The Retrieval: A Tug-of-War Over the Void Heaven Cauldron

Han Li did not, of course, let this feeling show on his face. Instead, he stepped up to the hole and peered inside.

What he saw there left him deeply puzzled.

The great pit was not as unimaginably deep as he had first thought—only a mere two to three hundred feet. With his Core Formation cultivation, he could clearly make out the bottom. There, a blinding blue light, shaped like a flame, blazed fiercely. And within that blue flame, some dark object seemed to shimmer faintly.

So, this was the legendary Void Heaven Cauldron.

But the moment he leaned in, he was struck by a bone-piercing cold that seemed to drill straight through him. Had it not been for the Spirit Resonance Token blocking the majority of the chill, his single look might have frozen him solid in an icy shell.

The blue light at the bottom was clearly shaped like a flame, yet it radiated a biting cold instead of heat.

Han Li was deeply astonished.

He could only spare the blue flame a few more glances before a wave of dizziness washed over his mind. Startled, he quickly averted his gaze and straightened up.

“What do you think? That is the Azure Blue Ice Flame—the ultimate yin-cold fire. I do not speak of mere Core Formation cultivators; even we old fellows who have already formed our Nascent Souls dare not let a single wisp touch us. If that cold flame catches you, even your Nascent Soul will be easily refined away. Legend says this fire is not of our realm, and no one knows how those ancient cultivators managed to find this one wisp.” Extreme Yin Patriarch stood beside Han Li, also staring down into the pit as he spoke unhurriedly.

“It can refine a Nascent Soul as well?” Han Li sucked in a breath of cold air. But in the next moment, his expression returned to calm.

If it were not so, the Void Heaven Cauldron would have been claimed long ago. No one would have left it here until now.

“Though the Azure Blue Ice Flame is extremely dangerous to us cultivators, there are still some things it cannot burn through. The golden thread spun by the Golden Silk Silkworm, the webbing of the Blood Jade Spider, and my two Fire Pythons are examples of such special existences.”

“Now, summon your Blood Jade Spider. Let us take a closer look.” Extreme Yin Patriarch’s tone carried no room for refusal.

Under the watchful eyes of Extreme Yin, Man Brutal Beard, and the old scholar behind them, Han Li did not waste time on pointless delay. With a single hand pressing down on the spirit beast pouch at his waist, a beam of white light shot forth. It circled once before landing in front of the group.

The light faded, and the modest form of the Blood Jade Spider appeared. Seeing so many strangers before it, the spider gnashed its long fangs rapidly, its eyes filled with open hostility.

Man Brutal Beard, Extreme Yin, and the others paid this no mind. Instead, they gazed at the creature as if it were a priceless treasure.

“Hmph. This Blood Jade Spider is already this large. It seems it is at the peak of the fourth grade, about to break through to the fifth. There really is hope for retrieving the treasure!” Man Brutal Beard’s expression flickered the moment the spider appeared. He spoke with some surprise.

“Heh heh. In terms of raw power, my disciple’s Blood Jade Spider may be inferior to some ancient wild variants. But when it comes to retrieving this Void Heaven Cauldron, this spirit beast is the best choice we have.” Extreme Yin, also staring at the spider, spoke with obvious excitement in his eyes.

“Brother Wu speaks truly. Moreover, this spider is far higher in grade than those Golden Silk Silkworms that barely reach the second tier of demon beasts. Even one of these is worth a whole swarm of them,” the old scholar in the scholar’s robe added, a note of joy in his voice. The retrieval of the treasure no longer seemed an impossible dream.

“Let us begin now. Any delay could invite unforeseen trouble. Han Li, have your spider shoot its web and wrap itself around the Void Heaven Cauldron. Then, let it pull with all its strength. I will have the two Fire Pythons assist it at the same time.” Seeing that the Blood Jade Spider presented no issues, Extreme Yin Patriarch gave the order to Han Li without further courtesy.

“Yes.”

Though it galled him inwardly, Han Li could only obey aloud.

“You two, go down below the altar. Once the Azure Blue Ice Flame clinging to the Void Heaven Cauldron approaches the opening, your cultivation levels will not be enough to withstand it. As for my disciple Han Li, I would trouble Brother Qing to look after him for a time.” Extreme Yin Patriarch spoke coldly to Wu Chou and Profound Bone after his orders, then turned to Qingyi Hermit with a faint smile.

“Easily said. For the Heaven-Mending Pill within that cauldron, I certainly will not let Young Friend Han meet with any accident.” The old scholar chuckled, accepting without hesitation.

Wu Chou and Profound Bone obediently descended the altar and took a few steps back before stopping.

Glancing at the several old devils watching him like hawks, Han Li sighed inwardly and gave the Blood Jade Spider its command.

Instantly, a stream of milky-white webbing shot forth, turning into a beam of light that flew straight into the pit.

For now, he could only take it one step at a time.

