Chapter 1441: Secrets of the Primordial Era

Chapter 1441: Honghuang Secrets

Ye Chen reappeared in a dark underground palace, so pitch-black that he couldn't see his hand in front of his face.

Yi space? Ye Chen scanned the surrounding darkness and uncovered the mystery—this underground palace was located in a highly concealed yi space, with no need for formations; it was impossible to enter without the right means.

The boundless darkness ignited with flames upon his arrival, as rows of copper-cast god lamps lit up one after another, numbering in the hundreds, illuminating the ancient gloom.

He instinctively looked up, for layers of stone stairs extended upward like a stairway to heaven, and he stood at the bottom, feeling as insignificant as an ant.

The underground palace was immense, grand and majestic, with towering copper pillars etched in ancient patterns that exuded a barbaric aura, pressing down on him until he could barely breathe.

At that moment, his gaze fixed on the top of the stairs, where a bronze ancient coffin rested.

Above the bronze coffin hung a massive bronze cauldron, extraordinarily large like a mountain peak, with vortices faintly swirling at its mouth, as if devouring the heavens and earth.

"It's a Zhun Di weapon." Ye Chen murmured softly, his expression a mix of awe and reverence. Compared to this great cauldron, his own Chaos Cauldron seemed like child's play, utterly insignificant.

This was a supreme divine artifact; merely looking at it stirred an urge to prostrate. Its weight and immensity, its ancient and weathered presence, dominated the eternal skies.

The five small magic cauldrons had already flown upward, buzzing and trembling as they circled the bronze cauldron, appearing joyful, as if reuniting after a long separation.

Then, without delay, they flew forward one after another and merged into the bronze cauldron.

Ye Chen narrowed his eyes slightly. This scene made it easy to imagine that the five small cauldrons were part of the bronze cauldron, which explained why they had been eager to break free since entering the ruins.

Since the small magic cauldrons were a part of the bronze cauldron, the identity of the person lying in the bronze coffin was clear—he must be the Mo Yuan that Jiang Taixu had mentioned in the past.

As he pondered, Ye Chen once again stared at the bronze coffin. Though it lay quietly there, it stung his eyes painfully. Even in death, it was not something he could gaze upon directly.

By the time he looked, the five small magic cauldrons had fully integrated. The bronze cauldron hummed loudly, becoming even more extraordinary, with strands of demonic qi cascading down, heavy as mountains, ancient and overwhelming, intimidating the eight directions.

Next, demonic light rampaged outward, with the cauldron at the center, waves of halo spreading in all directions, carrying a pressure that made the heavens and earth tremble. Wherever it passed, space shattered inch by inch.

Ye Chen was caught in the aftermath, spitting blood on the spot. The pressure was absolutely suppressive; whether it was his sacred body origin, Chaos Dao principles, or primordial spirit and true form, all were on the verge of collapsing.

"Senior, this junior meant no intrusion." Ye Chen gritted his teeth, his knees trembling and his face deathly pale, as his sacred body and bones cracked, golden sacred blood spurting out.

Remarkably, as soon as he spoke, the pressure vanished in an instant. He felt utterly drained, staggering unsteadily—it had been so intense that it was like brushing past the gates of hell.

The bronze cauldron fell silent, its vortices swirling quietly, strands of demonic qi flowing out and draping over the bronze coffin below, manifesting various ancient visions that intertwined into a vast, illusory demonic land.

Ye Chen plopped down on the ground, still shaken. If that pressure had lasted even a second or two longer, he would likely have been reduced to ashes. A Zhun Di-level divine artifact was no joke.

"Is the Hong Lian Female Emperor still alive?"

An aged voice rang out, emanating from the bronze cauldron.

"Qi Ling?" Ye Chen thought to himself. Since it came from the cauldron, it must be the cauldron's qi ling.

"Answer me. Is the Hong Lian Female Emperor still alive?"

The voice came again from the bronze cauldron.

"In response to senior, the Hong Lian Female Emperor passed away eons ago." Ye Chen hurriedly replied, adding, "In the present myriad domains of the heavens, there are no great emperors in the world."

"Eons ago?" The cauldron's qi ling gave a sorrowful laugh. "Has time truly stretched so far?"

"The era of the Hong Lian Female Emperor—that was the Honghuang age!" The qi ling laughed bitterly, while Ye Chen was stunned beyond words. How many millions of years must that span?

"This clearly isn't an ancient ruin; it's a remnant from the Honghuang era. The world has been deceived." Shocked, he stroked his chin and added, "But there's a contradiction. Jiang Taixu met Mo Yuan, and their eras are separated by millions of years."

"You've returned the five magic cauldrons, giving my master a glimmer of hope." After a long silence, the cauldron's qi ling spoke again. "I grant you this exception—you may ask anything you wish to know."

"The person in the bronze coffin—is it your master, Mo Yuan?"

"As you said, he is my master, Tun Tian Mo Zun."

"Mo Yuan is Tun Tian Mo Zun?" Ye Chen paused. The name Tun Tian Mo Zun was familiar; he had heard of it in Da Chu from Tai Xu Ancient Dragon, who said that Tun Tian Mo Zun, with his gluttonous greed, had created the unparalleled Tun Tian Magic Art. And Ye Chen himself was versed in that devouring secret technique.

