Chapter 399
by fanqienovelChapter 399: Cauldron Spirit
Life Creation Cauldron!
Wang Chen stared intently at the ancient cauldron resting in his palm, unable to suppress his astonishment.
This treasure had shed its old and worn exterior, restoring its original luster without appearing overly dazzling.
To Wang Chen, it felt ancient, majestic, desolate, and unyielding…
It was as if a towering mountain, standing since time immemorial, had weathered countless storms and still stood firm.
Yet, within this ancient and weathered exterior, there also lay a spark of vibrant, fresh vitality!
Two entirely contrasting qualities were seamlessly fused within the cauldron, revealing its extraordinary nature.
The million unsealing points were indeed not given in vain.
But a new question arose.
What was its purpose, and what powers did it hold?
Wang Chen knew nothing about it.
All he knew was the name of this treasure.
After a moment of thought, he attempted to channel a trace of his magical energy into the Life Creation Cauldron.
He had done this before, only to find that no matter how much energy he poured in, it all vanished without a trace, like clay oxen sinking into the sea.
The precious cauldron had shown no reaction whatsoever.
Would this time be different?
Just as that thought crossed Wang Chen’s mind, a terrifying event unfolded, leaving him utterly shaken.
A tremendous force of attraction suddenly surged from within the Life Creation Cauldron, completely devouring the magical energy he had infused.
Not only that, but it seemed like a fierce beast that had been starved for millennia, greedily demanding more from Wang Chen!
Every hair on Wang Chen’s body stood on end!
Realizing the gravity of the situation, he tried to release the cauldron immediately.
But it was too late!
The Life Creation Cauldron clung tightly to Wang Chen’s palm, relentlessly draining his magical energy.
It first emptied his meridians and then targeted his Golden Core, as if intent on sucking him dry!
The rapid loss of energy caused Wang Chen’s hands to bleed, the crimson liquid also being absorbed by the cauldron.
What the hell…
In that moment, Wang Chen was overcome with the urge to draw the Chini Sword and sever his right hand.
But he forcefully suppressed that impulse.
While severing his hand might bring momentary relief, it would irreparably damage his journey of cultivation, making it nearly impossible to form a Golden Core.
Yet, the life-threatening crisis brought by the Life Creation Cauldron was imminent. A flash of insight struck Wang Chen, and he swiftly activated the Heavenly Net for Exorcising Evil coiled around his right arm.
Using the spiritual energy stored in the Exorcising Net, Wang Chen aimed to satisfy the needs of the Life Creation Cauldron.
As a result, the Life Creation Cauldron immediately shifted its focus, bypassing Wang Chen as an intermediary and directly demanding energy from the Exorcising Net.
The Heavenly Net for Exorcising Evil acted like a loyal and obedient cow, willingly offering its essence without complaint.
Recently, when Wang Chen traveled to Huai County to complete an exorcism task, he had slain thousands of Evil Spirits, including several giants and an evil cultivator. Consequently, the Exorcising Net had amassed a vast reserve of pure spiritual energy.
Wang Chen had initially intended to save this precious spiritual energy for future battles.
The spells of the Purple Palace level consumed far more magical power than his Qi Training spells, and wielding a quasi-magical artifact like the Chini Sword posed an even greater challenge to his movement techniques.
The energy storage capacity of the Heavenly Net for Exorcising Evil served as a significant boost to Wang Chen’s combat ability, enabling him to overcome stronger adversaries!
Thus, he could not afford to squander it carelessly.
But at that moment, Wang Chen cared for nothing except avoiding being drained to death by the Life Creation Cauldron. Even losing the Heavenly Net for Exorcising Evil seemed a small price to pay.
Having narrowly escaped the life-and-death crisis, he let out a deep sigh of relief.
Then he noticed his entire back was drenched in sweat, his muscles were so tense they were on the verge of cramping, and he had lost a substantial amount of vital blood.
The vital blood of a cultivator was invaluable; such a loss would take Wang Chen at least ten days to recover.
Fortunately, he had acted swiftly enough to avoid damaging his core. Otherwise, losing three to five years of his lifespan would have been a mild consequence!
However, Wang Chen’s relief was short-lived, for he soon realized that despite the Life Creation Cauldron shifting its target, he still could not release it.
He couldn’t even store it in his storage bag!
Could it possibly be an evil tool or a Demonic Tool?
Wang Chen felt a chill run down his spine, as if he had stumbled into a bottomless pit.
At that moment, his soul suddenly trembled with an inexplicable sensation, forming a profound and mysterious connection with an entity within the Life Creation Cauldron.
Wang Chen’s mind was jolted with shock!
Clang!
The Life Creation Cauldron slipped from his grasp, crashing heavily to the ground with a dull thud.
In the next instant, the ancient cauldron rapidly expanded, towering over Wang Chen in the blink of an eye.
Its three legs sank deeply into the floor!
Wang Chen was forced to retreat several steps, his eyelids twitching uncontrollably.
Was this the true form of the Life Creation Cauldron?
Although the Life Creation Cauldron had slipped from his control, the spiritual connection between him and the cauldron not only remained intact but grew clearer and stronger.
Moreover, it conveyed a sense of longing to him.
It was like a mischievous and greedy puppy, oblivious to its owner’s current state, demanding a treat.
The problem was, Wang Chen had nothing left to give.
His energy field was completely drained, and he couldn’t even perform the simplest Cleansing Technique.
Meanwhile, the Heavenly Net for Exorcising Evil coiled around his arm was also devoid of spiritual energy!
It was utterly ruthless!
Wang Chen now realized he had made a grave mistake.
The Life Creation Cauldron was neither an evil tool nor a Demonic Tool; it simply belonged to a higher rank, leading to the earlier situation where the master was weak and the servant was strong.
Its extraction of energy from Wang Chen was entirely instinctive!
To his astonishment, without receiving any response from him, the Life Creation Cauldron conveyed a sense of grievance.
Wang Chen was left utterly speechless!
He knew that second-grade spirit tools could develop sentience, while third-tier magical artifacts could manifest a Cauldron Spirit.
The Cauldron Spirit possessed human-like Intelligence, and even higher-level spiritual treasures could manifest outside their vessels and wield magical methods!
Clearly, the Life Creation Cauldron housed a Cauldron Spirit, at least of the third-tier magical artifact level!
Now, by sheer chance, Wang Chen had established a spiritual bond with this treasure.
He suspected that if he failed to meet the spirit’s demands, he might lose an incredibly rare opportunity!
What to do?
Wang Chen’s thoughts raced, and a flash of inspiration struck him.
With no magical power left and the Heavenly Net for Exorcising Evil also drained of energy, he had no other choice.
Wang Chen opened his Cultivation Panel and began pouring Virtue points into the Life Creation Cauldron.
One thousand, two thousand, five thousand, ten thousand…
As he invested a massive amount of Virtue, the surface of the Life Creation Cauldron began to shimmer with a radiant light.
Twenty thousand, thirty thousand, forty thousand, fifty thousand!
Watching as his original fifty thousand Virtue points dwindled to a mere three digits, the Life Creation Cauldron still showed no signs of satisfaction.
In desperation, Wang Chen opened his storage bag!