In his previous life, Shen Changsheng's mentality had somewhat collapsed after falling to such a state.
He sat in the mountains, looked up at the sky, and questioned the heavenly dao laws:
Are you kidding me, letting the Destined One step in dog shit?!
However, after being reborn, his mentality had long matured.
He looked to the west.
There, the setting sun spread across the water, half the river shimmering green, half red.
Under the setting sun, the purplish-red twilight floated like colored sand.
The afterglow shone into Shen Changsheng's eyes, which were clear and bright.
At this moment, the cool summer evening breeze blew at him, and he smiled faintly, his heart open: “It’s just starting over.”
……
……
Inside the room, steam billowed, and Shen Changsheng was faintly visible in the mist within the pool.
At this moment, a string of bubbles emerged from the bottom of the water.
Gurgle, gurgle, gurgle.
The Supreme Cauldron suddenly broke out of the water, its mouth aimed at Shen Changsheng, spraying a jet of water that washed over his face.
Shen Changsheng still looked doting, not scolding it for its mischief.
Xiao Ding continued to frolic in the water, every now and then rushing out of the surface, trying to startle its master.
But Shen Changsheng’s lack of feigned surprise gradually made it lose interest.
Seeing that it was no longer making a fuss, Shen Changsheng reached out and flicked it with a finger.
“If you weren’t so picky, the cracks on your body should have healed a bit.”
Qingxuan World has two super continents, Qing Province and Xuan Province, with millions of cultivators.
If the Supreme Cauldron were to devour and refine them all, the cracks on its body would heal considerably.
However, it was a picky eater.
It was now an Immortal-grade magical treasure, only deeming Immortal-grade materials worthy.
Of course, besides being picky, the best way to nurture the Supreme Cauldron was to feed it materials corresponding to its grade.
For example, since the Supreme Cauldron was Immortal-grade, even if it was the lowest tier of Immortal-grade, it was still best to feed it Immortal-grade materials.
Anything below Immortal-grade was considered Mortal-grade.
Although a large accumulation of Mortal-grade items could also help the Supreme Cauldron recover, devouring too many Mortal-grade items would significantly harm the Supreme Cauldron’s future quality improvement.
The Supreme Cauldron was a special magical treasure with many functions.
Firstly, it had a large storage space, capable of storing both inanimate objects and living beings, though many magical treasures possessed this function.
Secondly, it excelled in both offense and defense, relying entirely on its “hardness.”
Besides being able to brutally shatter enemy attacks and defenses, it could also merge with its master’s physical body, enhancing the body’s strength.
However, many magical treasures also possessed this dual offensive and defensive function.
Ultimately, the Supreme Cauldron’s uniqueness lay in two words – “devour and refine.”
It could enhance its own grade by consuming various heavenly treasures, magical artifacts, elixirs, and even flesh and blood, and the luck of living beings.
At the same time, it could also, to a certain extent, feedback its master, strengthening the master’s physical body and soul.
Its favorite food was individuals with great luck.
Therefore, it was particularly sensitive to the Destined One.
In his previous life, it was also thanks to the Supreme Cauldron that he could distinguish the Destined One from the vast crowd.
Earlier, after devouring Xiao Wan, her physical body, soul, and luck had all been absorbed by the Supreme Cauldron, repairing one of its most obvious cracks.
This was the “devouring” aspect.
As for “refining,” in short, the Supreme Cauldron could also act as a refining furnace.
It could refine Immortal elixirs, magical artifacts, and temper the physical body, soul, and so on.
It could be said that once it grew to a certain level, all things could be devoured and refined!
The so-called refining of Gu…
Ah, no!
It’s refining artifacts, refining people, and even refining the heavens!
Being able to possess such a treasure was also thanks to a Crazy Old Man from the Upper Realm.
At present, the Supreme Cauldron was a bit displeased by Shen Changsheng’s words.
So the cauldron body buzzed, shaking off all the water droplets.
It couldn’t speak, but it was Shen Changsheng’s innate magical treasure, and Shen Changsheng could clearly perceive its thoughts.
“Alright, you’re lucky too, there’s an Immortal Beast hidden beneath the Shen Family’s residence. I’ll take you to have a taste tonight,” Shen Changsheng said.
Xiao Ding stopped making buzzing noises.
It quieted down, pressed against Shen Changsheng’s chest, and rubbed against him, truly displaying its fawning behavior to the fullest.
If Xiao Chang Geng had seen it, he would definitely have muttered:
You cheap cauldron, you don’t have the looks of a vixen, yet you act like one!
“However, if you want to eat Immortal-grade materials, you’ll have to work for it yourself.”
“Although my soul is currently injured, it is still a Divine-grade soul. This physical body is too weak and temporarily doesn’t allow me to act personally, otherwise, the physical body would self-destruct, and my soul would burst through the Qingxuan World, exposing itself in the Sea of Realms, which would put me in a passive situation,” Shen Changsheng added.
Xiao Ding was well-behaved, swaying up and down in front of him, signifying a nod.
Shen Changsheng smiled with satisfaction.
But just then, a strange green light suddenly flashed in his mind.
Shen Changsheng was slightly stunned.
“Hmm?”
“This is…”
He felt an anomaly within his body and quickly used his divine sense to inspect himself, thoroughly examining his physical body and soul.
