The Cauldron World

The moment the spark at Jiang Baiyu's fingertip revived the Ice and Fire Dragon Kings, deafening roars shook the air.

The two dragons had been nothing but skeletons, but divine light flickered in their eyes. Blue and red light spread swiftly through their bodies, and two enormous dragon forms appeared, one red and one blue. Their draconic might swept across everything, filling the entire Secret Realm with an ancient, boundless presence.

"Who dares disturb our slumber?" a majestic voice rang out.

The Fire Dragon King slowly opened his enormous Vertical Pupils. Bewilderment from ages long past colored his voice as he looked at Jiang Baiyu and asked:

"Junior... why have you awakened us? We died in battle long ago. Only the remnants of our souls cling to existence now. What do you seek?"

Jiang Baiyu bowed. "I am Jiang Baiyu. When I came to this place, I sensed two immense presences sleeping here, so I came to investigate."

The Fire Dragon King looked at the tiny figure but said nothing. Then the Ice Dragon King beside him asked, "Junior, is this still the age ruled by the Dragon God?"

Jiang Baiyu shook his head slightly. "Senior, the age of the Dragon God ended long ago. Most people don't even know who he was. The gods have long since vanished from the world, the dragon race has declined, and ancient divine beasts are few and far between. This continent is now home mostly to human Soul Masters and Soul Beasts."

The Ice Dragon King lowered his spectral head slightly, a trace of sorrow crossing his eyes.

"So much time has passed that even the dragon race has all but disappeared. After we fell in battle, our souls slumbered while the ages changed. Perhaps, being long dead, we should simply go back to sleep."

"So be it. Since the Dragon God is long gone, there is no need for us to cling to these remains. Boy, we are the Fire Dragon King and the Ice Dragon King, two of the nine ancient Dragon Kings who served as the Dragon God's generals. We have long been nothing but dry bones, with no hope of returning. Yet you bear not a trace of resentment. We will give you our power. In exchange, when the need arises, help the younger generation of dragons. What do you say?"

His voice was heavy. As Dragon Kings who had fallen in that divine war, they had no chance of returning. It was sheer luck that remnants of their souls had survived and could briefly awaken. Now, looking at this young man brimming with Life Essence and favored by all living things, they wanted to make one last contribution to the dragons of this age.

Jiang Baiyu thought it over. Of the pure-blooded dragons still alive, there were the Silver Dragon King, Di Tian, and Zi JI. He was bound to face Tang San someday, and he remembered the tragic fate awaiting those beasts. "Rest assured," he said. "I swear upon my martial soul that, so long as it does not endanger humanity, I will come to their aid when necessary."

The divine fire in the Ice Dragon King's eyes flickered as he looked at the young man. He could tell Jiang Baiyu was not lying. "That will do." The fire in his eyes blazed as he prepared to give Jiang Baiyu the power he had left.

But the Fire Dragon King called out before he could. "Wait, Fourth Brother. Look at the boy's martial soul."

The Ice Dragon King's huge eyes opened wide again. "This is...!"

The two Dragon Kings held exalted positions and had seen far more than most. One glance at Jiang Baiyu's life-filled martial soul was enough for them to discover its secret. Their divine senses surged.

"Fourth Brother, do you see it? The Life Origin within this martial soul surpasses even the Dragon God's life force!" The Fire Dragon King's voice shook with excitement. "And a small world is forming inside his cauldron! We might yet have a chance to return!"

The Ice Dragon King had been about to give Jiang Baiyu a little of his origin power, return to his bones, and sink into eternal sleep. But he, too, grew excited when he sensed the vast vitality within the Shennong Cauldron's small world. He abandoned all thought of sleeping again.

After all, who would sit here waiting to die when there was a chance to return?

The Fire Dragon King's immense phantom leaned forward, his rumbling voice echoing through the space. "Junior, we would like to make a new bargain with you."

"Our souls are broken, and our divine power is nearly spent. If we continue to wander outside, our souls will inevitably disperse. But within your martial soul lies a world not yet fully formed. We are willing to dwell inside the cauldron and help your world take shape, then revive within your Cauldron World. In exchange, we will bestow all our remaining origin power upon you."

Jiang Baiyu listened intently but did not answer at once. Letting two beings who had once been gods live inside his martial soul was no small matter. If something went wrong, he would have no idea what to do. He would rather give up their gifts than take that risk.

Seeing his hesitation, the Ice Dragon King spoke. "Boy, we understand your concerns. We would be reborn within your world. From then on, we would rise and fall together. You are the master of this realm and would become our master as well. We could do nothing to harm you." His tone grew awkward. Once an overlord, he had gone back on his word and even made a junior wary of him.

