NOVEL NEXT “I don’t believe it. The Heaven Earth Cauldron was really in that brat’s hands,” said Long Qihua as he gently rubbed the Earth Cauldron.
Looking at its ancient runes and sensing the desolate qi from the primal chaos era, Long Qihua could not even describe his shock.
“It is covered in rust and still in a state of slumber. No wonder he could only summon it but not use its power,” examined Long Yaoting.
“If it weren’t slumbering, how could he possibly possess it? The heavens really are looking after my Long clan. They had this little fellow send such a treasure right to our door,” said the clan leader excitedly.
“So now what? Drop blood on it to become its master?” asked Long Yaoting.
“You really are an idiot!” The clan leader directly cursed him. “This is the Earth Cauldron of the Heaven Earth Cauldron. Its foundation is life, and the greatest taboo would be to use it for killing. By giving it blood, wouldn’t you make its slumber last even longer?”
“Then what can we do?” asked Long Yaoting.
“If we want the Heaven Earth Cauldron to awaken, we will need to use heaven vein energy to nourish its spirit. We will also set up the Dragon Gathering Formation, using the entire Heavenly Desolation Domain’s dragon vein energy to awaken it. That’s our only chance to own it,” replied the clan leader.
“But what if it’s brought away by Long Chen once it awakens? Wouldn’t we have done all that just to benefit him?” interjected Long Yaoting suddenly.
“Hahaha!” The clan leader laughed. “Do you think I’d be so stupid? It was clearly written on the contract. Once Long Chen exits the Jiuli Tower, the Earth Cauldron will no longer be bound to us. It will be free to go wherever it pleases. Once awakened, the Earth Cauldron will recognize that we provided it with the energy. If it stayed with Long Chen, it would remain dormant. Why would it choose that fate?”
“So that’s the case. Clan leader is wise,” praised Long Yaoting. In truth, he wasn’t very clever. All the others had noticed the issue with the contract, but he hadn’t.
“Everyone, split up and set up the formation quickly. With heaven vein energy and dragon vein qi, we will awaken the Earth Cauldron. We can then rely on its primal chaos energy to refine our heaven veins. The bottlenecks that have sealed us for so many years will loosen then,” said the clan leader excitedly.
He wanted the Earth Cauldron not for the disciples but himself. At their level, every step forward was incredibly challenging, so the Earth Cauldron represented their greatest hope. Thus, it was indispensable.
“I feel like we should still discuss this matter with the patriarch,” said Long Qianxue.
“For such a major affair, we should indeed inform the patriarch. However, he was at a crucial state in his seclusion when Long Zhantian interrupted him. He was furious back then. If we disturb him again, and by chance disrupt him at a crucial moment once more, it would be a grievous offense,” said Long Qihua.
“We shouldn’t interrupt him. If the patriarch were here, he would make the same decision,” commented Long Yaoting.
“Alright, then let us start. We will awaken the Earth Cauldron three days from now. If we succeed, the Long clan will definitely stand at the peak of the Sovereign Emperor Heaven,” said the clan leader with great enthusiasm.
One by one, they departed, leaving only the Earth Cauldron behind. A flicker of light flashed over it, almost like a silent sneer.
…
“Long Chen, I already warned you. Why did you sign the contract?” asked the Heaven Overseer.
“Senior, thank you.”
“Eh?” The Heaven Overseer cocked his head in confusion.
“Senior, thank you for your care, but I have my own plans. Let me ask you one thing. If someday I have a conflict with the Long clan, whose side will you be on?” Long Chen questioned.
“I will stand on the side of righteousness,” the Heaven Overseer affirmed.
“Haha, then that’s enough,” Long Chen laughed. “Just take me to the Jiuli Tower. Don’t worry about anything else.”
The Heaven Overseer was baffled. He seemed to grasp something, but this realization left him vaguely uneasy.
At first, he thought Long Chen was about to take a huge loss. However, he suddenly felt like the Long clan might suffer a major setback instead. He didn’t quite know what to do.
“This is the Jiuli Tower?”
Long Chen saw a half-buried tower before him, slanted and partially submerged in the ground. If the Heaven Overseer hadn’t brought him here, he would have suspected them of conning him. Only half of the slanted tower was aboveground, lying there as if forgotten. The surrounding mountains had chains buried within them that tightly bound the structure.
The entire tower was covered in dirt, devoid of any aura. It looked like an ordinary collapsed building.
The Heaven Overseer explained, “This is the Jiuli Tower… or at least, a part of it. It was damaged in an ancient battle and has been deteriorating ever since. Many of its runes and craftsmanship techniques have been lost over the generations. We do not have the means to repair it. Throughout history, some experts have tried to repair it, but each attempt only caused more damage, leading to its current state.”
“What a shame,” Long Chen remarked.
“It really is. After spending so much effort and resources, we only see a collapsing tower. The Jiuli Tower is now split into two parts, with mostly the underground portion being usable while the aboveground portion being ruined.”
The Heaven Overseer continued, “However, it still has a trace of vitality. We use the spiritual qi of the surrounding mountains to keep it hanging on. Although it’s futile, we can’t just let it waste away.
“The interior of the Jiuli Tower is a world of its own. Unlike the Heavenly Fate Divine Pool, its energy doesn’t gradually recover. Every bit of energy used up inside is a permanent loss. Eventually, it will be fully exhausted and destroyed. This is why the Long clan particularly cherishes it
“I must warn you, though. This ancient treasure’s standards are based on those of ancient geniuses, which are exceedingly high compared to today’s cultivation standards. Our era’s heavenly geniuses cannot compare to them. You should be mentally prepared.”
Long Chen nodded and followed the Heaven Overseer’s instructions, proceeding along a narrow path alone. He reached the entrance of the tower, where a small transportation formation awaited him. After activating it, he instantly vanished.
Watching Long Chen vanish, the Heaven Overseer sighed as he felt a mix of emotions. Events were unfolding like a wild horse that had thrown off its reins, beyond his control. Unable to do anything more, he turned and walked away.