Chapter 491: Recovering the Cauldron

The Void Cauldron was oval-shaped with two handles and three legs, standing about four feet tall and roughly ten feet in diameter—not particularly large.

Its top featured a slightly raised circular lid, and its sides were carved with depictions of insects, fish, beasts, mountains, rivers, and trees. Though the carvings appeared crude and simple, they were strikingly vivid, even giving Han Li a sense of primal, ancient energy rushing toward him.

As soon as the cauldron emerged from the opening, it began to hum softly, the sound growing steadily louder. At the same time, the blue icy flames surrounding it flared up with a series of sharp *whooshes*, swelling several times in size.

Han Li and Xuan Gu, who had been standing near the opening, both paled and immediately leaped backward.

In an instant, the entire altar and the area within a ten-zhang radius were encased in a pale blue glow, frozen solid.

Apart from the flickering flames above the opening, only the Bloodjade Spider and its corpse-refined counterpart, enveloped in two spheres of bloodlight, remained unaffected. Everything else had been completely immobilized. Had Han Li and Xuan Gu hesitated even a moment longer, they too would have been frozen.

The altar now looked as though it were encased within a massive blue crystal.

“How are we supposed to retrieve the treasure like this?” Han Li asked, his expression shifting dramatically at the astonishing scene. He had no idea how to proceed with retrieving the treasure under such extreme freezing conditions, which seemed capable of immobilizing even spiritual energy.

“Don’t worry, I have a way to collect the Dry Blue Ice Flames around the cauldron,” Xuan Gu replied, his eyes fixed unblinkingly on the blue flames, his tone grave. “The Profound Soul Ghost Fire I cultivate is also a substance of extreme Yin and cold nature. Though it can’t compare to these ice flames, it can temporarily isolate and contain them for a short while. During that time, you must pull the cauldron out of the opening and claim it.”

Though his words were cold, Han Li detected a hint of excitement in them.

Han Li was taken aback. It was unexpected that Xuan Gu would volunteer to handle the extremely dangerous blue ice flames while letting him take the cauldron. He couldn’t help but glance at the old demon with suspicion.

If Xuan Gu were truly this generous, Han Li would never believe it. Yet, on the surface, the plan seemed flawless. Could it be that claiming the Void Cauldron was even more dangerous? A sliver of doubt arose in Han Li’s mind.

Of course, if Xuan Gu had suggested that Han Li handle the ice flames while he retrieved the treasure himself, Han Li would have refused outright. After a moment’s consideration, Han Li steeled himself and decided to agree.

This was no time for hesitation—he would have to adapt to the situation as it unfolded. If anything seemed amiss during the retrieval process, he would prioritize his own safety over claiming the treasure.

Having made up his mind, Han Li gave Xuan Gu a slight, almost imperceptible nod of agreement.

Xuan Gu smiled in satisfaction. Then, with a strange gleam in his eyes, he stared at the ice flames for a moment before beginning to spin rapidly in mid-air. The ghostly energy around him swirled into a green whirlwind about ten feet in diameter, emanating an eerie, sinister aura accompanied by faint, mournful wails. The whirlwind then descended toward the blue crystal below.

With a thunderous roar, the moving whirlwind seemed to ignite, transforming into raging flames that shot up into a towering pillar of fire over thirty feet high. The pillar flickered between black and green, radiating not warmth but an extreme, bone-chilling cold.

Han Li watched wide-eyed as the bizarre pillar of fire plunged into the blue ice.

Instantly, three colors of light intertwined, producing a harsh, grating sound like metal scraping against metal, causing Han Li to frown.

However, his furrowed brow soon relaxed. The black-green pillar of fire had actually forced open a path, charging straight toward the blue flames at the center of the altar.

Seeing this, Han Li grew tense. He quickly connected his consciousness with the Bloodjade Spider, ready to command it to exert its strength as soon as Xuan Gu succeeded in separating the Dry Blue Ice Flames from the Void Cauldron.

Finally, driven by Xuan Gu, the pillar of fire reached the opening.

Faced with the dazzling, flowing blue ice flames, it paused only briefly before exploding. In the blink of an eye, the pillar transformed into a massive black-green lotus, enveloping both the blue flames and the Void Cauldron within.