It wasn’t until he captured that hint of green that he was completely shocked.
He spread open his right palm, and a three-foot-long bamboo branch appeared in his hand.
This bamboo branch was emerald green, bare, with no branches or leaves, just a smooth single stalk.
It had the texture of jade, yet it wasn’t extremely hard; instead, it was somewhat soft and flexible, as if it were a living branch.
The bamboo strip was glowing green, surrounded by immortal aura, and filled with vibrant life, containing immense power.
As soon as this bamboo strip appeared, a powerful aura surged forth.
Xiao Ding was startled and quickly hid inside Shen Changsheng’s body.
This bamboo strip was not an Immortal artifact, but it contained the power of an Immortal King’s strike!
“Hiss…”
“When did Qing Yi hide her bamboo strip in my soul?”
Shen Changsheng found it unbelievable.
Qing Yi was his teacher and protector in the Upper Realm in his previous life.
She was also the woman who told him that the Nine Cauldrons uniting could bring him back from death to life and reverse time.
He clearly remembered that after his self-destruction in his previous life, he only took three things with him.
One was his soul, the second was the Supreme Cauldron, and the third was Xiao Chang Geng.
Aside from these three, he had nothing else; it was also due to his limited ability that he couldn’t take anything else.
Moreover, he had already ascended to godhood at that time, and his realm was far higher than Qing Yi, the Immortal King.
If Qing Yi had tampered with him, it should have been discovered long ago.
Therefore, it was clearly not left before his self-destruction, so the greatest possibility was during the time he secretly crossed the River Styx.
Qing Yi had the ability to enter the River Styx world, but could only venture into a tributary.
This was because below the divine realm, no one could truly escape the shackles of the realm barriers and the suppression of the heavenly dao laws of various realms.
Qing Yi was an Immortal and would be hindered by Immortal-grade realm barriers and suppressed by the heavenly dao laws.
In that realm, she could only venture into the tributary of the River Styx corresponding to that realm.
And after Shen Changsheng’s self-destruction, the Supreme Cauldron carried his soul from death to life, not passing through that tributary.
So, at that time, how did Qing Yi hide the bamboo strip in his soul?
He found it somewhat strange.
“Qing Yi, Qing Yi, you truly make me feel more and more unfathomable…”
Shen Changsheng closed his eyes and probed himself again, filled with hope.
But unfortunately, apart from this bamboo strip, he found nothing else.
“Only one item hidden?”
Supreme Cauldron: Isn’t one enough?
Shen Changsheng: “If you could give me some leaves for you to devour, that would be great, after all, you’re quite injured, and I truly feel sorry for you.”
Supreme Cauldron: Master, you’re so kind, I love you so much~
……
……
Night fell.
Beneath the Shen Family mansion, a subterranean grotto, fifty feet wide and nearly ten zhang high, had been arranged into an ancestral hall, with faint candlelight flickering within.
On both the left and right sides of the ancestral hall were stepped stone walls, covered with the spirit tablets of deceased Shen Family members.
However, directly in front of the ancestral hall was a raised platform accessed by several steps.
There were no spirit tablets on it, only a massive stone chair.
Even stranger, behind the chair was a huge stone door.
Although this was the Shen Family ancestral hall, most Shen Family members did not know what was hidden behind the door.
This was because only successive Shen Family patriarchs were qualified to enter, and after coming out, they were forbidden from revealing anything to anyone.
In fact, what was inside was the family’s foundation that Shen Xiao had mentioned.
It was also a method left by the Shen Family’s first ancestor, a black flood dragon.
And this black flood dragon was quite extraordinary in the Qingxuan World, because it was an Immortal Beast, originating from the Upper Realm!
To be precise, this was the companion Immortal Beast of their first ancestor, Shen Lang, who came to this lower realm with Shen Lang more than two thousand years ago.
But later, Shen Lang secretly left for the Upper Realm, yet he couldn’t take this companion Immortal Beast with him.
This was because it had been branded with a soul-tracking mark by enemies in the Upper Realm; once it left this underground cave filled with formations, it would be locked onto by its enemies!
Behind the door, the black flood dragon had already awakened.
It was enormous, having dwelled underground and in long slumber for over two thousand years.
Awakening today, it raised its head to the sky, yet above it was only a dark, oppressive expanse, just cold stone walls.
The black flood dragon sighed mournfully.
“Hiding for over two thousand years, when will I ever see the light of day again? Must I truly wait until the Shen Family in the lower realm is on the verge of extinction?”
Its thoughts faded.
Suddenly, the stone door in front of it began to shake.
The black flood dragon was vigilant; it sensed that the newcomer was not Shen Xiao.
But for someone who wasn’t the Shen Family patriarch to be able to open this special stone door, it was clearly no simple matter.
“Who exactly is it…”
The black flood dragon stared intently ahead.
The stone door split in two, and the gap in the middle slowly widened with the vibrations, revealing a figure behind the door.
This person wore a black robe with gilded patterns, tall and slender, standing as straight as a sword.
His face was like polished jade, his nose like a hanging gall, and he possessed a dragon’s might and a swallow’s jaw.
Beneath a pair of sword-like eyebrows, a faint, eerie light emanated from his eyes, and between his brows, there was an almost demonic wickedness.
That person met its gaze, and his eyes suddenly shifted from wicked to sharp!