Chapter 375. The Secrets of the Ancient Token, Opportunity
Lu Yuan speculated that perhaps certain conditions had yet to be met. Perhaps he had to collect all Nine Cauldrons, or perhaps he needed more Celestial Emperor's Ancient Tokens, which could explain everything.
One thing he knew for certain was that there was a reason his name had appeared on the Investiture Edict. As for why the word "Emperor" was added as a prefix for his name, the answer still eluded him.
At the moment, dwelling on it would be useless. For now, he had to refine the Yangzhou Cauldron, obtain its Providence, and channel that Providence into the Celestial Court's members so they could advance even further.
As the refinement continued, waves of light pulsed from the Yangzhou Cauldron's surface. As one of the Nine Cauldrons, it was truly extraordinary, and it emanated steady streams of Providence.
Once the process reached a certain threshold, the Yangzhou Cauldron transformed into a beam of light that melted into Lu Yuan's glabella.
On the Investiture Edict, a corresponding pattern appeared. At the same time, the purple glow radiating from the scroll grew richer and more intense. A massive wave of Providence was infused, and those whose true name was inscribed on the edict felt a fresh wave of power wash over them.
The wave of power felt great. Some even seized the opportunity to make a breakthrough on the spot, becoming even stronger.
As usual, however, Lu Yuan felt no changes in himself whatsoever. He sat cross-legged in his room. After sensing the flow of Providence, his eyes glimmered. He could now inscribe more true names on the Investiture Edict.
As planned, the Celestial Court would grow stronger once again. Everything was moving in the right direction.
After refining the cauldron, Lu Yuan spent some time practicing his breathing technique and visualization method, bringing himself to peak condition.
Lu Yuan had essentially reached the apex of the Great Sage Realm. One more step, and he would become a legendary Immortal. Reaching that realm, of course, was far from easy. Setting aside the fact that this world was still under restraints, his accumulations remained insufficient for him to become an Immortal.
Immortals were, after all, beings beyond the Sage Realm. In other words, becoming an Immortal meant reaching an entirely different tier of life. Even absolute prodigies needed years of training and the right opportunity to attempt that kind of a breakthrough.
However, Lu Yuan believed that as long as he continued with what he had been doing so far, becoming an Immortal was only a matter of time.
"Now it's the token's turn," Lu Yuan remarked. Now that he was in peak condition, he finally took out the fourth Celestial Emperor's Ancient Token. A considerable amount of time had passed since he last obtained one. Every time he refined one, the token would bring about certain changes in him. This was exactly why he had chosen to refine it after the Yangzhou Cauldron.
With the cauldron, there were no surprises. The token was a different story, and he couldn't predict what could happen upon refining it.
He let his blood drip onto it.
Hum!
A radiant purple light erupted from the Celestial Emperor's Ancient Token. It wasn't just an ordinary purple light, as it actually carried an air of majesty and nobility. The moment it appeared, all living things seemed compelled to kneel before it. It was a power only the strongest could wield.
Lu Yuan wasn't surprised. The Celestial Emperor's Ancient Token was left behind by the Celestial Emperor. Its specific function remained unknown, but it was definitely extraordinary.
As time went on, the purple light radiating from the token grew denser. Streams of light swirled around the token, and an inexplicably boundless energy seeped out of it.
Upon being engulfed by the boundless energy, Lu Yuan's demeanor began to shift. He took on the bearing of the Celestial Emperor looking down on everything from above. He was sitting cross-legged, yet he seemed to be gazing down on the world itself.
Hum!
The Celestial Emperor's Ancient Token vanished. Just like the Yangzhou Cauldron, it melted into Lu Yuan's glabella and merged with the three tokens that were already inside him.
BOOM!
In that instant, Lu Yuan felt as though ten thousand lightning bolts had detonated inside his mind. The boundless energy from the token settled over his entire being. His Innate Spirit and the Bodhi Tree were bathed in wisps of purple light.
More importantly, he noticed that the two characters on the Investiture Edict, "Emperor Yuan," had changed. Now, they seemed to hover above the nine heavens themselves.
Before long, the fourth Celestial Emperor's Ancient Token disappeared completely. Lu Yuan opened his eyes, and a streak of light flashed across them. He could tell that his raw power hadn't increased by even a fraction, but a power unlike anything he had ever seen was flowing through him.
"Is this the power of the Celestial Emperor's Ancient Token?" Lu Yuan steadied his mind and examined himself carefully. He discovered that his flesh, even down to his individual cells, was shrouded by a faint purple light. Both his body and his soul had become subtly different from before, thanks to the influence of the purple light. Given enough time, it seemed like that purple light would completely alter his existence.
I remember Jiang Ningxian once told me that one will eventually obtain the protection of the Great Age's Providence once one has reached a certain level of strength. This power is similar to Providence, but it's not really quite the same.
Lu Yuan didn't know what Jing Ningxian meant at the time, but he had to understand the power residing inside him. He was not going to tolerate any unfamiliar power inside him. He had to know what this power was.
However, there was one thing he could say for sure. This power was definitely from the Celestial Emperor's Ancient Token. Had it manifested only after obtaining and refining the fourth one? Lu Yuan couldn't say for sure, but he dared not be careless. He focused on himself and traced the power back to its source.
Just as expected, it was emanating from the Celestial Emperor's Ancient Token. At the same time, he could sense that this power posed no threat to him whatsoever. On the contrary, it was nourishing his bloodline and every last fiber of his being.
Thanks to the opportunities and boons Lu Yuan had gathered so far from Earth's blessed lands, his bloodline had long since become an Ancestral Bloodline. It had reached the peak, and there was nothing left to improve. Now, Lu Yuan just had to reach brand-new heights in his evolution.
This mysterious power seemed to be filling in any gaps in him.
It seems the Celestial Emperor's Ancient Token is even more mysterious than I imagined. I really want to know what kind of being it's trying to turn me into... Curiosity surfaced on Lu Yuan's face as the realization settled in. The true function of the Celestial Emperor's Ancient Token was slowly revealing itself to him.
Fine then. Let's see how far you can go! Lu Yuan realized that if he wanted to uncover the secrets of the Celestial Emperor's Ancient Token, he would need to continue collecting them. He didn't know how many of them remained out there, but one thing was slowly becoming clear to him. The tokens could very well be his golden opportunity to reach even greater heights!
