Volume 1, Chapter 25: Nine Cauldrons

Xingtian Xuanzhi walked into the courtyard where Xingtian Huaying lived, just in time to hear a sound from the small building that resembled a kitten being suspended and spanked. The sound was so melodious and lingering, like a red tongue licking your ear canal and drilling inward, that it was exceedingly sensual. As Xuanzhi heard this sound, a peculiar anger surfaced on his face.

Several black-clad maids quietly blocked the entrance to the small building. Xuanzhi stood in the flower bed in front of the building, without any intention of entering. The moaning lasted for half an hour before finally stopping after a long, repressed scream. Soon after, the sound of clothes rustling could be heard. After a while, Huaying emerged from the main door, her face slightly flushed, her hair disheveled, wearing a black long dress with her hands hidden in wide sleeves, and a hint of black smoke and chill emanating from her.

Apparently exhausted, Huaying squinted at Xuanzhi to rest her eyes before softly and weakly asking, "Second brother? What is it?"

Xuanzhi frowned deeply and asked, "Who is inside the building?"

Huaying chuckled lightly, "It's Qingyue, the daughter of the former Music Commander. Didn't you know, second brother?"

Xuanzhi spat in anger, "Look at yourself! Two women fooling around inside in broad daylight. How will you ever get married if this gets out?"

Huaying raised her head high, her tone indifferent, "Who dares to spread it? Married? With a mere finger flick, countless men in Anyi would rush to lick my toes. That's nothing for you to worry about. What do you need? I have things to do later."

Xuanzhi shook his head, giving up on controlling his unruly sister, and extended his right hand, "Money. The more, the better."

Huaying was stunned for a moment before laughing out loud, "Money? I know our big brother went crazy hunting tyrannosaurs in the wild to sell, and you have some secret businesses, not to mention your regular visits to Xifang. Why do you need to borrow money from me?"

Xuanzhi honestly explained the reason for borrowing money. Huaying's smile gradually faded. She frowned and looked at Xuanzhi seriously, "You and our big brother agreed?"

Xuanzhi's heart trembled, knowing this rebellious, cold sister was more astute than himself. He quickly asked, "What's wrong with it?"

Huaying pondered for a while before sneering, "Do you remember what tomorrow is? The day of the King's Court Assembly. Xiangliurou managed to let you into the palace arena to fight. Big brother is a brute, but you are usually shrewd. Have you considered that Xiangliurou would risk losing in front of the King, the Great Witches, and all the clan heads?"

She stepped down and pointed her cold finger at Xuanzhi's forehead, scolding, "It's just a small bet with a tenfold return, and you and big brother fell for it? If you truly lose in front of the King, the Great Witches, and the clan heads, you might as well return to the clan lands to eat millet cakes and hunt wild beasts."

Xuanzhi's mind spun. He cursed angrily, "Damn it, trying to trick us brothers? Hmph!" He turned to leave.

Huaying immediately called him back, "Where are you going?"

Xuanzhi looked back with a sinister smile, "To the Witch Temple."

Huaying frowned and stomped on Xuanzhi's foot, scolding, "Idiot, to get our clan brothers to fight? Have you forgotten the rules of Anyi? Clan members are not allowed to fight arbitrarily, and the great witches are strictly forbidden to take action! Are you trying to break the rules?"

After a moment of silence, Xingtian Xuanzhi looked at Huaying coldly. "So, what do you suggest? If Xiangliurou is really confident, I can't imagine anyone in Anyi, other than the Dingji Grand Witch, could defeat Chihu Baolong. He recently single-handedly killed four top-tier ninth-rank Wu warriors. He's now considered the top swordsman in Anyi."

Huaying smiled gently, her eyes sparkling, and beckoned Xuanzhi over, laughing softly. "Is Chihu Baolong really worth all this attention? Our big brother tricked him into coming to Anyi from the wilds, but do you really believe he'll win?"

"His Wu power is extremely rare, a pure earth attribute. The Xiangliu family's power is of the soft water attribute." Xuanzhi squinted his eyes. "Our Wu clan's power is inherited through bloodlines. Within fifty years, Chihu Baolong's direct descendants could number over a hundred. A hundred Wu warriors or sorcerers with pure earth attributes under our control, hmph!"

Huaying sneered lightly. "Isn't that the real reason? Earth Wu power is rare, but not unheard of. You're also eyeing the Chihu clan warriors, aren't you? You can't mobilize our family members in the Witch Temple, so you're thinking of them? If they can produce one Chihu Baolong, they might produce thousands more! Hmph, you can't hide anything from me."

Xuanzhi just smiled. Huaying's eyes flickered as she thought, then she clapped her hands. "Alright, since you and big brother value this barbarian so much and have decided to use him, I'll help you place a heavy bet. One that will make Xiangliurou cry."

