Chapter 866: Da Fang Hu and Yuan Power

“So, what about the Great Square Cauldron?”

“It’s doing very well. The Spirit Bell Lid was refined to become its cover. Because the Heaven and Earth Great Furnace suddenly exploded, the refining process was halted. The fusion of the lid and the Great Square Cauldron was only half-complete, and the artifact spirit was not fully devoured.”

Immortal Sanshui paused. “Looking back, I realized that the Great Square Cauldron might have been secretly merging with something even more important at that time, which is why it didn’t have time to fully devour the Spirit Bell Lid’s artifact spirit.”

“Are you saying?” Even the Heaven and Earth Great Furnace wasn’t spared by the Great Square Cauldron?

“Primordial Qi,” Immortal Sanshui slowly said. “I’m afraid it stole the Primordial Qi.”

He Lingchuan pressed his forehead. Given the Great Square Cauldron’s greed, it certainly wouldn’t pass up such a supreme treasure.

This thing really dares to devour anything.

“Refining a vessel into such a state filled me with doubts, and I also felt a pang of regret for the Spirit Bell Lid. So, I requested to separate the lid and retrieve the spirit. However, when Immortal Shouan examined the Great Square Cauldron, he found that its internal power had already begun to differentiate, and the resulting order was well-organized. He therefore concluded this was the work of the artifact spirit. Everyone believed that what was done could not be undone, and suggested we continue to observe the Great Square Cauldron’s evolution.”

“Yet, this object was greedy, and we didn’t know what it would eventually transform into. Moreover, it was beyond human control. I argued vehemently multiple times to no avail, so I simply seized the Spirit Bell Lid by force and left for distant lands.”

He Lingchuan thought for a moment: “Since the cauldron and the lid aren’t originally a pair, why could the Sky Demons use the lid to locate the Great Square Cauldron? And vice versa?”

“Both of these are extraordinary treasures. Their past fusion created an entanglement, which was merely forcefully interrupted,” Immortal Sanshui offered a strange analogy that greatly surprised He Lingchuan. “Hating someone leaves as deep an impression on you as cherishing them.”

He Lingchuan recalled the Divine Bone Necklace’s jubilation when it devoured the teacup lid, likely celebrating the resumption of a fusion that had been interrupted thousands of years ago.

In contrast, the cauldron lid was full of resistance, consistently rejecting the Great Square Cauldron until this very day.

One was like a fawning admirer, the other aloof.

Indeed, if both treasures were refined from fragments of the Sky-Net Star and were naturally one, why would the cauldron lid resist the Great Square Cauldron so vehemently?

Furthermore, if there were spare fragments of the Sky-Net Star, why would these immortals refine just one cauldron lid? Wouldn’t it be better to refine several cups, one for each of them?

“Why were you so insistent on separating them?” The other immortals generally adopted a "what's done is done" attitude, believing there was no turning back.

“I always believed that instead of us refining it, it merely used our hands to come into being. As for our original intentions—who remembered them later on?”

Immortal Sanshui’s legs had already turned into foam, but he seemed to feel no pain, only letting out a long sigh. “The worst part is that after the casting of the Great Square Cauldron caused that cataclysm, another peculiar power emerged with it. To this day, I don’t know if there’s a necessary connection between the two.”

“What kind of power is this?”

“We named it ‘Primal Force’.”

He Lingchuan sprang to his feet, his expression changing dramatically. “Wait a moment, are you saying that the world’s Primal Force originated from the Great Square Cauldron?”

That can’t be right, can it?

Primal Force is widely distributed among mortals; how could it be generated by the Great Square Cauldron?

“Wrong,” Immortal Sanshui corrected him. “The Sky-Net Star altered the rules of heaven and earth, which led to the appearance of Nightmare Qi among mortals. But this doesn’t mean all Nightmare Qi originates from the Sky-Net Star. Similarly, even if Primal Force appeared due to the Great Square Cauldron’s emergence, or its interaction with the Heaven and Earth Great Furnace and the Spirit Bell Lid, that would be the creation of an entirely new rule, not that all Primal Force in the world came from the Great Square Cauldron.”

He Lingchuan remained silent, trying to process this information.

The Sky-Net Star could alter the laws of the mortal world. As an important part of it, the Great Square Cauldron might well have the ability to change rules a second time.

If you think about it, there indeed was no Primal Force in ancient times. This stuff seems to have appeared around the same time as Nightmare Qi, which was after the celestial battles and the ancient catastrophe.

Therefore, those in the know speculated that it was highly likely related to either the Sky-Net Star or the Great Square Cauldron.

“After this incident, we discovered that the Great Square Cauldron developed an insatiable appetite, devouring everything: Nightmare Qi, malevolent turbid energy, rare treasures, natural spirits, and all things, useful or useless. Within half a month of its emergence, it even consumed two of Dahuang Sect’s most treasured artifacts.”

Immortal Sanshui took a breath. “Such a self-generating, self-evolving, and completely uncontrollable monster remaining in the mortal world was simply too dangerous. But the worst part was the emergence of Primal Force, which might doom us forever... I proposed destroying the Great Square Cauldron, but the other high immortals disagreed. Immortal Shouan believed that since the law of Primal Force had already been established, destroying the Great Square Cauldron might not make it disappear. Furthermore, because the Great Square Cauldron was so profound, they hoped to keep it and thoroughly study it, seeking ways to utilize it.”

He Lingchuan’s eyes flickered. Immortal Shouan’s attitude was quite scientific.

As for Immortal Sanshui, he naturally considered the appearance of Primal Force to be dreadful: In ancient times, immortals could move mountains and fill seas, while mortals could only kneel and worship, utterly defenseless. However, after the war between immortals and gods, both immortals and demons steadily declined, while Primal Force became unparalleled in strengthening oneself, reducing the power of spells and large-scale divine abilities, and resisting ghosts and gods. If this evolution continued, mortals would gradually be able to use Primal Force to contend against them.

