Global Awakening: I'm the Only One Ready

Chapter 239. Refined, Providence Absorbed, Chaos All Over the World

The Yongzhou Cauldron, one of the Nine Cauldrons, appeared and settled firmly on the ground. It looked the same as ever, ancient and timeworn. At first glance, it didn't appear to be anything special. In the old era, it would have been considered nothing but a priceless cultural artifact, but times had changed.

Every single one of the Nine Cauldrons was a national treasure, which meant it had more than could be seen on the surface. Unfortunately, Lu Yuan had never obtained any of the Nine Cauldrons, even in his past life, so he had no way of knowing what exactly they could do.

According to the historical records, the Nine Cauldrons suppressed the world itself and are also humanity's Providence. They were the symbol of ultimate imperial authority.

As for what that actually looks like in practice, I have no idea. I can only take things step by step, Lu Yuan thought. Then, he reached out to make contact with the Yongzhou Cauldron using his vital qi.

When he obtained it, he noticed that its aura bore a resemblance to the Celestial Emperor's Ancient Token. He wanted to bring the two into contact and see what would happen.

By now, Lu Yuan had gained a degree of control over the Celestial Emperor's Ancient Token. Drawing on a portion of its power was like taking away candy from a baby for him.

Buzz!

Sure enough, the Yongzhou Cauldron vibrated, and its crimson figure emanated light. Then, the flowers, birds, fish, and insects engraved across its surface seemed like they would come to life.

Beyond that, though, nothing really happened.

"Hm?"

Lu Yuan's eyes revealed confusion at the sight. He could activate the Yongzhou Cauldron, but not fully. Something was missing; it was like he had yet to truly own the cauldron.

With that in mind, he decided to refine it with his blood. Drawing the Great Luo Sword Embryo, he sliced open his palm, and drops of golden blood fell onto the Yongzhou Cauldron.

Buzz!

A dazzling light erupted from within. At the same time, a peculiar energy materialized out of thin air and coiled around Lu Yuan. The sensation was bizarre—pure, flawless, and it seemed to represent everything.

This was Providence, the very essence of destiny. All of it swirled around him, making him feel as if he had become the very core of the universe.

Swoosh!

The Yongzhou Cauldron vanished before Lu Yuan could immerse himself in that bizarre and peculiar sensation. It sank into the space between his brows, and when he traced its path, he found that it had appeared on the other side of the Investiture Edict as what looked like an embroidered pattern.

The two artifacts seemed to be parts of a single whole, and they finally reunited when Lu Yuan refined the cauldron, claiming full ownership of it.

Lu Yuan also noticed that the words "Emperor Yuan" had grown heavier and more substantial. Wisps of purple qi coiled endlessly around the two words, and their connection to the Celestial Emperor's Ancient Token had deepened as well.

I feel like I can write more names on the Investiture Edict. Lu Yuan studied the Investiture Edict, looking mildly surprised.

There were two reasons he decided to invest only in the Golden-Winged Great Peng. First of all, he could trust his mount. Secondly, he could only write one or two names at most at his current state, which meant he could only invest in one or two beings.

Upon refining the Yongzhou Cauldron, his authority over the Investiture Edict had deepened. He felt like an additional layer of Providence had been wrapped around him.

So if I want to unlock the full potential of the Investiture Edict, I have to collect the Nine Cauldrons as well? It won't end with just the Celestial Emperor's Ancient Tokens?

He examined the back of the Investiture Edict and found that it had enough space for eight more cauldrons. The realization sparked a new idea—since there were nine cauldrons, could there also be nine Celestial Emperor's Ancient Tokens?

It seemed the conditions to make full use of the Investiture Edict were far more grueling than he had imagined. However, Lu Yuan smiled inwardly at the thought. Of course, it won't be that easy to write a name on the Investiture Edict.

He tested it once more and confirmed that the Yongzhou Cauldron would appear before him the instant he willed it do so. At the same time, he was certain the cauldron's capabilities went far beyond what he had just seen. He simply couldn't draw them out at his current level of strength.

With that in mind, the future was clear. He had to keep evolving. He had to keep growing even stronger.

The next step was reaching the Sage Realm. Everything was in place. His breathing technique, his visualization method, and every aspect of his foundation were complete. Yet, for reasons he couldn't identify, he couldn't take that final step.

Becoming a Sage wasn't that easy. Of course, Lu Yuan was aware of that. It would be his first attempt, so he hadn't been in any rush. Unfortunately, the Great Age was here, so he had to pick up the pace.

Lu Yuan quietly emptied his thoughts and closed his eyes. He intended to enter a short period of seclusion to see if he could reach the Sage Realm while he waited for Jiang Ningxian's news.

He had already informed Elder Ji and the others about his plans. There was nothing to worry about on that front. Just like that, Lu Yuan withdrew into seclusion once more.

As for the outside world, he ignored it for now. The only crisis that truly mattered was the major clans of the Outer Cosmos' plan to descend in full. The sole thing keeping Earth safe was the Separation of Heaven and Earth, but even that last line of defense was on the verge of being breached.

Even Lu Yuan was starting to feel pressured, so how could the world not feel it?

Ever since the day those colossal "stars" appeared across the firmament, every living creature on the planet became nervous. The propaganda spread by the beings from Outer Cosmos only made things worse, and the world spiraled deeper into chaos by the day.

The turmoil spared no nation; fighting broke out in many places, and eventually, even the five supercities within Huaxia showed signs of being affected. Fortunately, the officials stepped in, maintained order, and issued warnings. They knew full well that the invaders were fanning the flames deliberately.

When the officials made their stance clear, the situation somewhat stabilized. The beings from the Outer Cosmos had powerful backers on the way, but Lu Yuan's reputation still carried enormous weight. They dared not go too far.

What if they provoked him into doing a killing spree? Who among them could survive that? After all, their reinforcements were still on the way.

At the same time, the officials understood that Lu Yuan's name could intimidate them for a while, but not forever. Hence, they ramped up their efforts, recruiting more Awakened and creating defense forces across the five supercities.

The elite among them were recruited into the Celestial Court under the leadership of Zhu Qingyu and the others, forming what would become a true elite force.

The officials knew that they couldn't accomplish much on their own, but they had to become self-reliant as soon as possible. They had to support King Lu in every way, as only by standing united could they face what was coming.

Days passed just like that, and a month soon flew by.

Inside his training chamber, Lu Yuan finally reached the pinnacle of the Venerable King Realm. His organs, physique, and even his soul were near perfect. He was a single step away from the next stage—the Sage Realm.

Unfortunately, that one final step proved to be genuinely difficult.

There was no shortcut around it. The Sage Realm represented a critical threshold on the path of evolution. Crossing it meant going through a fundamental and qualitative transformation.

This isn't something I can force. Lu Yuan sighed, but when he thought about it, he had only reached the Venerable King Realm a few months ago. Expecting to reach the Sage Realm in that short span of time was simply unrealistic. Even the most gifted Rankers, Holy Sons, and Saintesses couldn't do something like that.

Keeping his composure was the most important thing. He reined in his aura and decided to take a walk outside. Almost immediately, however, he sensed someone entering the courtyard of his detached residence.

It was Jiang Ningxian.

Is there finally any news? Lu Yuan thought. Then, he walked straight out of his residence.