Chapter 368: Chapter 196: A First Since Creation
First, one must open a Grotto Heaven within their body to become a Celestial Venerable.
Second, one must gain the recognition of the Celestial Observation Cauldron.
As for how to gain the Celestial Observation Cauldron’s recognition, no one throughout history has ever known.
However, right now, Wang Xiao felt he had seemingly figured out the trick!
’To gain the Celestial Observation Cauldron’s recognition, it’s almost certain that I must comprehend the Nine Origin Great Dao. Then, after unifying the Nine Origin Great Dao, I must open a Grotto Heaven in my body!’
The difficulty of this was truly immense!
First, one’s Inner World and Great Daoist Nascent Soul needed to be sufficiently refined; otherwise, they couldn’t bear the power of the Nine Origin Dao Fruits.
Second, it required an immense amount of time to comprehend the Origin Great Dao, which demanded extremely high comprehension and fortuitous encounters.
Third, the Purple Mansion also needed to be powerful enough not to collapse when it merged with the Inner World!
Just a single one of these points was enough to stump hundreds of millions of Cultivators.
Let alone achieving all three.
Wang Xiao himself had only barely reached this stage by traversing five different worlds, receiving help from a Tier Nine Life in the Real World, and relying on his own Talent to Analyze All Things!
It was practically impossible for other Cultivators to have the same conditions he did.
This was also why, for hundreds of thousands of years, not a single member of the Three Races of Divine, Demon, and Human had managed to refine a fragment of the Celestial Observation Cauldron.
After all, even someone as powerful as Montis, ranked third in the Demon Race, had only managed to comprehend four Origin Great Daos.
’I’ll know whether it has truly recognized me once I give it a try.’
Wang Xiao thought no more. His Grotto Heaven Power surged forth, beginning to communicate deeply with the Celestial Observation Cauldron!
HUM!
In that instant, waves of an incredibly profound power surged out from the Celestial Observation Cauldron.
In a flash, Wang Xiao, relying on the Celestial Observation Cauldron, sensed the locations of the other eight fragments of the cauldron throughout this part of Heaven and Earth!
At the same time, he felt his Grotto Heaven Power slowly seeping into the Celestial Observation Cauldron, as if it were gradually merging with it.
’I can really refine it! But the energy within is too immense. Even though this is just one of the nine great fragments of the Celestial Observation Cauldron, I probably won’t be able to refine it successfully in a short time!’
Wang Xiao’s eyes lit up as he felt the changes within.
He really hadn’t expected that a problem that had plagued the living beings of this world for hundreds of thousands of years would be solved by him in a single day.
’However, with such a change happening to the Celestial Observation Cauldron fragment, the other Divine-Demon Descendants who control the other fragments must have sensed it too.’
’I wonder how these Divine-Demons will react.’
’Never mind. Since it has already happened, my only option is to refine the Celestial Observation Cauldron fragment as quickly as possible.’
’As long as I refine this fragment, I can draw all the other fragments to me and take control of the complete Celestial Observation Cauldron!’
’With the power of the complete Celestial Observation Cauldron, I might even be able to fight a Tier Seven Life!’
Wang Xiao knew that the Divine-Demon Descendants must have sensed the changes in the Celestial Observation Cauldron fragment. They would definitely make a major move soon.
However, he could no longer prevent it.
For now, his only choice was to refine the Celestial Observation Cauldron fragment as quickly as possible to give himself a means of self-preservation.
Based on the current situation, he should be able to refine the fragment within a year.
The various provinces were far apart; even for a Celestial Venerable flying at top speed, it would take at least half a year to reach an adjacent province.
The Divine-Demon Races probably wouldn’t dare to act recklessly before gathering their forces.
The time left for Wang Xiao wasn’t much, but it was barely enough.
Just then, a Talisman floated into his grotto-abode from outside.
After the Talisman burned, Gongsun Yan’s voice sounded out.
"Fellow Daoist Wang, are you still in seclusion? If it’s convenient, please come out and meet me."
Wang Xiao’s eyes twitched slightly. He swept his Divine Thought over the area and saw Gongsun Yan outside the grotto-abode.
With a flicker of his body, he appeared outside the grotto-abode as if by Instant Teleportation.
When Gongsun Yan saw Wang Xiao come out, he hurriedly said:
"I didn’t disturb your seclusion, did I, Fellow Daoist Wang?!"
Wang Xiao shook his head.
"Not at all. You’ve come at the perfect time, Elder Gongsun. I just finished my seclusion!"
Gongsun Yan couldn’t help but say:
"It seems you’ve become a Celestial Venerable, Fellow Daoist Wang!"
He wasn’t the least bit surprised that Wang Xiao had broken through to the Dragon Transformation Realm.
If someone with his level of strength couldn’t become a Celestial Venerable, then no one in this world could!