"What a surprise." After a moment, Ye Chen sighed. He had known of both Mo Yuan and Tun Tian Mo Zun but never realized they were the same person. Tai Xu Ancient Dragon hadn't made it clear back then.

"So, you're the Tun Tian Magic Cauldron." Ye Chen looked up at the bronze cauldron. "In the eons before, did the Hong Lian Female Emperor burn the eight desolate gods, including your master?"

"It was my master who died first, leading the Hong Lian Female Emperor to burn the eight desolate gods." The qi ling spoke slowly. "Or rather, it was all because of my master's divine stone that the empress raged and incinerated the eight desolate gods."

"I knew it! The unofficial histories are more reliable." Ye Chen clicked his tongue. That tear of the Hong Lian Female Emperor wasn't shed in remorse but for Mo Yuan—that's love.

For some reason, hearing this ancient secret made him think of Donghua Female Emperor and Sheng Jun Di Huang—one fought alone against the five heavenly demons for her, the other burned the eight desolate gods for him.

Who says the emperor's path is emotionless? Even empresses shed tears, and their world-shaking smiles bloom only for that one person. Their love story is poignant and worthy, destined to be passed down through the ages.

"Are there more questions?"

The cauldron's qi ling asked lightly, unaware of Ye Chen's musings.

"Yes, yes." Ye Chen quickly gathered his thoughts and asked, "Senior, have you met Jiang Taixu? You know, the one from the immortal clan, the one with the six paths immortal eyes."

"Of course, I've met him." The qi ling replied calmly. "He was an old friend of my master, Mo Yuan."

"That can't be!" Ye Chen eyed the cauldron skeptically. "They're not from the same era!"

"Who says they're not?" The qi ling smiled. "My master, Mo Yuan, and Jiang Taixu were both prodigies of the Honghuang era. Before my master's death, he chose to seal himself away."

"If that's the case, it makes sense." Ye Chen murmured. "No wonder Jiang Taixu knows the small magic cauldrons. Sealed from the Honghuang era to now, his seniority is the highest in the myriad domains of the heavens. The vast world is full of wonders."

"This time, you have my thanks." The qi ling smiled warmly. "You're the first in eons to gather the five small magic cauldrons. Perhaps this was fated all along."

"Senior, does that mean Mo Zun can be revived?" Ye Chen looked at the qi ling in astonishment.

"The five small magic cauldrons carry a fragment of my master's soul, sealed by the Hong Lian Female Emperor herself." The qi ling explained slowly. "The reason they were scattered was to nurture the soul in the mortal world—that's an imperial immortal art, still in effect to this day."

"I'm afraid Mo Zun doesn't want to awaken." Ye Chen shook his head with a smile. "Even if he revives, his supreme beloved is long gone. In the river of time, they've missed each other by millions of years."

"Yes, they've missed each other for far too long." The qi ling sighed for its master. "Ah, well. I'm tired too. I'll pass you a heaven-defying secret art, and you can leave."

"Heaven-defying secret art?" Hearing those words, Ye Chen's eyes lit up with excitement. After all the hard work to find the five cauldrons, he was finally getting his reward. He'd waited for this day for so long.

"The Tun Tian Magic Art—I'll teach it to you." The cauldron trembled slightly, channeling the secret art into his divine sense.

"The Tun Tian Magic Art?" Ye Chen quickly interrupted. "Senior, maybe you could teach me something else. I already know the Tun Tian Magic Art; it was passed down to me by Tai Xu Ancient Dragon."

"Tai Xu Ancient Dragon doesn't grasp the essence of Tun Tian." The qi ling chuckled. "I know you know the secret art, but that's just the surface. You haven't touched the true depths of Tun Tian yet."

"In that case, let's go with this one!" Ye Chen grinned. When it came to the authentic Tun Tian Magic Art, it originated from Mo Zun himself. Without direct transmission, it wouldn't be the full essence.

"Go back and study it well." The qi ling sent a divine sense into Ye Chen's sea of consciousness.

"Thank you, senior." Ye Chen didn't immediately comprehend it but sealed the divine sense away first.

"I'm sealing myself now. Even as a qi ling, I can't withstand the passage of time." The qi ling's voice was calm and weary. "If you have no other business, don't linger in the ruins."

"Why?" Ye Chen looked at the cauldron in confusion. "There are plenty of treasures here."

"This is a ruin, but also a tomb." The qi ling laughed. "The Hong Lian Female Emperor burned the eight desolate gods right here. Over endless ages, terrifying things might have spawned, like evil thoughts, yin spirits, resentful souls, or malicious ghosts. Once you provoke them, it's trouble."

"So the ancient ruins are the burial ground of the eight desolate gods." Ye Chen sighed. "This secret is even more shocking. If it got out, cultivators across Xuan Huang would be stunned."

"Go on!" The qi ling trembled and swept out a strand of light that landed on Ye Chen.

"This junior bids farewell." Ye Chen bowed respectfully and was sent out of the underground palace.

After he left, the copper lamps lining the stairs extinguished one by one, and the vast underground palace plunged back into darkness with the lamps.

In the darkness, the cauldron's qi ling murmured meaningfully, "In later generations, there is actually such a domineering bloodline, and the imperial aura of slaughter on him—he's fought a great emperor?"