His hope was that, once the treasure was retrieved, Extreme Yin Patriarch might feel too self-conscious to immediately burn the bridge—right in front of the other old devils. That would give Han Li a brief moment to breathe.

When the time came for Profound Bone to make his move against Extreme Yin, Han Li could stir the muddy waters and seize his opening.

As for whether the Void Heaven Cauldron could actually be retrieved, Han Li did not spend a single thought on it.

He was very well aware that, regardless of success or failure, his position would not change in the slightest.

Just as Han Li had settled on this plan in his mind, Extreme Yin Patriarch walked to the opposite side of the pit. Reaching into his robe, he produced a pitch-black spirit beast pouch.

He held the pouch upside down and gave it a gentle shake.

There was a flash of red light, and two enormous Fire Pythons, each forty to fifty feet long, suddenly appeared on the ground.

These strange pythons were covered in fiery red scales the size of fingernails. A circle of rune-like markings circled their necks, just below the head. Their four python eyes glowed with a crimson light, as if flames were burning within them.

Extreme Yin waited for the Fire Pythons to coil and stretch their bodies on the ground for a moment. Then, raising his sleeve, he flicked his fingers from within.

Two black pills shot through the air. The two great pythons whipped their heads around and, with astonishing dexterity, swallowed one pill each.

“Go.” Extreme Yin pointed unceremoniously at the great pit.

The two Fire Pythons obeyed, slowly slithering to the edge of the opening. They appeared completely lazy and unconcerned.

Seeing this, Extreme Yin’s expression turned serious. He formed a strange hand seal with both hands and began to chant a series of obscure, guttural incantations, as if he were activating some secret technique.

What happened next was astonishing.

At the sound of the chanting, the pythons’ scales turned a dark red. Their spirits lifted, and they began to thrash their tails with renewed vigor.

Two loud bangs rang out.

The pythons’ tails slammed into the ground near the opening, driving in several feet deep like sharp blades.

Then, their front halves shot forward, their bodies stretching unnaturally as they plunged headfirst into the deep pit.

But their tails remained firmly anchored at the edge of the hole, completely motionless. To all appearances, they had become two black-red ropes.

Han Li stared in disbelief as the two ropes wriggled slightly. Seeing this, Extreme Yin Patriarch’s face lit up with a glimmer of joy. He quickly clenched his fists and shouted to Han Li in a harsh voice:

“Good! They have already bitten down on the Void Heaven Cauldron. Tell your spider to pull with all its strength! Even with my pills, the Fire Pythons cannot endure the Azure Blue Ice Flame for long. Whether we succeed or fail, this one move will decide it all!” As he spoke these words, a trace of ferocity seeped through his expression.

Han Li let out a cold snort inwardly.

“If we succeed in retrieving the treasure, I am likelier to lose my life. If we fail, I would be far more pleased,” he grumbled to himself with some bitterness.

But he forced himself to focus. He commanded the Blood Jade Spider to begin pulling backward with all its might. With Man Brutal Beard and the old scholar watching his every move like hawks, even if he had wanted to slack off or fake his effort, he knew he could never fool these two old foxes.

At Han Li’s reluctant command, the translucent, milky-white silk strands immediately drew taut. The Blood Jade Spider began to move slowly backward.

At the same time, the two black-red ropes on the opposite side of the opening also began to twist and contract.

A low, rumbling sound echoed through the hall. Then, the entire platform began to shake.

The blue light in the pit flickered wildly, its glare forcing Han Li to squint and look away for a moment. But the Blood Jade Spider, seemingly blind to the light, continued to pull back with steady effort.

“Good. The Void Heaven Cauldron has already begun to stir,” the Qingyi Hermit muttered nervously to himself, his expression tense.

Clearly, the Void Heaven Cauldron was extraordinarily heavy. Even with the combined strength of the Blood Jade Spider and the two Fire Pythons, the cauldron only rocked back and forth at the bottom of the pit. After a long moment, there was still no sign of it being lifted.

Extreme Yin Patriarch did not appear anxious, however. After a moment’s thought, he opened his mouth and spat out two jets of pitch-black essence Qi. The Qi descended and attached itself to the two Fire Pythons.

Then, he turned his head and spoke urgently to Man Brutal Beard:

“Brother Man, I trouble you to cast the Berserker Technique on the Blood Jade Spider. My disciple’s magic power is insufficient; he cannot perform this art himself.”

“Rest assured. Leave it to me.” Man Brutal Beard, as if he had been expecting this request, agreed without surprise.

His eyes fixed on the Blood Jade Spider. He began to move his lips without a sound, and between each opening and closing, a faint red glow could be seen emanating from within his mouth.

(After several straight nights of burning the midnight oil, this old man is feeling a bit worn out! Everyone, get some rest early. There is only this one chapter tonight. Heh, I am even making a rare attempt to sleep early!)