Huaying laughed maliciously at Xuanzhi. "Chihu Baolong has proven himself by killing four ninth-rank Wu warriors, meaning he's at the top of the ninth rank. Do you really think Xiangliu Lao Liu is unaware of his strength? If he's proposing a duel, then naturally his chosen swordsman is exceptional. But no matter how exceptional, he won't send a Dingji Grand Witch."

Xuanzhi frowned. "What exactly are you suggesting?"

Huaying shrugged and sighed. "Give me seventy percent of your winnings, and I'll handle this for you. Noon tomorrow, right? There's a whole day to prepare." Seeing Xuanzhi's hesitation, Huaying quickly added, "Don't worry, I won't let you and big brother embarrass yourselves before the king. That would also disgrace the Xingtian family. Xiangliurou must have some trick prepared, but when have I ever lost?"

Xuanzhi pondered for a moment, then nodded, effectively selling Xiahou to Xingtian Huaying. He still wondered why Xiangliurou was so confident about winning. The betting terms were indeed suspiciously favorable to the Xingtian family. If they lost, they'd pay a huge sum; if they won, Xingtian Dafeng and Xuanzhi would only have to admit defeat, which was indeed fishy.

Huaying had already sent several secret guards from the Xingtian mansion to fetch Xiahou from Xiong Camp back to Anyi. Xiahou, who had barely spent three days in the military camp, immediately dove back into the intrigue of Anyi. His absence went unnoticed by Xingtian Chao and other leaders, who instead followed him back to Anyi with their money bags.

For the first time in his life, Xiahou witnessed the terrifying greed of a woman, especially one whose eyes sparkled madly with the gleam of gold and silver treasures.

Huaying pestered her grandfather to open his private treasury, taking out half of the precious jade, gold, pearls, tortoiseshell, coral, and rhino horn. She handed these treasures to her astonished brothers, Xingtian Dafeng and others, who then hauled the wealth in dozens of carts to place their bet with Xiangliurou.

Xiahou, holding Bai, watched in shock as Xingtian Dafeng and Xingtian Xuanzhi, now enraged, gave the order. Over 300,000 soldiers from the Heiyan Army and Xuanbiao Army had just received their pay, only to be extorted by their senior officers like bandits. Thirty thousand money bags, totaling over five million copper bear coins, were loaded onto carts and sent to the Xiangliu family's mansion.

Xiahou and Bai were drenched in sweat. Xiahou couldn't imagine the repercussions if he lost the final battle – he'd offend 300,000 comrades from the Heiyan and Xuanbiao armies. Even worse, if he won, he feared the furious Xiangliurou, stripped of everything and likely to defy prohibitions to kill him on the spot.

Looking at the furious, red-eyed Xingtian Dafeng and his brothers, Xiahou crossed himself several times, murmuring a prayer, "Witches don't have heart disease, boundless longevity Buddha. Um, Xingtian Dafeng's heart is probably indestructible even with a steel axe, so they shouldn't have cardiovascular issues."

Next, Xiahou was subjected to rigorous training.

Wearing only a pair of shorts, Xiahou was taken to the deepest part of the Xingtian family's inner courtyard. For the first time, he saw the vast underground complex of the Xingtian family. The ground rumbled, accompanied by Huaying's excited shouts.

The next day, at noon.

The grand day of the Daxia Court Assembly.

The King of Daxia attended, along with the nine grand witches of Daxia Anyi, the nine regional grand witches of Jiuzhou, the heads of the four major witch families, the Jiuzhou Heavenly Marquises, and hundreds of clan chiefs and elders. Nearly ten thousand people gathered in the Daxia palace to discuss the affairs of the realm. The nine grand witches from the outer regions, the eight heavenly marquises from Zhongzhou, and hundreds of clan chiefs and elders teleported to Anyi with their immense witch power. On that day, the people of Anyi saw bright beams of light descending into the palace, the spiritual energy in the city surging wildly, silencing even the insects.

After an hour of deliberation by the key ministers in the main hall, the sun reached its zenith, and it was noon.

In the palace training ground, over a thousand palace guards had sealed every passage tightly.

All the employed or idle scions of the Anyi families, led by palace guards, gathered sneakily around the training ground, eager to witness the spectacle. Additionally, numerous generals from the six commands of Anyi – Du Ling, Huang Ling, Fa Dong Ling, Fa Nan Ling, Fa Xi Ling, and Fa Bei Ling – arrived to watch. Military officers from the King's Command and the Six Guards – the Heiyan Army, Xuanbiao Army, Yulong Army, Jihou Army, Xianglong Army, and Baoxiong Army – especially those from the Xingtian clan, were all present.

Also joining the spectators were officials from the three commands under the Daxia Chief Minister – Zheng Ling, Lu Ling, and Guan Ling – many of whom were members of the Xiangliu clan.

