Global Awakening: I'm the Only One Ready

Chapter 231. Death-Exemption Talisman, Kill Him Again, the Whereabouts of the Nine Cauldrons!

His presence was evidently overwhelming.

Zhou Yunqiong had already taken damage from the earlier clash. Under such crushing pressure, her complexion turned even paler.

At this moment, she was certain that Lu Yuan was not joking. He was intent on killing her.

"If you kill me, you'll regret it. The one backing me is the Ji Clan—they ranked among the top ten across all starfields," Zhou Yunqiong spoke, her voice laced with apparent fear. She had no choice but to bring up the power backing her in an attempt that would cause a sliver of hesitation in Lu Yuan's heart. Perhaps if that happened, she would have a slim hope of survival.

Just the slightest chance would do.

But in the end, she clearly miscalculated.

Lu Yuan seemed not to have heard her at all.

His aura surged outward. Without the slightest hesitation, he threw a punch downward.

Golden vital qi billowed; even the ground below trembled slightly,

Pfft!

In just the blink of an eye, Zhou Yunqiong's body split apart. She couldn't even withstand for a fraction of a second before shattering completely.

Her blood splashed across the earth, and the last traces of her life force dissipated.

As for Lu Yuan, after doing everything, there wasn't a ripple in his expression.

It was as though what had just happened had been nothing more than a trivial matter.

Just then, Jiang Ningxian remarked, "Something's amiss."

She stared at the pool of blood and her eyes trembled.

"This... this shouldn't be possible."

Hearing her, Lu Yuan frowned and turned his gaze over.

Buzz—

At the spot where Zhou Yunqiong had fallen, a strange power began to stir before gathering together and condensed into an ancient bronze talisman.

Once the talisman appeared, the scattered life force of Zhou Yunqiong was gathered and reassembled to form a shadow.

Then, the shadow fused with the talisman to become a streak of light and vanished from where it was.

"What just happened?" Lu Yuan asked, his eyes tinged with confusion. He could not understand what he had just seen.

"There's a life-preserving technique, a forbidden art that only the top ten starfields could wield. It grants immunity from death once and hence it's also known as the Death-Exemption Talisman. Each person may use it only once in their lifetime."

Jiang Ningxian stepped forward with a solemn expression. She then added, "To refine such a talisman requires the sacrifice of at least one Immortal before it can take effect.

"Even among all the top ten starfields combined, there are no more than three of such talismans in existence. They are precious beyond measure."

Jiang Ningxian was truly surprised because she herself possessed a Death-Exemption Talisman. Her father had pleaded with the ancestral elders for a long time before they reluctantly gave her one.

Yet, Zhou Yunqiong also had one.

As for the origin of it, one hardly had to think. It was clearly given by the Ji Clan.

Jiang Ningxian just had not Zhou Yunqiong was valued so highly.

By any measure, such treatment was reserved for Holy Sons or Saintesses.

Beside her, Lu Yuan listened to the explanation and gradually understood.

In simpler words, the Ji Clan had left Zhou Yunqiong with a forbidden technique that could save her life.

Though she appeared dead now, the presence of the Death-Exemption Talisman meant that she could be revived in the future.

That realization struck his heart with shock. The shocking fact was that even the dead could be restored to life through certain means.

That was good as defying the heavens!

However, Lu Yuan could also tell from Jiang Ningxian's expression that such an item was extraordinarily rare.

After all, it required the sacrifice of an Immortal to create a single talisman.

And according to Jiang Ningxian, there were no more than three Death-Exemption Talismans across all starfields.

On deeper thought, that made sense. It was more terrifying if there were all too many Death-Exemption Talismans.

At this thought, Lu Yuan let out a soft chuckle and remarked, "So what if she escaped death once? I'll just kill her again when the time comes."

The Death-Exemption Talisman had saved Zhou Yunqiong once; that was indeed beyond his expectations. But still, it did not trouble him that much. He knew that the two of them were destined to meet again. And when that day came, no matter how many tricks she had up her sleeves, they would all be useless.

At the same time, another matter came to mind. The plan to eradicate the Zhou Family ought to be hastened.

The situation between them had long since become one of irreconcilable hostility. There was no need to leave future trouble behind.

"But when that time comes, you might have to cross paths with the Ji Clan," Jiang Ningxian said after regaining her composure. With a faint smile gracing her lips, she continued, "They are the descendants of the Yellow Emperor, are you not afraid?"

The Yellow Emperor was the Yellow Emperor, and the Ji Clan was the Ji Clan, they were not entirely synonymous.

But it remained true that the Ji Clan was truly powerful, and their strength was acknowledged across the entire universe. Their foundations ran incomparably deep.

Moreover, their ancestor was undoubtedly renowned; anyone who faced them would inevitably feel pressure.

However, Lu Yuan merely let out a soft laugh. "Haven't we already crossed paths?"

Both the Celestials and the Zhou Family were related to the Ji Clan.

Under such circumstances, no matter what the future held, conflict between the two sides was unavoidable.

And Lu Yuan felt no fear.

"True that," Jiang Ningxian remarked with a smile and said nothing more.

Meanwhile, the four beast kings arrived as well. From the transpiration of events earlier, they had roughly understood the enmity between Lu Yuan and Zhou Yunqiong. It was an old grudge that had been long in the making.

But now, it was all over.

Lu Yuan turned his gaze toward the distance.

The yin yang inversion had already been completed.

Currently, they were standing in the half city of the Netherworld.

"Let's take a look at the Nine Provinces Map first."

Without further words, Lu Yuan took out the scroll he had previously seized.

He and Jiang Ningxian had already explored the half city of the Celestial Court. Now they just needed to explore the remaining half.

Jiang Ningxian and the four beast kings gathered around.

The Nine Provinces Map unfurled before them. The nine provinces as delineated by Yu the Great in ancient times were depicted on it.

A small red point was marked out in each region of the Nine Provinces. However, they were not circular. Rather, the points were shaped like cauldrons and each one identical in form.

Most alarming of all was that one of the small cauldrons was intermittently emitting a faint glow.

"That marked location seems to be Mount Kunlun," the Spirit Monkey said upon leaning closer. It couldn't suppress his confusion.

"Cauldrons...Nine provinces...Could these markings indicate the locations of the Nine Cauldrons?" the Nine-tailed Fox King spoke up as well, astonishment coloring her tone.

When they had first come across the Nine Provinces Map, they had already felt that it was far from ordinary, certain that it must serve some greater purpose.

Now, upon closer inspection, their conviction was further solidified.

The depiction on the map was all too obvious.

Cauldrons.

Nine Provinces.

Anyone would be able to connect the dots.

And the Nine Cauldrons were the legendary imperial divine artifacts.

Although Yu the Great was not one of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, his stature within Huaxia was undeniable.

In recorded history, he had founded the first ever dynasty and lived in the same era as Emperor Shun, one of the Five Emperors.

The Nine Cauldrons he forged held extraordinary significance.

As such, the beast kings were not the only ones shaken. Even Lu Yuan himself was struck with surprise as he studied the map.

It was especially so when clearly the markings indicated that one of the cauldrons lay within Kunlun.

It was exactly as he had known.

Could it be that by using this map, one would be able to gather all Nine Cauldrons?

At that thought, a flicker of excitement crossed Lu Yuan's countenance.

He had no idea of the precise function of the Nine Cauldrons but as legendary artifacts of the nation, it would clearly be a great providence if he could obtain them all.

"Since one of the cauldrons lies within Mount Kunlun, let's go and take a look," Lu Yuan said.

Following the markings on the Nine Provinces Map, he immediately determined a precise route!