Chapter 495: Collecting the Cauldron

The Xutian Cauldron was oblate, with two handles and three legs. It stood about four feet tall and was approximately ten feet in diameter, so it wasn't considered very large.

At its top was a slightly convex, round lid. Around it were carved various images of insects, fish, animals, and numerous landscapes with trees. Although the carvings appeared simple and rough, they were incredibly lifelike, even giving Han Li a sense of ancient, primitive wilderness rushing towards him.

As soon as the cauldron emerged from the cave mouth, it began to hum softly, and the sound grew progressively louder. Simultaneously, the blue ice flame surrounding the cauldron, with several whooshing sounds, instantly flared up, growing several times in size.

The entire altar area, spanning over ten zhang, was completely frozen under the illumination of the pale blue light.

Aside from the slowly swaying ball of light at the cave mouth, only the Blood Jade Spider and the Spider Corpse Puppet, not far from the cave mouth, were still moving freely within two balls of blood-red light of different sizes. Everything else was completely solidified. If Han Li and Xuan Gu had flown away even a little later, they would surely have been frozen within it as well.

At this moment, the altar seemed to be encased within a giant blue crystal.

“Like this, how are we supposed to retrieve the treasure?” Han Li asked Xuan Gu, his expression suddenly changing upon seeing this astonishing frozen scene.

This peculiar phenomenon, which seemed capable of freezing even spiritual energy, naturally left Han Li at a loss on how to retrieve the treasure.

“It’s fine, I have a way to contain the Azure Ice Flame outside the cauldron,” Xuan Gu said, staring at the blue flame without blinking, as if extremely serious. “The Profound Soul Ghost Fire I cultivate is also an extremely yin and cold substance. Although it can’t compare to this ice flame, I can temporarily isolate and trap it for a short while. During that time, you can seize the opportunity to pull this cauldron out of the cave mouth and then retrieve it.”

Although these words were spoken coldly, Han Li detected a hint of excitement in them.

Han Li’s expression couldn’t help but flicker.

The other party actually offered to deal with the extremely dangerous blue ice flame and let him take the treasure cauldron. This truly surprised him. He couldn't help but cast a strange look at the other party.

Han Li absolutely wouldn't believe that the old devil could be so kind.

However, there seemed to be no obvious flaw in the other party's approach.

Could retrieving this Xutian Cauldron be even more dangerous? A trace of doubt rose in Han Li's heart.

Of course, if Xuan Gu had suggested that Han Li deal with the ice flame while he retrieved the treasure, Han Li would have been even less likely to agree.

Therefore, after a brief consideration, he steeled his heart and decided to agree.

Now was not the time to be hesitant; he could only act according to the situation. If there was truly something amiss when retrieving the treasure cauldron, he would naturally rather give up the treasure and ensure his own safety first.

After settling his thoughts, Han Li subtly nodded a few times at Xuan Gu, indicating his agreement.

Seeing this, Xuan Gu smiled at him with satisfaction. Then, with a strange glint in his eyes, he gazed at the ice flame for a few moments before his body began to spin rapidly in the air.

As he spun, the ghostly energy around his body formed a jade-green whirlwind about ten feet in diameter. All around it, eerie yin energy permeated the air, and faint, mournful wails of ghosts could be heard.

Next, the whirlwind pressed directly down towards the blue crystal below.

With a thunderous boom, the moving whirlwind seemed to ignite, instantly transforming into raging flames that shot up in a towering pillar of fire over a dozen zhang high.

This pillar of fire was neither red nor white; its color shifted back and forth between black and green. It had no warmth whatsoever; instead, it exuded an extreme yin coldness.

Han Li widened his eyes, staring directly as the eerie pillar of fire plunged into the blue ice.

Instantly, three types of light interwoven. A harsh, grating sound, like metal grinding, emanated, causing Han Li's brows to furrow.

However, Han Li's tightly furrowed brows immediately relaxed.

Because that black-green pillar of fire actually forcibly split open a path, rushing directly towards the blue flame at the center of the altar.

Seeing this, Han Li also grew tense, and his mind quickly connected with the Blood Jade Spider.

As long as the other party truly had the divine ability to separate the Azure Ice Flame from the Xutian Cauldron, he would immediately have the Blood Jade Spider exert its strength.

Finally, propelled by Xuan Gu, the pillar of fire reached the cave mouth.

Facing the dazzling, swirling blue ice flame, it merely paused briefly before bursting apart. In a blink, the pillar of fire transformed into a colossal black-green lotus, instantly encapsulating the entire mass of blue flame and the Xutian Cauldron within it.

Upon seeing this, Han Li was suddenly startled.

His first thought was: Could Xuan Gu have gone back on his word and intend to monopolize the Xutian Cauldron? Thinking this, he immediately grasped the five-colored copper rings in his hand again, becoming extremely vigilant.

