Translator: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio
The first treasure was naturally the Buddha’s sharira.
It contained all of the Buddha and Golden Dragon’s power. You could refine and absorb it to inherit their unprecedented Saintly Way. It could also be used as offensive weapons with unmatchable power. It was like a huge saintly ancient weapon.
Before the Golden Dragon died, he set four seals on the sharira. Zhang Ruochen had already undone three. If he undid the last layer, the sharira’s full power would be released.
Zhang Ruochen had always planned on reaching the Saint Realm before undoing the last seal. Then he planned on absorbing the strength so he could maintain his super-fast cultivation speed in the Saint Realm. He wouldn’t have to spend years or decades to have a breakthrough.
Now, Zhang Ruochen had dozens of saintly medicines and one Saint Dragon pearl. They could totally help him reach the mid-level of the Saint Realm. He didn’t have to absorb the Buddhist Qi and Dragon Qi in the sharira.
The other treasure was a bit unique. Even Zhang Ruochen wasn’t sure if it was a saintly ancient medicine or if it had been left behind by a deity.
Zhang Ruochen took it out of his spatial ring and placed it on the deck with a thud.
It was a 30-foot-tall bronze cauldron. It had four legs, two handles, and weighed 840,000 pounds. It was covered in rust with many unclear ancient runes under the rust.
“Kaiyuan Deer Cauldron.”
He stood under the cauldron and reached out, touching the rusty legs. He could sense an ancient feeling radiating from it.
The Kaiyuan Deer Cauldron was the empire-guarding weapon. It would be used when worshipping the ancestors, various gods, and the heavens and earth. It carried the empire’s fate.
After the Sacred Central Empire was destroyed, the Kaiyuan Deer Cauldron was lost too, until the Moon-worship Demonic Sect received it. Zhang Ruochen bid for it at their Pearl Light Pavilion auction.
Some of the Saints of the Moon-worship Demonic Sect had put in a lot of effort to study the Kaiyuan Deer Cauldron, to no avail. They all thought that it was just a bronze ware with special material.
“How can it just be bronze ware if it’s the Sacred Central Empire’s empire-guarding weapon?”
Zhang Ruochen didn’t believe this. Holy Qi spun within him and he sent a palm out.
Whum.
The Kaiyuan Deer Cauldron made a sound like a Buddhist bell being rung. It flew out and hit the silver wall of the Dead Soul Ancient Ship.
Zhang Ruochen was now strong enough to dent a bronze mountain with a palm, let alone a bronze cauldron. However, the Kaiyuan Deer Cauldron wasn’t distorted at all. Only a layer of rust on the surface fell off. The words on the cauldron became clearer.
“It really is indestructible. But what material is it really made out of?”
Zhang Ruochen pressed a palm on the surface and released his Spiritual Power to check. However, his Spiritual Power couldn’t enter at all. It ricocheted back.
Then he released his Holy Qi to try activating the cauldron, but there was no reaction.
“The Kaiyuan Deer Cauldron has experienced all large ceremonies since the founding of the Sacred Central Empire. It can’t be a plain bronze ware and should have a pit of the ceremonies’ power. How come it has no power waves?”
Eight hundred years ago, Emperor Ming had mentioned to Zhang Ruochen more than once that the Kaiyuan Deer Cauldron was the empire-guarding ancient weapon. It was evidently important.
No matter how sturdy it was, a plain bronze ware couldn’t become the empire-guarding weapon. How could it carry an entire empire’s fate?
Zhang Ruochen got an idea. He reached out his right hand and opened it. A ball of Divine Fire Jingmie was in his palm. It shone with dazzling blue light.
“I’ll have to try with the Divine Fire Jingmie!”
Zhang Ruochen was worried the fire would destroy the Kaiyuan Deer Cauldron, so he controlled the fire carefully in the beginning. After all, saint weapons would melt quickly when touching Divine Fire Jingmie.
However, the Kaiyuan Deer Cauldron had no reaction when it touched the fire.
Zhang Ruochen grew fiercer. He used the Divine Fire Jingmie to burn the cauldron at full power.
Continuously releasing fire obviously used up Holy Qi. Even though Zhang Ruochen had four saintly sources, he started feeling exhausted too. His arms and legs trembled; sweat poured out of him.
“Even Divine Fire Jingmie can’t hurt you. What exactly are you made out of?”
Zhang Ruochen felt defeated. He prepared to take back the Divine Fire Jingmie…
Crack!
An extremely weak sound came from the body of the cauldron. Taken aback, Zhang Ruochen raised his head and looked up.
There was a crack on the surface of the cauldron. It was like a cracked eggshell. Shreds of golden light shone from the cracks.
There finally was a change!
Overjoyed, Zhang Ruochen activated the remaining bits of Holy Qi within him. He sent out Divine Fire Jingmie to continue burning.
Crack, crack.
More cracks sounded. More and more cracks appeared on the Kaiyuan Deer Cauldron, each one shining with dazzling light.
Blackie, Huang Yanchen, Qing Mo and Ao Xinyan were all alerted. They hurried over. Looking at that huge divine cauldron, they could feel a suffocating aura awakening.
