Chapter 2054: The Former Mystery

"As for her person..." Qingyang shook her head. "Logically, she should have been completely annihilated by the Divine Lightning Array, her body, bones, skin, and blood all vaporized. But some, or rather, some deities, believe she might have used the Divine Lightning Array to feign her death, like a cicada shedding its skin, and is not truly dead. This person is too..."

She took another breath. "However, from then on, I never heard any news of General Hong again, until you appeared."

He Lingchuan recalled that during his first visit to the Coiling Dragon Illusory Realm, he had gone to pay respects at General Hong's tomb.

The tomb contained no remains; it was merely a cenotaph.

So that's what happened.

As for Jialoutian, it is one of the most powerful and mysterious deities among the gods of Lingxu, worshipped as the principal deity by many nations north and northwest of Baling. He Lingchuan only knew that it had numerous divine titles and names in the human realm, much like Mitian, worshipped in Coiling Dragon City, is revered as the "Moon God" in the Demon's Lair Swamp.

It seemed he would need to focus on investigating Jialoutian later.

"My—my turn to ask," Qingyang said, her voice growing increasingly weary. "Following up on your question, please tell me, what exactly is your relationship with the Grand Cauldron?"

Beijia had already confirmed that the Grand Cauldron was still in the Coiling Dragon Desert. However, she had also discovered that He Xiao maintained a close connection with it.

How was this possible?

He Lingchuan hesitated, on the verge of speaking.

Upon reflection, the question seemed very difficult to answer.

What exactly was the nature of his relationship with the Grand Cauldron?

Cooperation?

Mentorship?

In any case, it was certainly not a relationship between a master and an artifact.

He could only say, "My relationship with the Grand Cauldron is the same as its relationship with its previous users."

"No, that's not right." Qingyang shook her head. "I know the Grand Cauldron has undergone very, very significant changes. A long time ago, there was a theory within Mount Ling that the emergence of primal energy was related to the Grand Cauldron."

Secrets from Mount Ling sometimes reached Lingxu, just as internal news from Lingxu could reach Mount Ling. Perhaps Beijia's mid-to-low-ranking officials didn't even know as much as those at Mount Ling.

He Lingchuan raised an eyebrow. "If the Heavenly Net Star can alter the laws of the human world, why can't the Grand Cauldron?"

"The Grand Cauldron's will is swayed by no one," Qingyang said softly. "Both King Yuan and Zhong Shengguang became its hosts, involuntarily executing its will. You—you might be the same. Was seizing the Flash Gold your own idea, or was it decided by the Grand Cauldron?"

"The Grand Cauldron has taught me many things, but it has never made decisions for me."

"Is that so?" Qingyang sneered. "King Yuan and Zhong Shengguang probably thought the same, didn't they? Yet, they both ended up following the same path. What about you? How are you any different from them? Do you still dare to claim that all your thoughts are truly your own?"

She looked up at the tree canopy. "Look again, what's this tree about? Almost all its properties are specifically designed to counter the Wood King Cauldron. That tree seed was certainly not naturally formed, nor does it seem like something you had on hand."

"Was it produced by the Grand Cauldron?"

He Lingchuan looked at her and nodded.

"If it hadn't saved you, you would be dead!" she said, word by word, a slight smile touching her lips. "It seems I didn't lose to you today after all."

He Xiao's combat power, quick reactions, and formidable will had reached a new level, surpassing what they were before the Upside-Down Sea incident. He also possessed an inexplicable primal energy of unknown origin. Qingyang had not expected that even with three immortals and two divine descents, they would be unable to overcome him and Suduo.

Previously, she had thought He Xiao's most remarkable trait was his intellect.

But without this strange giant tree, no matter how fiercely He Xiao and Suduo resisted, they would have been unable to escape, ultimately suppressed and slain within the Wood King Cauldron!

"More than a hundred years have passed, and your competitive spirit hasn't changed a bit," He Lingchuan chuckled. He was already the victor; why not be a little more magnanimous?

Qingyang's expression changed upon hearing this.

What did that mean? How could He Xiao know what her temperament was like over a hundred years ago?

He Lingchuan continued, "My next question is, why did Beijia feel compelled to destroy Coiling Dragon City? Was it solely because of the Grand Cauldron?"

To eliminate General Hong and the Grand Wind Army, even Myozhentian personally intervened, demonstrating the high importance placed on it.

It was merely a small frontier city. In actual history, Coiling Dragon City never truly developed, unlike its growth and strength within the Grand Cauldron's Coiling Dragon World.

There were many nations and forces in the world that detested Beijia and opposed it, yet Beijia hadn't felt compelled to eradicate them all.

Why were the Heavenly Gods and Beijia so intent on Coiling Dragon City?

Qingyang looked at him for a moment longer before saying, "You've asked the right person. The Grand Cauldron has always been changing, so of course the Heavenly Gods were eager to possess it. Furthermore, Coiling Dragon City's primal energy was extraordinarily solid and potent, even surpassing Beijia's."

He Lingchuan narrowed his eyes. "Just for primal energy?"

Qingyang also sneered. "To be frank with you, Coiling Dragon City itself had too many weaknesses: a small territory, sparse population, and scarce resources. If not for observing and researching the changes in primal energy, Beijia would have long since destroyed Coiling Dragon City. How could they have allowed it to cause trouble for decades?"

The small nations on the Flash Gold Plain, and Xiluo Kingdom bordering Coiling Dragon City, exemplified the world's norm of inherent poverty, corruption, and instability. Even if they possessed primal energy, its quality was exceptionally thin.

Coiling Dragon City, however, was an exception.

No, and there was also the former Yuan Kingdom.

"In these two regions that once possessed the Grand Cauldron, the primal energy was extraordinarily solid, completely disproportionate to their actual size," Qingyang said softly. "The Heavenly Gods have always coveted the Grand Cauldron, but we are more interested in primal energy."

The Heavenly Gods and the Demon Nation had always had different priorities.

"However, about 150 years ago, as the Emperor's Sap frequently erupted and the situation in the heavenly realm grew increasingly tense, the Lingxu Venerable became desperate to acquire the Grand Cauldron, repeatedly urging Beijia to send troops to seize it. At that time, opposition to Beijia seemed to become a widespread trend, with uprisings emerging everywhere and proving impossible to suppress! Many of these movements were linked to Coiling Dragon City, and because Coiling Dragon City was the most prominent and outspoken, they viewed it as the vanguard of the anti-Beijia resistance." Qingyang shifted her posture, causing blood to well from her wound, but she paid it no mind. "Tell me, how could Beijia not destroy Coiling Dragon City to make an example?"

He Lingchuan sneered faintly. "Was it effective?"

"Very much so. After we annihilated Coiling Dragon City, there was complete silence; even Mount Ling became subdued."

"Is that so?" He Lingchuan retorted wryly. "Then how did the Mu Kingdom emerge?"

This time, it was Qingyang who fell silent.

That was indeed an oversight on Beijia's part. At the time, they were preoccupied with Coiling Dragon City and other resistance forces, failing to heed the anomaly in the Mu region. As a result, a third party seized the opportunity to rise.

Her breathing grew more ragged, but her mind remained clear. "It's my turn to ask. Is General Hong still alive?"