Anxi City at your fastest speed!"

The Nine-Colored Divine Deer said: "You mean to?"

Li Guanyi answered: "Yu Langwang is testing me."

"Let him test—"

"It's time to reverse the situation!"

Tian Kehan spoke calmly: "The great currents clash and entangle, each side gaining its victories."

"But now—"

"I am the great current."

?? Please vote for monthly tickets, guys. Damn it, my sleep schedule is completely ruined.