"The sound is coming from up ahead." Teng Qingshan looked forward, where a passage was carved into the stone wall. It was from this opening that the whistling sound, like a chilling gale, continuously roared. "This is inside a mountain, deep underground! How can there be a fierce wind within the mountain itself?"
"It shouldn't be wind noise."
"This empty cavern connects all the way back to the hole in the cliff face I entered through, linking to the outside. If there were wind, I should feel it standing here!" Teng Qingshan mused, moving toward the source of the sound.
Suddenly—
"Kachikachi~~"
Teng Qingshan turned his head to see a massive, triangular skull peering through the split rock face.
"Haha, you haven't left yet." Teng Qingshan couldn't help but smile.
The Six-Legged Dao Chi offered no reply, merely fixing its gaze on Teng Qingshan.
"This Six-Legged Dao Chi knows how formidable the Azure Luan is, and it has already clashed with me. Yet it still hasn't departed. It seems there must be some treasure here attracting it." Teng Qingshan smiled, ignoring the creature, and gripping his Samsara Spear, walked directly toward the passage from which the sound emanated.
Stepping into the tunnel, Teng Qingshan frowned.
"Hoo~ hoo~~" Waves of sound washed over him, and Teng Qingshan faintly felt a distinct physical discomfort.
"Hmph, I want to see what trickery is afoot."
The tunnel was barely three zhang deep. Passing through it revealed another cavern, equally vast. In essence—two wide caverns connected by a central passage! The first cavern held the Six-Legged Dao Chi, but the slightly smaller cavern before Teng Qingshan was...
Completely empty!
No treasure caught Teng Qingshan's attention.
"Hoo~~ hoo~~" The inexplicable, echoing sound continued to reverberate.
"My head!" Teng Qingshan’s brow furrowed; a throbbing pain radiated through his mind. For someone at Teng Qingshan’s level of attainment, experiencing a headache was utterly inconceivable.
"How can the Heaven and Earth spiritual energy here be so dense?" Teng Qingshan revealed a look of shock. "I have never encountered a place where the Heaven and Earth spiritual energy is this rich. It seems even richer than what I perceive while cultivating the Fist of the Earth Element, perhaps ten times so. Could this concentrated spiritual energy be what is causing my headache?"
"Such density should manifest physically, yet it is formless and colorless?" Teng Qingshan was profoundly shocked.
Heaven and Earth spiritual energy permeates all things, invisible to the naked eye. Most innate masters cannot even perceive its existence, only those who have gained insight into the 'Dao,' like Teng Qingshan or the Great Elder 'Mu Wang,' can sense it. If the energy were this dense, it should theoretically form colors. For instance, excessively rich Earth Element energy would manifest as earthy yellow. Rich Fire Element energy would appear fiery red. Yet, the energy in this cave, despite its immense concentration, remained formless and colorless.
"It's strong enough to make me hold my breath... How can it be colorless and formless?" Teng Qingshan fought to suppress the throbbing pain.
"Furthermore, the spiritual energy here is extremely violent and chaotic. It is precisely this formless, colorless, chaotic energy that generates the 'hoo-hoo' sound. And this chaotic spiritual energy is what pains my head." The fact that it could produce substantial sound suggested incredible density and ferocity!
Secondly, violently chaotic Heaven and Earth spiritual energy was not beneficial to living beings! If gentle spiritual energy could nurture the body and strengthen the 'Spirit,' then chaotic energy was actually harmful to the physique.
"No wonder, no wonder the Six-Legged Dao Chi resides in the other cavern."
"This violent energy is detrimental to both humans and beasts. However, as the energy diffuses outwards, even slightly further away—for example, in the adjacent cave—the concentration drops by ninety percent. While a ninety percent reduction, it is still significantly higher than elsewhere, and crucially, it is no longer chaotic, offering great benefits to the body and the 'Spirit'." Teng Qingshan suddenly understood. "A difference of a day or two won't matter, but if the Six-Legged Dao Chi stays next door for ten or a hundred years, the effect becomes profound."
"Roar~~"
The Six-Legged Dao Chi, resting in the other cavern, peered through the passage, seemingly astonished that Teng Qingshan could endure the other chamber for so long. The creature was perfectly aware of the benefits of that cave... which was why it was reluctant to leave its lair.
However—
The cave Teng Qingshan currently occupied was one the Six-Legged Dao Chi itself dared not enter. Lingering there brought a headache, and prolonged exposure would cause significant damage to its 'Spirit.'
...
Moments later.
"Why is the Heaven and Earth spiritual energy around me becoming denser?" Teng Qingshan was slightly alarmed. "It seems the chaotic spiritual energy in this cave is converging around me."
"Hm?" A flicker of light caught Teng Qingshan's peripheral vision. Opening his collar, he immediately saw the small black cauldron he always wore around his neck faintly glowing with green, blue, red, white, and various other colors.
Among them were the familiar fluctuations of the Earth Element and Water Element powers.
There were also other complex fluctuations.
"The Nine Provinces Cauldron?" Teng Qingshan exclaimed in shock. "Why would Heaven and Earth spiritual energy cause the Nine Provinces Cauldron to glow? The last time I wore it and it showed any reaction was when I entered the Yu Emperor's Treasury." Thoughts raced through Teng Qingshan's mind. This seemingly ordinary black cauldron was one of the Nine Cauldrons of the world! According to the Yu Emperor, when continuous disasters plagued the Nine Provinces, the Yu Emperor forged the nine cauldrons to suppress the energy origins of the nine regions. But the Nine Cauldrons eventually merged with the nine great cosmic origins, acquiring profound mystical abilities, becoming uncontrollable by their owners, and scattering across the world. Even the Yu Emperor had difficulty locating them.