From the three commands under the Daxia Minister – Yanjiling, Hongwenling, and Sileling – those holding key positions were from the Fangfeng clan.

Officials from the nine commands under the Daxia Chancellor – agriculture, industry, forestry, fishery, animal husbandry, mining, commerce, cavalry, and forging – mostly from the Shengong clan, also heard the news and came rushing.

Xingtian Dafeng, Xingtian Xuanzhi, and their accomplices sat on benches at the edge of the training ground, their faces grim and silent. Winning would be great, but if they lost, Xingtian Dafeng had already decided to challenge Xiangliurou to a life-and-death duel, as he couldn't bear the humiliation of apologizing in front of the king and others.

Xiangliurou, Shengong Kun, and their associates grew increasingly uneasy. They had anticipated a large audience due to Xiangliurou's boastful promises of an enticing payout. But they didn't expect even the younger and elder members of the Anyi families to sneak in to watch. Nonetheless, they believed their chosen swordsman, with his extraordinary abilities, would not lose to Xiahou.

Yet, they feared the possibility – what if their swordsman lost? Xiangliurou and Shengong Kun had no idea how they would face the aftermath.

The bet placed by Xingtian Dafeng and his brothers was already a significant fortune. They couldn't fathom where their siblings had amassed such a vast amount of money. The followers who placed bets seemed drawn by the ten-to-one odds, placing heavy bets on Xiahou's victory. Around the training ground, at least 30,000 noble children gathered, each casually tossing in hundreds or thousands of copper bear coins. Some of the wealthier ones even threw in pieces of raw jade!

If Xiahou won, Xiangliurou and Shengong Kun wouldn't be able to cover the losses even if they sold everything they had.

As the instigators of this duel fretted, Xiahou, who had been tormented by Huaying all night, finally regained his strength. Wearing a specially crafted set of armor made by the Xingtian family's Wu craftsmen under Huaying's orders and wielding an incredibly heavy single-edged sword, he slowly made his way to the royal palace, escorted by hundreds of Heiyan Army guards.

Bai, perched on Xiahou's shoulder, curiously looked around with his red eyes. He wondered why they encountered so few people along the way.

Xiahou, however, shook his head indifferently. It was just a duel between two guests, so why were both families betting their entire fortunes and lives? Seeing the Heiyan and Xuanbiao armies clearing the way, likely fearing an assassination attempt on Xiahou, he thought it was unnecessary.

Xiahou didn't understand the significance of a duel between two noble guests in Anyi. They were betting their entire reputations and honors. If they lost, the favored young masters of the clan would immediately be stripped of all power by the elders and reduced to worse than illegitimate children.

Every few years, unlucky Wu clan children would lose such duels, falling from high status to abject misery.

Although the duel was between guests, the sword represented not just the guest's life but also the honor and status of their master.

Before Xiahou arrived in Anyi, Xingtian Dafeng and his brothers had been oppressed by Xiangliurou's guests for years. The Heiyan Army had lost several senior officers without being able to defeat the experts hired by Xiangliurou from all over Jiuzhou.

With the Xingtian family's younger generation about to be completely overshadowed by Xiangliurou, Xiahou appeared out of nowhere. On his first day in Anyi, he defeated three of Xiangliurou's guests. Feeling provoked, Xiangliurou saw no reason not to use all his strength to regain his honor.

Thus, he immediately sent his best swordsman and spent a fortune to secure the Black Forest clan's cooperation, arranging a major duel in the palace training ground on the day of the Daxia Court Assembly.

Xiangliurou was confident in his swordsman's ability to win, which would completely crush Xingtian Dafeng and prove his own worth to his family's elders, thereby gaining more power, privileges, and control over experts and secrets.

To provoke Xingtian Dafeng into accepting the duel, Xiangliurou, following Shengong Kun's advice, insulted the Xingtian brothers with ten-to-one odds, forcing them into the challenge. But Xiangliurou's group never expected the previously penniless Xingtian brothers to produce such a vast sum, making them nearly faint with shock at the sight of the wealth.

The Xingtian brothers had similar reasons; they couldn't refuse the duel, hoping to reclaim their standing in Anyi and prove they were not inferior to Xiangliurou. They believed in Xiahou's strength, recalling his ability to kill four ninth-rank Wu warriors and his elfin sword light.

Unaware of the full stakes, Xiahou hurried along Anyi's widest street, escorted by Heiyan soldiers. He soon reached the end of the road, where a low wall and a small gate stood.

Suddenly feeling as though he had passed through a viscous liquid, Xiahou's mind flashed, "A barrier!"

Bai, sensing danger, screeched and extended his sharp claws, white light flashing in his eyes, ready to pounce.