Kaboom.
The outer shell of the Kaiyuan Deer Cauldron fell off completely. A mass of golden light rushed onto Zhang Ruochen with bounding power. It sent him flying back.
Ao Xinyan and Huang Yanchen used physical techniques at almost the same time. Like two streaks of light, they appeared on either side of Zhang Ruochen. They dissolved the force and helped him land back on the deck.
Zhang Ruochen had almost used up his Holy Qi, so he was indeed a bit weak. However, his physical body was strong. Even if he used all his Holy Qi, he was still a strong cultivator. He quickly recovered and the weak feeling disappeared too.
“Is this the true appearance of the Kaiyuan Deer Cauldron?”
The cauldron before him was still made out of bronze, but there wasn’t any rust. It was green like jade, and glittered.
The ancient golden words that rose up on the surface were so dense and innumerable. They seemed to be embedded in the bronze but also like part of the cauldron. Each word radiated with strong power waves.
“For tens of thousands of years, the Kaiyuan Deer Cauldron has only been used for ceremonies. Probably few people know that its true form is under the outer shell.”
Zhang Ruochen was shocked. He stepped toward the cauldron.
Merely the outer shell was almost indestructible and could only be removed by Divine Fire Jingmie. One could hardly imagine how amazing the true form was.
“This bronze cauldron is clearly an extraordinary weapon. I’ll help you test its power.”
With a whoosh, Blackie rushed out, arriving under the Kaiyuan Deer Cauldron. It pressed two paws on the cauldron and poured Holy Qi in.
The golden ancient runes on the cauldron shone even brighter. Blackie tried activating the Kaiyuan Deer Cauldron, but it was unmoved. There were no changes whatsoever.
“What does this mean? It obviously took in my Holy Qi, but there’s no reaction.”
Blackie couldn’t accept this. It continued manipulating Holy Qi into the cauldron, but it couldn’t control the cauldron. So tired its tongue hung to the ground, Blackie was forced to give up.
“This cauldron is a bit demonic,” Blackie said angrily. “It only absorbs Holy Qi and doesn’t have any actual use.”
After that, Huang Yanchen, Qing Mo and Ao Xinyan all went to try. There was no exception. They all had the same conclusion as Blackie.
While they tried to control the Kaiyuan Deer Cauldron, Zhang Ruochen’s Holy Qi mostly recovered.
“Such a seemingly divine cauldron shouldn’t be unable to release any power. I’ll try too.”
Zhang Ruochen came below the cauldron. Narrowing his eyes, he looked ponderous.
Since it was an ancient weapon from the Sacred Central Empire, it must be related to the ancestors of the royal Zhang family. Perhaps only the blood of the descendants could activate it.
Zhang Ruochen was a direct descendant, but his body wasn’t his original one now. It wouldn’t be of any use even if he let out some blood.
Of course, it was also possible that special techniques and Holy Qi could activate the Kaiyuan Deer Cauldron.
For example, the Emperor Ming Nine-sky Scripture.
Zhang Ruochen had always been curious why only every generation’s Emperor Ming could cultivate this. Wouldn’t the royal family be stronger if more talented descendants cultivated it too?
For example, the Qingzhao Divine Technique that Emperor Qing and Chi Yao cultivated had no restrictions saying that only the next Emperor Qing could learn it.
Blackie stood behind him. “Stop trying. It’s useless. It’s just decoration that looks powerful but doesn’t have any actual power.”
“Let me just try!”
Zhang Ruochen activated the seventh level of the Emperor Ming Nine-sky Scripture. Holy Qi poured out of Emperor Ming’s saintly source and rushed crazily through his meridians and Saintly Meridians. It rushed out of his palm, hitting into the Kaiyuan Deer Cauldron.
Whoosh!
The words on the cauldron shone brilliantly and even started pulsing.
“Oh?” Blackie uttered. Its eyes almost fell out of their sockets. Could it be that only Zhang Ruochen could control the cauldron?
The Kaiyuan Deer Cauldron flew up slowly, hovering a few hundred feet above the ground. The golden words flew out, spinning around the cauldron like a star-filled sky.
Strands of golden mist flowed between the words that filled the air. They formed the image of a giant. The aura it emitted was similar to Zhang Ruochen’s Unmovable Emperor Ming Saintly Look.
However, the giant’s aura was countless times stronger than Zhang Ruochen’s Unmovable Emperor Ming Saintly Look.
The golden light spread very far. One could see it from even tens of thousands of miles away.
The Blood Saints of the Immortal Vampires stood on their Dead Soul Ancient Ship. Looking up at the golden sky, they all sensed the unmatchable saintly power.
The Immortal Goddess’ slender brows arched. “Such powerful aura,” she said in awe. “Did some incredible weapon get discovered?”
“According to the speed of the ships and the direction the light is from,” Crown Prince Motian said, “it should be close to the silver ship. Even if it’s some incredible weapon, Zhang Ruochen will probably get the advantage.”
A Blood Saint beside Emperor Motian sneered. “So what if he gets it? With his cultivation, he won’t be able to guard it at all. That weapon will still be ours in the end, ha.”
