Chapter Thirty: The Little Cauldron

So, even within this Abyss of Gods and Demons, power was carved up among factions, and the Five Heavenly Lords were chief among them—though the Lord of Thunder ranked lowest of the five. The Five Heavenly Lords were cut from the same cloth, notorious throughout the abyss. Offend one, and the others would surely come looking for trouble as well...

With this in mind, Chu Jie ordered all the Mad Dog Battalion brothers to accelerate their training, moving to the other side of the third terrace to continue. Quickening his pace, Chu Jie stooped to pick up the profound crystal from the ground, and then hurried off with the others.

In his haste, Chu Jie glanced at the profound crystal in his palm. It was about the size of a human head, perfectly smooth, gleaming throughout. What astonished Chu Jie even more was the flicker of essence within, as though some supreme treasure was gestating inside.

“No wonder these people fought so frantically over it,” Chu Jie mused inwardly.

He stroked the surface of the crystal, finding it impossibly hard—no matter how much force he used, he couldn’t break it. Ordinary profound crystals often contained hidden toxins, only these rare, unique crystals harbored treasures within.

Just like Luo Long’s half-sheath flying sword, Master Tianyun’s Dharma blade, or the silk beneath the Thunder Lord’s feet—all were treasures nurtured within such profound crystals.

However, cutting open a profound crystal required a rare and powerful tool. Without a true treasure, a careless blow could easily shatter both the crystal and the treasure inside.

Chu Jie, however, felt no fear. The Wheel of Heaven and Earth in his palm began to hum softly as his hands rubbed against the crystal. Before his eyes, layer after layer of crystal powder was stripped away by the power of the Wheel, and the light within the crystal grew ever brighter.

“What in the world is this?” Chu Jie wondered, quickening his movements.

Soon enough, the head-sized crystal was ground to powder, and the treasure within began to take shape.

“A small cauldron?”

Chu Jie’s eyes widened. The little cauldron wasn’t yet fully revealed, but the brilliance it emitted was already as dazzling as a miniature sun. Chu Jie sped up, brushing away the last of the powder until the cauldron’s form stood clear before him.

It was only the size of a fist, adorned with strange and ancient patterns that exuded a primal aura. The cauldron was entirely crimson, glowing like the sun, clearly no ordinary item.

“What sort of supreme treasure could this be?” Chu Jie wondered, puzzled.

He casually drew a cut on his finger, letting a drop of blood fall onto the cauldron, merging his spirit with it. With a flash of light all around, Chu Jie’s soul instantly claimed the cauldron as his own.

Boom!

In that instant, Chu Jie’s sea of consciousness nearly exploded! A torrent of spiritual power surged into the cauldron, which, guided by his will, quickly drew in its radiance and began to drift up and down around him.

This cauldron was only slightly inferior to the Wheel of Heaven and Earth! Yet within it, a mysterious light shimmered—though Chu Jie couldn’t make out what it was.

“Who dares harm my fifth brother!!” roared a voice from behind.

Chu Jie spun around, his pupils constricting sharply. “So fast!”

The newcomer had a wild beard and wielded a broadsword as large as a door. Seeing Chu Jie standing there, he drew his blade and swept it in a mighty arc!

Though they were a hundred meters apart, the instant the broadsword left its scabbard, the air filled with blade energy, which swept out in every direction.

Boom!!

The force of the blade made the surrounding cliffs wail, tearing a gaping hole in the ground and sending a torrent of deadly energy barreling toward Chu Jie.

Chu Jie stepped back at once. “Black Tortoise Formation!”

The Mad Dog Battalion brothers instantly formed up around him, hands thrust forward, unleashing beams of light that erupted from their palms.

Bang!

In a flash, a circular shield formed in front of Chu Jie.

Lightning danced across its surface, sheltering Chu Jie completely. Spiritual power surged through his body as the Reincarnation Scroll spun madly within him.

This bearded giant was even more formidable than the Thunder Lord before!

Standing behind Chu Jie, Chen Long smacked his lips and muttered, “That’s the fourth of the Five Heavenly Lords—Lord of Scarlet Flame!”

Chu Jie’s gaze swept over the man. The Lord of Scarlet Flame’s power was around the fifth level of the Spirit Convergence Realm, and his arrogance was obvious. Instead of flying artifacts, he rode a Wind Leopard.

Chu Jie glanced back—the Wind Leopard that had been nearby was gone, but he paid it no mind, instead channeling more power into the shield.

Boom!

Blade energy like a dragon crashed into the shield before Chu Jie!

The shield lasted but a moment before it shattered, shockwaves rippling outward.

The Black Tortoise Formation collapsed instantly, scattering the Mad Dog Battalion across the ground.

A layer of fire enveloped the Lord of Scarlet Flame as he barreled toward Chu Jie.

Chu Jie pursed his lips. His brothers were still too weak—if they had all reached the seventh level of the Body Tempering Realm, this attack wouldn’t have scattered them so easily.

The Lord of Scarlet Flame rushed in, his body blazing and waves of heat rolling forth. Chu Jie immediately realized this man’s physique was anything but ordinary.

He was right—the Lord of Scarlet Flame possessed the Crimson Flame Body, his entire being infused with the essence of fire.

As the broadsword swept forth, fire instantly engulfed it, the burning blade slashing down toward Chu Jie.

“Boy! You hurt my fifth brother—now die!” Lord of Scarlet Flame thundered, his voice like lightning splitting the sky.

Chu Jie’s own fury ignited in response. “You take me for an easy target?”

He pointed forward, and the small cauldron at his side shot out.

In an instant, the cauldron expanded in the wind, growing to the size of a water vat and streaking toward the Lord of Scarlet Flame like a meteor!

The Lord of Scarlet Flame’s arm swung, his broadsword sweeping violently!

Clang!

The blade struck the cauldron, but the cauldron didn’t budge. The Lord of Scarlet Flame staggered back a few steps, his hand trembling slightly.

He threw back his head and laughed. “Such a treasure! Once I kill you, it’ll be mine!”

A flash of pitch-black light flickered across his palm, and a dark net fell from the sky, descending toward Chu Jie’s cauldron.

“You want my cauldron?” Chu Jie sneered, surging forward like a bolt of lightning.