Chapter 169: One of the Nine Cauldrons, Inviting the Beast King, Human Transformation

"Lord Lu, are you going to Kunlun?"

Upon hearing this, Elder Ji nodded immediately, feeling that it was indeed necessary to go and see what was actually happening.

Yet, he was somewhat puzzled as to why no subordinates were being brought along this time.

Knowing what the other was thinking, Lu Yuan immediately spoke up, "That place is somewhat dangerous right now, and ordinary people might find it difficult to return alive. Therefore, this time, I will only invite the Peacock King and other beast kings to go."

Kunlun was indeed a blessed land brimming with numerous secrets waiting to be explored. However, this time was vastly different from before; even he could not fully guarantee the safety of others. The Peacock King and the others were at least at the Venerable Realm and possessed formidable strength. Taking them along was much safer.

Moreover, there were inherent risks involved. If it were not for the Spirit Monkey possessing memories of his past life, he might not have known. Many extraterrestrial beings certainly knew of this as well, and they would undoubtedly make a move this time, with those participating possessing immense power.

In the past, they could choose to remain silent and lie low, because compared to their lives, certain fortunes could be temporarily forsaken. But this time was different. Those people would definitely be stirred into action, and they would pose a serious threat.

Therefore, it was better to be cautious.

Elder Ji raised no objections to this decision whatsoever, only asking, "Shall I arrange a plane?"

"No need, we will travel on our own; planes are too slow."

Elder Ji nodded, saying no more.

After all, ever since Lu Yuan had successively beheaded three saints, Elder Ji's reverence for him had grown even deeper, adopting entirely the posture and attitude of a subordinate. The message had been delivered and would be handled accordingly, so it was naturally time for him to return.

Leaving the room, only the Spirit Monkey remained inside, gazing off in a certain direction.

He immediately departed the room and headed toward Jade Emperor Peak to seek out the Peacock King, the Four-Tailed Fox King, and other beast kings.

Kunlun held an extraordinary status in China, not only because of its various legends, but also because it was the homeland of beasts.

Beasts, upon embarking on the path of evolution and reaching a certain level of cultivation, could transform into human forms. However, this state was unstable unless one achieved sainthood to become entirely indistinguishable from humans.

When the Spirit Monkey first ascended Mount Tai, he was taken aback. Upon arriving, he discovered that apart from Lu Yuan—who was absent—only a middle-aged man and a young woman of eighteen or nineteen remained. The other beast kings were nowhere to be found.

"The Peacock King and the Four-Tailed Fox King?" Sensing their auras, the Spirit Monkey recognized them as the two beast kings who had already reached the Venerable Realm.

The former nodded.

The latter had also attained the Venerable Realm, yet chose not to transform into a human form, remaining just as before.

The Four-Tailed Fox King spoke first. She looked like a young woman, but her eyes were intensely alluring. Having somehow found clothes from somewhere, her figure appeared quite exaggerated, and upon spotting the arrival of the Spirit Monkey, her eyes brimmed with incomparable excitement.

"Lord Lu has such fine taste! Look, how does this humble servant's appearance seem to you?"

The Four-Tailed Fox King took the initiative to speak, her eyes still carrying a smile.

Beside her, Lu Yuan couldn't help but twitch his mouth slightly at the sight, feeling compelled to make a couple of critical remarks.

"Forget it, just look at yourself—not a scrap of fur left, I can't even bear to look at it."

"You're just a monkey, what do you know? This is the form that kings love the most," the Four-Tailed Fox King snorted, though she wasn't angry, turning her head instead to look at Lu Yuan with a captivating gaze.

Clearly, the aesthetic of the beast kings differed entirely from that of humans.

Upon seeing the Four-Tailed Fox King, the Spirit Monkey's eyes were filled with disdain and mockery.

This made Lu Yuan beside them忍不住 to voice a couple more complaints.

"Cut out that act of yours," Lu Yuan spoke up directly before she could reply.