Wang Xiao didn’t hide it.
"Yes. And there’s something else I want to tell you, Elder Gongsun. Just now, I seem to have found a way to refine the Celestial Observation Cauldron. I should be able to refine it within a year!"
Hearing this, Gongsun Yan’s aged body trembled violently, and his eyes filled with excitement.
"R-Really? Th-This is so sudden! I never expected... I truly never expected it! After hundreds of thousands of years, someone from our Human Race can finally refine the Celestial Observation Cauldron!"
He was so excited he was nearly incoherent, his weathered face glowing with vitality!
What refining the Celestial Observation Cauldron meant went without saying!
As long as they could successfully refine the Celestial Observation Cauldron, the Human Race would have hope for a resurgence.
They would have the means to resist the Divine-Demons!
For hundreds of thousands of years, countless humans had tried one after another to refine the Celestial Observation Cauldron, but without exception, all had ended in failure.
Gongsun Yan never could have imagined that Wang Xiao would find the method of refinement in a mere hundred years.
No wonder he had felt that strange sensation just now.
So that was the reason!
Wang Xiao said:
"Now is not the time to celebrate. The Divine-Demon Races have surely detected the changes in the Celestial Observation Cauldron. They will likely make a major move soon. Elder Gongsun, we need to prepare for an attack from both of them!"
In the past, the Divine-Demon Races fought each other for supremacy, viewing one another as mortal enemies.
But there was no guarantee they wouldn’t choose to join forces to stop Wang Xiao from refining the Celestial Observation Cauldron.
Gongsun Yan calmed down as well.
"You’re right, Fellow Daoist Wang. I will reinforce the outer Mountain Protection Array right now and then recall all the Celestial Venerables and Venerables from the outside."
Wang Xiao nodded.
"I’ll leave matters concerning the Human Ancestral Land to you, Elder Gongsun. I need to refine the Celestial Observation Cauldron as quickly as possible."
Gongsun Yan said:
"Alright. I will do everything in my power to ensure you succeed in refining the Celestial Observation Cauldron, Fellow Daoist Wang, even if it costs me my life."
Without lingering any longer, he flickered and departed quickly, beginning to arrange all the necessary matters to defend against the Divine-Demon Races.
An invisible pressure also rose in Wang Xiao’s heart.
He cut off his distracting thoughts, returned to his grotto-abode, and began refining the Celestial Observation Cauldron!
...
「Meanwhile.」
High above the Nine Heavens.
Astral winds howled.
Golden divine halls stood atop the heavens, exuding endless sanctity and splendor.
At the very center, within an incredibly lavish palace, figures radiating powerful auras and shimmering with golden light gathered together, their eyes filled with solemnity.
"The Celestial Observation Cauldron is reacting! Someone is refining it! The location is the Human Ancestral Land in Ye State. We must stop them!"
"Who could it be? To think such an existence still remains among the humans, one who can gain the recognition of the Celestial Observation Cauldron!"
"Do you remember the Venerable who killed Siming Kang with a single arrow? A hundred years have passed. With his talent, he has likely already become a Celestial Venerable. It’s not impossible for him to have gained the Celestial Observation Cauldron’s recognition."
"The Human Race truly is favored by Heaven and Earth, to be able to produce such a figure even under these circumstances."
"Hmph, enough with the discouraging talk! Quickly gather our forces and head to Ye State! Stop him from refining the Celestial Observation Cauldron! And then report this news to the Divine Kings!"
"That’s right. And we should communicate with the Demon Race. Right now, the most important thing is to stop this person. The enmity between our two races can be set aside for now."
...
「Above a boundless sea.」
Countless pitch-black Demon Islands floated, exuding an endless aura of bloodlust and slaughter.
Even a Celestial Venerable would be affected if they were in their midst.
At the very center of the Demon Islands, a colossal figure sat cross-legged.
Behind him, there were actually seven wings.
This was the mark of Arthas, the number one ranked in the Demon Race’s sequence!
A voice as cold as grinding gravel came from his mouth.
"Inform all the Celestial Venerables of the Ten Thousand Beasts Alliance to follow me to Ye State and trample the Human Ancestral Land!"
「In the few short months that followed.」
Numerous Cultivators saw the Celestial Venerables of the Beast Race from all over gathering together. Following many members of the Six-winged Demon Race, they flew toward Ye State at the fastest speed in the world!
At the same time, the Celestial Venerables of the Beast-Slaying Bureau and Demon Extermination Bureau from every province also rushed to Ye State, following the Six-winged Divine Race!
When the Divine and Demon Races met, they surprisingly did not fight. Instead, they reached some kind of agreement and showed signs of joining forces.
All at once, the Cultivators throughout the Nine Provinces were in an uproar.
The Divine and Demon Races joining forces—this was the first time it had happened since the dawn of time.
The heavens were about to change!
