Chapter 1475: World Formation
Even though they had become much larger, the overall design was more or less the same. Furthermore, they gave Zu An a familiar feeling. Of course, the Nine Cauldrons were much stronger now than when they had been with him; they had clearly regained their true form.
Zu An watched as Yu the Great used them to subdue the world. As they were being used to keep the world in check, there was clearly no way to get them back. Zu An felt as if his heart were leaking blood. He knew the Nine Cauldrons were something Yu the Great had created, but he was their owner now! And it was he who had brought them into this world and opened up Yu the Great’s true tomb.
The distant Yu the Great gave him a look, as if he had heard Zu An’s grumbling.
Zu An began to struggle to breathe due to the great pressure. He quickly said in a sincere tone, “Great one, please use it however you like. It’s no problem at all.”
These two were on a much higher level than Xiang Liu and the Fiend Emperor. Even the battle’s aftereffects would be enough to pulverize Zu An’s group. It was still best for him not to draw attention to himself.
Gonggong’s expression turned serious. Just how was a skull able to produce so many expressions, though?
When he saw that the waterspouts had been subdued, he quickly condensed a thousand-meter-long water blade. As he swung it, it cut through the nearby mountains like tofu.
Zu An was speechless. He quickly took to the air on the Wind Fire Wheels, carrying the women with him. Almost the instant he left, the mountain below him began to fall apart, revealing a smooth surface cut apart by the water blade.
Zu An’s expression turned grim due to the hair-raising sensation. The blade was practically a manifestation of heaven’s judgment! How was a human like him supposed to go against something like that?
Yan Xuehen gently pushed him aside, saying, “Our injuries have already pretty much recovered. We can fly by ourselves. We do not need you to carry us anymore.”
Yun Jianyue also gave him a sidelong glance. Ever since she had entered the Unknown Region, this d.a.m.n kid had taken advantage of her countless times. She thought, It’ll be best if I don’t talk to Honglei about these things to prevent any misunderstandings.
“Sorry, I got used to it,” Zu An apologized in embarra.s.sment. However, his thoughts were running wild. If Yu Yanluo was like a fine soft jade in his arms, Yan Xuehen was like a cold jade, and Yun Jianyue was a fiery Wuyang Jade. Each had its merits; it was really hard to say which one was better.
The three women had strange expressions as they thought, Why does that not sound right?
However, their attention was quickly drawn to the battle below. Yu the Great drew a circle above his head, quickly forming a translucent barrier in the shape of a Nine Cauldron. In that instant, Zu An thought that he was watching Lord Conqueror perform his ultimate move.[1]
Suddenly, Gonggong shouted loudly, and the sword slammed into the barrier around Yu the Great! It wasn’t just a single blade, however; several more followed it, overlapping on top of each other, and an incredibly loud noise rang out. Blinding radiance erupted from the center of the battlefield, and the sky was filled with mist.
The powerful energies battered Zu An’s party to the point that they couldn"t even stand still, and they were forced back several kilometers. Fortunately, because they were high up in the sky, their view wasn’t blocked. They could still see what was happening.
When the seemingly endless mist finally dissipated, Yu the Great gradually reappeared. The Nine Cauldron was still shining brightly without any sign of damage.
Zu An’s group was completely stunned. Gonggong’s terrifying attack couldn"t even break through Yu the Great’s defense? Were earth element cultivators all that strong when they reached such a level?
Yu the Great said slowly, “I have already given you a chance. Now, it is my turn.” The sky suddenly dimmed after he spoke, as if a giant meteor had begun falling.
Gonggong exclaimed in horror, “So you were using the Nine Cauldrons to create a formation using the world’s power!”
Zu An and the others finally saw clearly that it wasn’t a meteor at all, but a Nine Cauldron that had been made countless times larger! It descended from the heavens, crashing down toward Gonggong.
Gonggong wanted to run away, but it was just too big; he had nowhere to hide at all! He let out a roar, and the black energy all around him surged. His body then transformed significantly; countless arms made of water shot out from behind him as he became a giant. Every single arm was as thick as a mountain. He roared toward the sky as he tried to bear the weight of the cauldron.