The Four-Tailed Fox King and Lu Yuan didn't bicker further. The five individuals were quite familiar with one another, so any words could be spoken freely.

"Alright, you two have been bickering for the better part of the day, give it a rest," the Peacock King, transformed into the middle-aged man, shook his head, silenced the two, and then asked, "Lord Lu, you have personally come up Mount Tai; is there something the matter?"

Without beating around the bush, the Spirit Monkey informed the three great beast king figures of the opening of the Kunlun anomaly, inviting them to journey with him to Kunlun.

"Kunlun Mountain, the land of ten thousand gods! We have long wished to go, but never had the chance. Now that Lord Lu has spoken, naturally we will not refuse. At that time, this humble servant hopes Lord Lu will grant us some extra care," the Four-Tailed Fox King said immediately, the smile never leaving her eyes.

"Lord Lu, Kunlun Mountain—we will definitely go," the Peacock King stated. Then he spoke again, "I only have one condition, and I hope Lord Lu can agree to it."

"Speak."

"Lord Lu, you truly have an extraordinary vision," the Peacock King's eyes flickered slightly as he continued, "The change in Kunlun is no trivial matter. We are willing to go and cooperate with you, but the treasures and fortuitous encounters within must be distributed fairly according to capability. What do you think?"

To outsiders, this condition might sound terrifying. After all, even within the Peacock King's inherited memories, there was no precedent of a Venerable Realm cultivator reversing the battle against the Saint Realm. Yet, after witnessing Lu Yuan's feats, the beast kings deeply believed in his strength.

They grew increasingly convinced that cooperating with him, and even being led by him, would be an exceptionally wise choice for themselves.

Furthermore, there were inherent dangers involved. Some matters required mutual assistance, and taking this opportunity to deepen their understanding would make future cooperation much smoother.

The Spirit Monkey simply smiled.

"No problem, we agree."

The Peacock King nodded.

"Then it's settled. When shall we depart?"

"Right now."

Without any delay, the group set off immediately, leaving Mount Tai behind and heading straight for Kunlun.

During the journey, the Spirit Monkey needed the help of the beast kings, and they needed him as well.

What the Spirit Monkey cared about most, and what he kept hidden in his heart, was the knowledge that hidden deep within Kunlun Mountain was a cauldron.

It was one of the Nine Cauldrons.

Legend has it that in the early days of the Xia Dynasty, the ancient sage King Yu divided the entire realm into nine administrative provinces and ordered a cauldron to be cast for each province, named after them.

The Nine Cauldrons were symbols of supreme royal authority and national unity, revered by multiple dynasties as supreme heirlooms of the state. As early as the pre-Qin period, rumors claimed that whoever possessed the Nine Cauldrons could command the whole of China and thereby rule the world.

Later on, the Zhou royal house lost its power and was unable to control the realm. One of the cauldrons fell into the Si River and vanished.

When King Zhaoxiang of Qin destroyed the Zhou royal domain, he ordered the remaining cauldrons to be brought back to demonstrate his might to the feudal lords of the realm. Later, after Qin conquered the six states, Ancestral Dragon replaced their function with the Imperial Jade Seal, and the whereabouts of the Nine Cauldrons were largely lost to history, with barely any records remaining.

Actually, if this were before the upheaval of heaven and earth, most people would never have believed that the Nine Cauldrons were hidden in Kunlun Mountain.

But this was a new era, where anything could happen.

Even if the name of that particular cauldron was not exceptionally resounding, the common people of the country practically all knew of it.

Because its name was the Yongzhou Cauldron.

In his previous life, that cauldron had fallen into the hands of extraterrestrial beings. Now that he possessed the power, he naturally could not allow it to be controlled by outsiders.

It seemed as though they had been plotting for this day for a long time.

The upheaval in Kunlun had begun.

Whether involving extraterrestrial entities or other forces, a great battle might erupt.

This time, the Spirit Monkey chose to go.

It was destined to be different from any time before.