This situation of one force waning as another waxed was certainly something the immortals, including Immortal Sanshui, wished to avoid.

“But soon after, we learned from some Sky Demons that from the day the Sky-Net Star was born from the hands of their so-called ‘Ancient Gods,’ it too acted as it pleased, obeying no commands,” Immortal Sanshui shook his head. “It was in the Sky Demons’ hands for so long yet they couldn’t fully comprehend it; for the Great Square Cauldron, I hold no hope whatsoever.”

“So... before it could fully mature, I extracted the Spirit Bell Lid, hoping to prevent its continued self-evolution.”

There were so many hidden secrets involved. “How did you become a Que Beast?”

Immortal Sanshui let out a faint sigh. “The Spirit Bell Lid’s artifact spirit changed and could no longer communicate with me. It seemed to have been modified by the Great Square Cauldron, absorbing all nearby deceased souls. After I passed away, my divine soul was also drawn into the lid, transforming into... this current appearance.”

He Lingchuan felt deep sympathy for him. The Great Square Cauldron indeed possessed the ability to transform external objects. Myriad Heavens’ finger bones were transformed by it into a necklace that connected with He Lingchuan, and the Julo tree seeds were planted by it within the Coiled Dragon World. The immortals, confident they could control the Great Square Cauldron with the Spirit Bell Lid’s artifact spirit, were instead countered by it.

Immortal Sanshui’s fingers also turned to foam. He could only raise a hand to point at General Hong’s armor. “Don’t you see that everything here is like this too? We’ve simply existed for too long, slowly losing our original memories, being arbitrarily transformed...”

“Your duel with me was like a battle between two artifact spirits, representing the ongoing integration between the Great Square Cauldron and the Spirit Bell Lid.” His laughter was exceptionally bitter. “You and I, we’ve both been manipulated and used by the Great Square Cauldron. But now... I’m finally close to liberation.”

“After so many years of reflection, I deeply regret why I imbued the Great Square Cauldron with a spirit back then,” Immortal Sanshui forced himself to look up at the night sky. “Having a spirit doesn’t necessarily make something superior to being spiritless. It was only after a century alone in this alternate realm that I finally understood this truth.”

Seizing the rare opportunity, He Lingchuan immediately asked, “Is being spiritless truly better than having a spirit?”

“I ask you, does heaven and earth have a spirit or not?”

He knew the answer to this question: “Spiritless.”

“Does the Great Dao have a spirit or not?”

“Spiritless. The Dao follows its own nature; it cannot be described.”

“What about you?”

“I naturally have a spirit.” Humans have divine souls, after all. At this point, He Lingchuan understood.

“Are you superior to heaven and earth, or the Great Dao?”

“Absolutely not, by a long shot.” The differences in dimension and realm were too vast; how could they be compared?

“If only we had understood this earlier,” Immortal Sanshui sighed faintly. “Remember, the Great Square Cauldron still has countless ties to the Sky Demons. If this thing falls into their hands, the mortal world...”

What would happen to the mortal world? He didn’t know, because Immortal Sanshui had already dissolved.

With a gust of wind, the foam lifted and vanished without a trace. Only a few final wisps of faint light drifted towards General Hong’s tomb.

Immortal Sanshui’s true body had long since passed away; the complete dissipation of this lingering wisp of his soul, which had remained in the Spirit Bell Lid, also signified the complete disappearance of the lid’s resistance.

Interrupted for thousands of years, the cauldron and the lid had now finally merged into a single entity.

He Lingchuan looked up at the sky. The night was pitch black; all lightning and thunder, all phosphorescence, all massive red shadows, had vanished.

In other words, the Naraka Incarnation had also been subdued.

Originally, the Great Square Cauldron had vulnerabilities because it was fighting on multiple fronts, exerting great effort on all sides.

Now that He Lingchuan had dealt with the Que Beast King/Immortal Sanshui, and the human team had been cast out of the secret realm, the Great Square Cauldron’s pressure drastically reduced. Subduing a Naraka Incarnation and completely refining the Spirit Bell Lid was no longer an issue.

These two major troubles had finally come to an end.

Immediately after, the armor on his body and the spear behind him gradually transformed into red smoke, drifting away ethereally.

He Lingchuan took off his helmet, faced it towards himself, and said gratefully, “Thank you!”

No matter how meticulously he planned, events unfolded faster than any scheme. The Naraka Incarnation had actually managed to pass through the vast ocean within the cauldron, penetrate the Coiled Dragon Secret Realm, and directly target this body.

He Lingchuan’s ability to turn defeat into victory and stand here with a clear mind was thanks to General Hong.

To put it plainly, General Hong had saved his life.

While enveloped by the armor, he felt its unwavering protection and unreserved effort.

He Lingchuan also understood that the one who had made the promise to him back then was not the Great Square Cauldron, but Zhong Shengguang’s daughter.

If, as Immortal Sanshui said, the Great Square Cauldron was spiritless, then it wouldn’t have communicated with him, much less made promises.

The helmet did not reply; it merely turned to smoke and drifted away.

He Lingchuan reached out but grasped only air, feeling a pang of regret.

That terrifying power, capable of seemingly destroying heaven and earth, also vanished with the armor.

So the armor wasn’t a gift; it was just a one-time trial outfit for fighting monsters.

It made sense. The rules here were too peculiar; the power and home-field advantage he gained in the Coiled Dragon World were not meant to be taken outside.

He Lingchuan clenched his fists, feeling a sense of loss, but the sensation of that power and the experience of battling at that level were deeply imprinted in his mind, something he could savor repeatedly in the future.