Before them stood a massive gate. The hundred-foot-tall black walls were lined with sharp iron spikes. The towering palace gate, a hundred feet wide, was sparsely populated with a few long-robed, high-crowned black-clad sorcerers moving in and out like ants. Inside, a vast passage flanked by towering totem poles stretched into the distance. Each pillar, reaching into the sky, either flickered with flames, crackled with lightning, emitted mist, or sprouted countless branches. The totem pillars were so saturated with elemental energy that it seemed to condense into a tangible form, drifting down like snow.

At the end of the twenty-mile-long passage stood a massive building, resembling a mountain. This grand hall, divided into nine levels with diminishing areas as they ascended, featured 810 steps between each level. Each step was wide, thick, and steep, making the hall at the summit appear unattainably high.

This was the main hall of the Daxia Palace! Each wall of the nine levels was carved with enormous statues using the most ancient techniques. Xiahou was stunned and nearly cried out in shock when he recognized the carvings.

They depicted Pangu creating the heavens and the earth, Nuwa molding humans from clay, the fierce battle between the water and fire gods, and Nuwa repairing the sky with stones. There were also scenes of the gods killing Gun, Gun's stomach giving birth to Yu, Yu leading the people in flood control, and the heavenly emperor ordering the gods to sever the divine tree, cutting off the connection between heaven and earth. Every image was a story Xiahou had heard countless times in his previous life.

"Daxia, Daxia! Yu the Great controlling the floods!" Xiahou's mind spun. What kind of world had he come to? Or rather, what era was he in?

The Heiyan Army officer beside him looked at Xiahou with surprise and said, "Chihu brother, I didn't expect you to know the story of King Yu controlling the floods. King Yu was the first king of Daxia. He was the son of a god, and his subordinates are the ancestors of today's great witch families. The king, inheriting divine blood, is the strongest grand witch in Daxia!"

With his muscles tensed, Xiahou dismounted from the Heiyan and, under the escort of several Heiyan Army officers, proceeded toward the palace.

After walking for about ten miles, they passed through another barrier and emerged onto a vast square.

The square, a hundred miles wide and long, featured nine gigantic bronze cauldrons.

At the center stood a three-legged cauldron, surrounded by eight others positioned to represent the nine regions of the world. These nearly thousand-foot-tall bronze cauldrons were adorned with countless beast patterns, mountains, trees, and inscriptions that seemed to move like living creatures. The cauldrons were weathered and ancient.

Xiahou let out a weak moan and sat on the ground, staring blankly at the nine cauldrons.

The central cauldron looked exactly like the object he had discovered in Zone 53. Xiahou remembered leaning against one of its legs, unleashing all his power before dying. He had memorized every pattern on that cauldron leg, which matched the one before him exactly.

The Heiyan Army officers didn't mock Xiahou for collapsing; instead, they bowed deeply to the cauldron and said reverently, "These are the nine cauldrons forged by King Yu after controlling the floods, using the copper from the nine regions. They are the national treasures of Daxia, subduing countless monsters and spirits."

Xiahou stared at the cauldrons, muttering in his previous life's language, "Was it you who brought me here?"

It felt like ages had passed, though it was just a moment before the central cauldron emitted a thunderous sound and burst into green flames hundreds of feet high.

Xiahou's dantian heated up as an immense, ancient energy flowed through his head, enveloping him like warm water, almost making him groan in comfort.

The power was as solid as the earth, vast as the sea, high as the sky, and light as the clouds, encompassing all the elemental attributes.

Xiahou's body felt entirely at ease, his internal energy circulating a million times faster. In a blink, his golden core formed, and his Xuanwu True Art reached its peak.

Bones cracking, Xiahou jumped up and asked, "Did you hear that?"

The Heiyan Army officers looked at him oddly and shook their heads. "What? We didn't hear anything."

Xiahou was puzzled. He focused on the nine cauldrons, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

Was it his imagination? Yet the oversized earthen-colored golden core in his dantian was real, and his expanded spiritual sea wasn't an illusion. Only Bai, beside him, seemed to notice the strange changes, looking at him with a hungry, greedy gaze.

Suddenly, the palace's main hall rang with clear chimes.

The Heiyan Army officers shuddered and dragged Xiahou along, saying, "It's noon. Xiangliu's swordsman must be in the field now. Chihu brother, our half-year's salary is on you! Cut down that bastard! If you win, the Heiyan and Xuanbiao armies will get five years' pay for free."

Xiahou's forehead dripped with cold sweat. If he won, would Xiangliurou kill him in rage?

As they ran, he glanced back at the nine cauldrons, standing there timelessly, enduring the years.

"Could this Daxia be that Daxia?"

Lost in thought, Xiahou was dragged into a vast training ground. As soon as he appeared, cheers erupted from the crowd. The roar shook the earth. Countless violent Anyi nobles drew their weapons, waving them madly. "Kill him! Kill him! Kill him!"

Xiahou focused and saw his opponent standing proudly in the center of the field, head held high like a withered pine on a cliff.