At this sight, Han Li’s heart leaped into his throat.

His first thought was that Xuan Gu had changed his mind and intended to claim the Void Cauldron for himself. Immediately, he gripped the Five-Colored Copper Rings, his vigilance skyrocketing. However, what happened next put his mind at ease.

Moments later, the giant lotus wrapped only the blue ice flames and carried them away, leaving the Void Cauldron behind, untouched and seemingly illusory in place.

Han Li’s heartbeat quickened, and a flush of excitement spread across his face. Marveling at the ingenuity of Xuan Gu’s technique, he excitedly commanded the Bloodjade Spider to pull with all its might.

The already taut spider threads emitted a clear ringing sound, trembling violently before a miracle occurred.

The cauldron, which had seemed immovably heavy, shot toward Han Li as if weightless under the spider’s desperate pull.

Han Li felt a surge of joy, followed immediately by wariness.

Not daring to act recklessly, he raised both hands, sending forth two blue sword beams. Mid-flight, the beams transformed into blue ropes that wrapped around the cauldron’s two handles. With a simultaneous tug, the cauldron obediently halted about thirty feet away from Han Li.

Seeing how easily he had controlled the Void Cauldron, Han Li was momentarily stunned.

He had a vague feeling that the ease of retrieval was closely related to the separation of the Dry Blue Ice Flames from the cauldron.

But this thought flashed through his mind only briefly. Without overthinking it, he shook the blue ropes formed from sword energy, and the cauldron, enveloped in a surge of blue true energy he transmitted, slowly floated toward him.

Amid low incantations, the Void Cauldron rapidly shrank within the blue light, eventually settling into the palm of his hand.

Everything had proceeded so smoothly, without a single hitch.

Han Li gently rubbed the cauldron’s lid, hardly able to believe that the Void Cauldron, renowned as the number one secret treasure of the Chaotic Star Seas, was now in his possession.

“Could this cauldron be a fake?” he wondered, staring intently at the miniature cauldron, now only the size of a fist.

But just then, a burst of maniacal laughter interrupted his strange thought.

“Haha! The Dry Blue Ice Flames, the Profound Soul Ghost Fire, and the Evil-Warding Divine Lightning—when combined, they indeed merge into one! This way, I can cultivate the legendary Asura Sacred Fire! I was right all along. Haha…” It was unmistakably Xuan Gu’s voice, but now filled with smugness and ecstatic triumph.

Han Li’s heart sank, and for some reason, he felt a chill run down his spine. Clutching the small cauldron tightly, he narrowed his eyes and gazed expressionlessly at Xuan Gu.

What he saw startled him slightly.

The black-green lotus had vanished, replaced by a massive light sphere about a foot in diameter held in Xuan Gu’s hands.

At first glance, the sphere appeared black-green, but upon closer inspection, Han Li could see a blue flame burning steadily at its core. Though encased in a black-green shell, the flame seemed restless, struggling to break free.

Even more astonishing, black arcs of electricity crackled across the sphere’s surface, emitting faint thunderous noises.

Han Li’s expression changed. Could it be that the old demon Xuan Gu’s true intention was…

Before Han Li could ponder what this scene meant, Xuan Gu, holding the light sphere, slowly flew toward him. Stopping about a hundred feet away, he fixed his gaze on the Void Cauldron in Han Li’s hand.

“Excellent, you’ve obtained the Void Cauldron. It seems my plan has proceeded without error,” Xuan Gu said, his eyes gleaming strangely as he looked at the cauldron.

Han Li snorted coldly, watching Xuan Gu warily without uttering a word.

“Judging by your expression, you seem to have guessed something,” Xuan Gu said with a faint smile. “Though I’d like to explain, you’ll be dead soon, and I don’t have much time left. I think it’s better for you to die in ignorance—it’ll be more comfortable that way.”

Han Li’s heart clenched. Xuan Gu’s intention to kill him and seize the treasure was now glaringly obvious.

Unwilling to waste words seeking explanations or engaging in pointless talk, Han Li’s expression darkened as he decided to strike first.

With a raise of his hand, he launched the five copper rings he had been holding. In a flash of radiant light, the rings vanished from the air, only to reappear an instant later, neatly encircling the old demon’s neck and limbs.