Chapter 213. One of the Nine Cauldrons, Inviting the Beast Kings, Shapeshift

"King Lu, you're heading to Kunlun?"

Elder Ji immediately nodded upon hearing Lu Yuan's words. Indeed, a trip was necessary for them to see for themselves what was going on. However, he was puzzled as to why Lu Yuan was not bringing anyone else along this time.

Naturally, Lu Yuan understood what was going on in Elder Ji's mind and replied, "That place is somewhat dangerous right now; ordinary people may not be able to return. So this time, I'll be inviting the Peacock King and the other Beast Kings to come along."

While Mount Kunlun stood as a land of providence, with countless secrets waiting to be discovered, this trip would be very different from before. Even he could not fully guarantee the safety of others.

The Peacock King and the rest were at least at the Venerable King Realm and possessed formidable strength. They could at least assist each other when necessary.

"Yes, King Lu. We understand."

Elder Ji had no objections to Lu Yuan's decision. He then added, "Do you need us to arrange an aircraft?"

"No need. We'll make our way there ourselves. Aircraft are too slow."

Lu Yuan knew clearly that he was not the only one who had noticed the changes at Mount Kunlun. The Outer Cosmos beings would definitely have sensed it as well.

Previously, they could remain silent and lie low since, compared to their lives, certain boons and fortune could be temporarily set aside.

Yet the disturbance was a different matter altogether. It would surely cause these beings to be restless, and those powerful enough would make a move.

Moreover, the place itself was plagued with danger. It was better to proceed with caution.

Elder Ji nodded at this and said nothing further.

Now that the message had been delivered and the necessary arrangements made, there was no reason for him to stay any longer.

Soon, Lu Yuan returned to his room. His gaze turned in a certain direction.

Kunlun held an extraordinary status within Huaxia. Not only because it was the birthplace of many legends, but more importantly, because there was a cauldron hidden within. And that item was what Lu Yuan cared about the most.

Its name was not particularly resounding, yet almost everyone in the country knew of it—the Yongzhou Cauldron.

In the early days of the Xia Dynasty, a Huaxian ancestor Yu the Great once divided the world into nine provinces. Then, he commanded each province to cast a cauldron, before naming each after its respective land.

According to legend, the Nine Cauldrons symbolized supreme royal authority and the unity and prosperity of the country. For multiple dynasties, the cauldrons were revered as sacred national treasures.

Back in the early Qin Dynasty, it was said that whoever possessed the Nine Cauldrons would command the nine provinces and thus dominate the world.

But later on, the Zhou royal family declined and was no longer capable of ruling the world.

When King Zhaoxiang of Qin extinguished the Zhou family, he ordered his subordinates to bring the Nine Cauldrons back. His intention was to use them to intimidate the feudal lords across the land.

However, one of the cauldrons fell into the Si River and have yet to be found since then. After which, when Qin unified the Six States, the Primordial Dragon Emperor Qin Shi Huang replaced the Nine Cauldrons with the Imperial Jade Seal as the symbol of authority.

As for the whereabouts of the remaining eight cauldrons, there were not many reliable records left behind.

If not for Lu Yuan's memories from his previous life, he would not have known that one of the Nine Cauldrons—the Yongzhou Cauldron—was hidden within Mount Kunlun.

Truth be told, if this piece of information claiming that Kunlun housed one of the Nine Cauldrons had leaked out before the Global Awakening, most people would not have believed it.

But now, it was the New Era; anything was possible.

Lu Yuan's reason for heading to Kunlun was precisely because of the Yongzhou Cauldron.

In his previous life, this cauldron had fallen into the hands of an Outer Cosmos being. Now that he had the strength, there was no way he would allow an outsider to lay their hands on the item.

Without delay, he left his room and headed toward Jade Emperor Peak to seek out the Peacock King, the Nine-Tailed Fox King and the Spirit Monkey.

However, the moment he arrived at Mount Tai, he was stunned into silence.

Aside from the Spirit Monkey, the Peacock King and the Nine-Tailed Fox King were nowhere to be seen. Instead, there was a middle-aged man and a young woman who looked to be around eighteen.

"Peacock King? Nine-Tailed Fox King?" Lu Yuan finally identified the two "humans" upon sensing their aura. Indeed, they were the two mutated Beast Kings who had already reached the Venerable King Realm.

Once a mutated beast embarked upon the path of evolution, they could assume human form when they reached a certain realm. However, this state was unstable. Only when they entered Sagehood, could they then exist no different from humans.

Clearly, the beast kings were precisely in this transitional state.

"King Lu, you sure have a discerning eye," the Nine-Tailed Fox King spoke first. "Take a look. How does this form of mine fare?"

Though her appearance was youthful, her eyes glistened with irresistible allure. On top of that, heaven knew where she found her current outfit that clung to her figure in an exaggerated way. Especially when she noticed Lu Yuan's arrival, evident excitement flashed across her face.

It felt as though she had been planning for this day for a very long time.

"Gosh, put that act away already," the Spirit Monkey spat, its eyes filled with disdain and mockery as it looked at the Nine-Tailed Fox King.

It had also reached the Venerable King Realm, but chose to not assume human form and remained just as it always had.

The two Beast Kings were clearly well acquainted with each other and anything could be said between them.

"You're just a monkey. What would you know?" The Nine-Tailed Fox King let out a cold snort though she was far from angry. She turned back toward Lu Yuan and her eyes shimmered with admiration as she said, "King Lu surely prefers this form the most."

"Oh, please. Look at you. You don't have any fur to speak of. I wouldn't even give you a second glance," the Spirit Monkey retorted.

Evidently, the Spirit Monkey's sense of aesthetics was worlds apart from that of humans. They were simply not on the same wavelength.

Meanwhile, Lu Yuan could not help but feel somewhat speechless at the conversation. Yet the smile on his face did not fade in the slightest.

Mutated Beast Kings might appear terrifying to others, but at certain moments, they were, in fact, rather interesting.

"Enough. Both of you have been bickering for half the day. Settle down now."

The Peacock King, now in the form of a middle-aged man, shook his head and silenced the two before continuing, "King Lu, what brings you personally to Mount Tai?"

Ever since Lu Yuan slayed three Sages in succession, the Peacock King's respect for him had deepened even further. His demeanor now was entirely that of a subordinate.

After all, even within the Peacock King's inherited memories, there had never been a precedent of someone at the Venerable King Realm challenging and slaying a Sage.

Because of this, he had become increasingly convinced that cooperating with Lu Yuan, perhaps even following him, was an exceptionally wise choice.

The Nine-Tailed Fox King and the Spirit Monkey stopped bickering at once and both turned their gazes toward Lu Yuan.

Lu Yuan gave a slight nod in acknowledgment before explaining the disturbance at Mount Kunlun. Then, he extended an invitation for them to accompany him to Kunlun.

This time was different from any before.

Perhaps, a huge battle would erupt; it might be against the Outer Cosmos beings, or something else entirely.

Lu Yuan himself needed the Beast King's support. And at the same time, this would be an opportunity to deepen mutual understanding, making future cooperation far smoother.

"Mount Kunlun...the Land of Gods. It's a place we've long wished to go but have yet to have the chance," the Nine-Tailed Fox King said first, her eyes still tinged with joy. "Now that you have spoken, King Lu, naturally we would not turn you down. When the time comes, I do hope King Lu will take good care of me."

Her coquettish act immediately drew a couple of sharp remarks from the Spirit Monkey beside her.

Lu Yuan merely let out a soft chuckle in response.

"King Lu, we will certainly go to Mount Kunlun," the Peacock King spoke before adding, "However, I have one condition that I hope King Lu can agree to."