After a moment's thought, he added, "Then let us swear by heaven and earth, and by the Dragon God, that every word we have spoken is true." As soon as he finished, an invisible force swept past. The oath had taken effect! Could it be...? he wondered.

Seeing that heaven and earth had indeed accepted the oath, Jiang Baiyu considered it and did not refuse the two Dragon Kings. Without their help, who knew when his Cauldron World would be complete? Besides, how could he not be tempted by two god-level allies?

"All right. What do I need to do?" he asked.

"Nothing. Just watch." The Fire Dragon King could hardly wait. His chance at revival was right before him.

Flames surged in his eyes as his immense aura erupted. The small world around them began to crack and dissolve into specks of starlight. Outside, the Yang Spring, formed from the power of extreme yang, slowly gathered and swirled before him. At the same time, the Ice Dragon King beside him released an aura of bitter cold. Its crushing power left Jiang Baiyu struggling to breathe.

"Circulate your Soul Power and pour all of it into your martial soul," the Ice Dragon King said.

Jiang Baiyu did as he was told. Divine power blazed within the two dragon phantoms, and they carried the springs of extreme cold and yang straight into the Shennong Cauldron's small world. The embryonic world shuddered violently. Under the immense divine power the Dragon Kings still possessed, the yin and yang origin power accumulated over countless ages in the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well poured in without end.

Crimson fire of pure yang and deep-blue cold of pure yin spread from opposite ends of the void. They collided, then merged.

At first, the two vast currents of Yin-Yang Energy faced each other from afar, one rising and the other sinking. They churned and spiraled through the chaotic void, sometimes crashing together and scattering streams of light, sometimes winding around each other like two great serpents dancing.

A formless rumble shook the chaos within the cauldron. Though it made no sound, it struck directly at the soul.

Yin and yang clashed, then gave rise to each other.

The two currents did not annihilate each other on impact. Instead, guided by the Shennong Cauldron's ever-renewing power, they began to divide and transform.

The clear, light yang energy rose, gathering and piling upon itself. Slowly, it pushed back the void and became a vast sky. Above it, the origin power of yang fire formed the hazy image of a blazing sun, casting threads of warmth into the emptiness.

The heavy, turbid yin energy sank, settling layer upon layer until it solidified into solid earth. Above it, the origin power of bitter cold condensed into an icy moon, whose pale light spread across the land.

At the same time, the small world that had held the Ice and Fire Dragon Kings' bones shattered. Its origin power flowed in and became scattered stars.

Yin-Yang Energy continued to circulate and give rise to new forms.

The Dao gave rise to one, one to two, two to three, and three to all things.

In an instant, the once-empty chaos held a sky, an earth, a sun, a moon, mountains, rivers, wind, and rain.

Yin and yang waxed and waned without end, and day and night began to alternate in this small world.

At last, the Shennong Cauldron's boundless vitality poured in. It blazed with brilliant light as Yin-Yang Energy flowed through it. The Cauldron World was complete!

The Fire Dragon King and Ice Dragon King gathered all their draconic power and shed their enormous dragon forms, each becoming a colossal egg. One shell was crimson and marked with flowing flames; the other was ice-blue and covered in frost crystals. The two eggs settled quietly into the newborn world as its first living beings. They absorbed the Cauldron World's endless Life Essence for nourishment and waited for the day they would hatch.

At almost the same instant the dragon eggs took shape.

Two blinding rays burst from the ancient dragon skeletons and flew toward Jiang Baiyu, merging directly into his arms.

The dragons' immense power spread through the bones of his arms, then throughout his body. Finally, one ice-blue wing and one crimson wing emerged from his back and beat steadily.

Jiang Baiyu took a moment to feel the soul bones the Ice and Fire Dragon Kings had bestowed on him.

In his left arm was the Explosive Heaven-Burning Left Arm Bone, inheriting the Fire Dragon King's destructive flames. One punch could set the heavens ablaze.

In his right arm was the Myriad Calamities Frozen Abyss Right Arm Bone, inheriting the Ice Dragon King's origin power of extreme cold. A light sweep of his palm could freeze the soul.

And that was not all. The two soul bones were exceptionally complete, extending behind his shoulder blades and granting him the Ice and Fire Dragon Wings.

Feeling the mighty power within him, Jiang Baiyu beat his wings and flew straight out of the now-dry spring. Dugu Bo was waiting beside it.

"Hello, Senior Dugu."

Dugu Bo jolted as the figure burst out without warning, radiating an aura that made his martial soul tremble. Jiang Baiyu had scared him out of his wits.