However, the scene that unfolded next made Han Li relax, feeling at ease.

Because a moment later, the giant lotus merely wrapped up the blue ice flame and carried it away, while the Xutian Cauldron remained in its original spot as if illusory, not moving at all.

Han Li's heart instantly accelerated, and a flush of excitement rose to his face.

On one hand, he secretly marveled at the old devil Xuan Gu's profound cultivation technique; on the other, with an excited surge of spiritual sense, he immediately ordered the Blood Jade Spider to pull with all its might.

The already taut, slender silk threads began to hum loudly. After a violent tremor, a miracle occurred.

The cauldron, which had always seemed to weigh tens of thousands of pounds, actually shot towards Han Li as if flying under the Blood Jade Spider's desperate pull, appearing as light as if it weighed nothing at all.

Han Li first felt a surge of joy, then a chill in his heart.

Not daring to act rashly, he quickly raised both hands, and a pair of green sword lights shot out from them. But mid-flight, they suddenly changed, transforming into two green ropes that instantly coiled around the two handles of the Xutian Cauldron. Then, with a simultaneous exertion of force,

Instantly, the cauldron obediently stopped in place at a distance of three to four zhang from Han Li.

Seeing how easily he had controlled the Xutian Cauldron, Han Li himself was instead stunned.

He vaguely felt that the smooth retrieval of the treasure must be largely related to the Azure Ice Flame's detachment from the cauldron.

However, this thought merely flashed through his mind.

Without thinking further, he shook the green ropes formed from sword qi, and the cauldron, immediately enveloped in a ball of green True Essence he sent forth, slowly flew towards him.

Then, amidst a series of low incantations, the Xutian Cauldron rapidly shrank within the green light, slowly settling onto one of his palms.

Everything proceeded so smoothly, with no unexpected incidents whatsoever.

Han Li gently rubbed the cauldron lid with his finger, still unable to believe that the Xutian Cauldron, reputed as the number one secret treasure of the Scattered Star Seas, had truly been acquired so easily!

“This cauldron isn’t fake, is it?” Han Li gazed intently at the miniature cauldron, now only fist-sized, in his hand, when such a strange thought suddenly arose in his mind.

But at this moment, a burst of wild laughter interrupted Han Li's strange thoughts.

“Haha! Azure Ice Flame, Profound Soul Yin Fire, and Spirit-Warding Divine Thunder—these three truly can merge into one! With this, I can cultivate the legendary Asura Sacred Flame! I was indeed correct. Haha…” This was clearly Xuan Gu's voice, but his laughter at this moment sounded full of smugness and wild elation.

Han Li's heart sank upon hearing this. For some reason, he suddenly felt a chill run through him.

He tightened his grip on the miniature cauldron with one hand, narrowed his eyes, and looked expressionlessly at Xuan Gu.

What Han Li saw of Xuan Gu surprised him slightly.

The black-green giant lotus was long gone. In its place was a huge orb of light, about a foot in diameter, cupped in Xuan Gu's hands.

At first glance, this orb of light was still black and green, but upon closer inspection, one would notice that at its center, a cluster of blue flames was gently burning. Although it was encased in a black-green outer shell, it still seemed restless, constantly trying to break free.

What was even more astonishing was that on the surface of the orb, dark black arcs of electricity constantly shot out in all directions, bouncing around non-stop, and continuously emitting faint rumbling sounds of thunder.

Han Li's expression changed.

Could it be that the old devil Xuan Gu's true intention was...

Before Han Li could ponder carefully what the scene before him meant, Xuan Gu below, holding the orb of light, slowly flew towards Han Li. He stopped his advance when he was over ten zhang away from Han Li, and fixed his gaze on the Xutian Cauldron tightly held in Han Li's hand.

“Very good, you’ve also retrieved the Xutian Cauldron. It seems my plan was indeed without flaws,” Xuan Gu said, gazing at the Xutian Cauldron with a strange glint in his eyes.

Hearing these words, Han Li snorted, and looked at Xuan Gu with a vigilant expression, but said nothing.

“Looking at your expression, it seems you’ve guessed something,” Xuan Gu said slowly, with a faint smile. “Although I’d very much like to explain, you’re about to be a dead man. My time is also running short, so I think it’s more comfortable for you to remain a confused ghost.”

Han Li's heart jolted. The other party's intention to seize the treasure and kill him couldn't be more obvious.

He immediately refused to waste words trying to figure out the reason, and was even less willing to utter any more nonsense! With a sinking expression, he struck first.

With a raise of his hand, the five copper rings he had already clutched in his hand were immediately cast out. After a flash of radiant light, the copper rings vanished from the air. The next moment, they were neatly clasped around the old devil's neck and limbs!