Boom!
The enormous Nine Cauldron collided with the giant Gonggong had turned into. The ground beneath Gonggong’s feet immediately cracked, as if not even the earth itself could support the weight. However, Gonggong did eventually manage to stop it!
Zu An and the others sighed in admiration. However, soon afterward, something else happened.
Many of the giant arms around Gonggong stopped being able to hold on, bursting under the pressure and turning into a downpour of rain. Meanwhile, Gonggong himself began to be forced to the ground, as his legs could no longer endure. Soon, he was forced to get down on one knee, barely carrying the weight on his back.
“Gonggong can’t hold on anymore!” Yan Xuehen and Yun Jianyue exclaimed, arriving at the same conclusion.
…
Meanwhile, someone else had realized the same thing: The Fiend Emperor. He was glad that he had decisively chosen to defect instead of fighting against Gonggong’s enemy. Instead, he had taken the chance to quickly suck Fuyou’s cultivation dry.
As the emperor of the Fiend races, he naturally had access to some of the Blood race’s essence absorption skills in the imperial palace’s treasury. The reason he hadn’t used them much was because he had considered them a corrupt path, and as the cultivation he absorbed would be impure anyway, he would be better off cultivating properly by himself.
However, he didn’t mind using them in order to recover from his injuries and obtain some immediate fighting strength. After completing the process, he had been br.i.m.m.i.n.g with confidence, intending to settle things with Gonggong.
And yet, as soon as he caught a glance of Gonggong’s battle with Yu the Great, the Fiend Emperor’s heart instantly sank. Both of them were far stronger than he was! Like h.e.l.l he was going to fight Gonggong!
However, soon afterward, he felt moved. As one of the world’s strongest individuals who had reached the pinnacle of cultivation, he had always walked a path with an unknown future. Now that he was able to witness a battle between two powerful individuals, he felt the dao within him stir. Countless insights filled his mind.
If he returned and cultivated in seclusion for a few months, slowly digesting the insights, he had hope of breaking through the bottleneck he had been stuck at for the past few centuries. The human race’s Zhao Han wouldn’t be his match at all! At that time, he would let the entire world know who was truly number one.
Gonggong roared angrily. His aura suddenly erupted, and his muscles bulged ma.s.sively. He forced the cauldron above him back a bit; it even looked almost as if he could eventually stand back up.
However, a streak of light fired out of Yu the Great’s eyes, striking the enormous cauldron projection. The cauldron instantly shone with light, pressing down once more.
Gonggong gritted his teeth, and all his muscles trembled. Slowly, he was forced to bend again. First, his legs gave way; next, he couldn’t even straighten his waist anymore. In the end, he was completely crushed under the force of the cauldron, his body nowhere to be seen.
A while later, the cauldron began to fade before disappearing completely. There was a huge crater in the ground, but Gonggong’s body was gone. Apart from the giant crater, there was nothing abnormal remaining.
“Could it be that Gonggong found a chance to flee to a different place? Can’t earth immortals ignore the boundaries of s.p.a.ce to a certain degree?” Yu Yanluo wondered.
Yan Xuehen shook her head, saying, “No, that giant cauldron contained restrictive laws. The s.p.a.ce around it could not be pa.s.sed through. Furthermore, the surface of the earth might seem completely normal, but I can vaguely sense incredible power within it. If I am not mistaken, Gonggong has been completely sealed underground. Of course, there is a high chance that he was not physically sealed underground, but rather in a special s.p.a.ce.”
“I did not expect you to already have such a level of knowledge with just that bit of cultivation,” Yu the Great remarked, giving her a look. His voice carried a hint of praise; he clearly approved of her deduction.
Gonggong had emerged with such powerful momentum, and yet he was defeated so quickly. Whether it was Zu An’s side or the Fiend Emperor’s, they both sighed in pity.
Yu the Great decided to leave after speaking. He had completed his mission and was about to disappear; he wanted to take the chance to see the world one last time.
Suddenly, Zu An called out, “Please wait! You’ve damaged my possessions, so you have to compensate me somehow, right?”
1. Lord Conqueror is a character from the Chinese series Storm Riders. ☜