"The Yu Emperor, who refined the Nine Provinces Cauldrons, could not control them. I obtained a Cauldron, whether in my past life or this one, and I have absolutely no way to control it." Teng Qingshan understood this well. "The Nine Cauldrons merged with the nine great primal origins and possess unique capabilities! And this cave..."
Teng Qingshan began to ponder.
"Right, why did the Yu Emperor choose Mount Shenfu back then? The Continent of Duanmu is vast; why did he specifically choose Mount Shenfu to house his descendants?"
"Given the Yu Emperor's deep regard for his lineage, Mount Shenfu must hold some benefit."
"It seems now that the base of Mount Shenfu hides this 'convergence point' of Heaven and Earth spiritual energy. Although the overall energy of Mount Shenfu is far less than this focal point, it is still significantly richer than other places." Teng Qingshan marveled at the Yu Emperor’s immense divine ability. Reaching the realm of the ultimate master, one could even locate the nine great primal energy sources and suppress them with the Nine Cauldrons. Finding a lesser convergence point would naturally be easy.
"The Nine Provinces are the core of heaven and earth; the nine great origins reside there. Although the Continent of Duanmu lacks the primal energy source, there are still convergence points of a lower tier," Teng Qingshan conjectured.
...
Though Teng Qingshan’s speculation deviated slightly from the absolute truth, it was reasonably close.
In the pitch-black cavern, the small cauldron on Teng Qingshan’s chest shone ever brighter, its multicolored light illuminating the space. Teng Qingshan could clearly see strands of Heaven and Earth spiritual energy, resembling silken ribbons, swirling around the cauldron. "Chichi~~" The cauldron's volume was actually beginning to increase. The small cauldron, previously pendant-sized, gradually grew to the size of a fist over time.
What astonished Teng Qingshan most was this: the Heaven and Earth spiritual energy, initially violent and even causing throbbing pain in his head, had suddenly become docile and calm.
"Legend says the Immortal Poet Li Taibai once obtained a Nine Provinces Cauldron, even using it as a wine vessel to drink from," Teng Qingshan observed the fist-sized cauldron on his chest, chuckling playfully. "My little cauldron, in its current state, should be about the same size as Senior Li Taibai's Cauldron."
With the spiritual energy settling into tranquility, Teng Qingshan’s headache naturally vanished, replaced by a feeling of profound comfort!
"Worthy of the Nine Provinces Cauldron! The Cauldron that suppresses and fuses the primal origins," Teng Qingshan praised. "If it can suppress and fuse the origins, then suppressing this energy convergence point is certainly not difficult."
Before the Nine Provinces Cauldron, the spiritual energy in the cave was utterly placid.
"The spiritual energy here is a hundred times denser than outside! Even the energy I gather when practicing the Fist of the Earth Element isn't this concentrated. Just standing here, the nourishment and strengthening of my 'Spirit' likely surpasses my usual practice." Teng Qingshan’s eyes gleamed; he understood how precious this place was! For him, it was more valuable than any spiritual treasure!
"For anyone else, this place would be harmful, not helpful!"
"But I possess the Nine Provinces Cauldron, capable of suppressing rampant spiritual energy, thus turning it into a massive benefit." Teng Qingshan immediately decided he would frequent this location from now on.
"Roar~~" A piercing roar echoed in the dark cave.
A pair of scythe-like legs stretched through the passage, and the Six-Legged Dao Chi edged closer. The creature had traversed this tunnel several times; its height allowed the Dao Chi to pass easily. At this moment, its massive golden eyes were fixed intently on the small cauldron adorning Teng Qingshan's chest. It had been drawn by the multicolored light emanating from the cauldron in the darkness.
Suddenly—
The Six-Legged Dao Chi abruptly tilted its triangular head, looking around in astonishment. It was shocked to discover that the cave environment, which previously caused it pain, now felt unprecedentedly comfortable. Even at its level of cultivation, it could sense that the formerly violent Heaven and Earth spiritual energy had become gentle. Astonishment swept through it! It had resided here for over a thousand years and had never witnessed this chaotic energy turn placid.
"Big fellow, looking for a fight?" Teng Qingshan advanced slightly, holding his Samsara Spear.
The Six-Legged Dao Chi retreated two steps. Fighting within the confines of the cavern would put its massive body at a disadvantage.
"Given this creature's intelligence, it probably guessed that the spiritual energy calmed down because of my arrival. And it likely suspects the Nine Provinces Cauldron is the reason." Teng Qingshan accepted the situation... In the utter blackness of the cave, with its multicolored radiance and the surrounding ribbon-like spiritual energy, the Nine Provinces Cauldron was simply too conspicuous. Even hidden beneath clothing, the Dao Chi could detect it.
"But it knowing doesn't matter."
"In terms of strength, I don't fear it. In this cave, utilizing the environment, I actually have the advantage. If a real conflict arises, I can summon the Azure Luan to deal with it," Teng Qingshan thought, though a smile inevitably spread across his face. He couldn't help it; he was overwhelmingly happy.
The Six-Legged Dao Chi also cast a greedy look at the small cauldron on Teng Qingshan’s chest. Such dense, yet gentle, spiritual energy made the creature intensely covetous.
"Time to go back for dinner first." Teng Qingshan gripped his Samsara Spear, leaped upward, and with lightning speed, tore through a section of the rock wall, vanishing into the stone!
The previously calm and gentle Heaven and Earth spiritual energy instantly reverted to chaos.
"Hoo~~ hoo~~" The sound was deafening.
"Roar~~" The Six-Legged Dao Chi let out a roar of furious unwillingness, strongly resisting the pain in its head, and retreated back into its own lair. Without Teng Qingshan’s Nine Provinces Cauldron, that treasure land was a dangerous place indeed.