The Cauldron World

Just as a spark of light from Spirit Awakening at Jiang Baiyu's fingertip revived the Ice and Fire Dragon Kings, a thunderous dragon roar shook the air.

The two dragons, once nothing but skeletons, now had divine light flickering in their eyes. Blue and red light spread swiftly across their bodies, and two enormous dragon forms appeared, one red and one blue. Dragon might swept over everything, filling the entire Secret Realm with an ancient, desolate aura.

"Who has disturbed our slumber?" a majestic voice demanded.

The Fire Dragon King slowly opened her enormous vertical pupils. Her voice carried the bewilderment of one waking after countless ages. She looked at Jiang Baiyu and asked:

"Young one... Why have you awakened us? We died in battle long ago. Only the remnants of our souls linger now. What do you seek?"

Jiang Baiyu bowed. "I am Jiang Baiyu. When I came to this treasured land, I sensed two immense auras sleeping here, so I came to take a look."

The Fire Dragon King gazed at the tiny figure without speaking. Then the Ice Dragon King beside her asked, "Young one, does the Dragon God still rule this age?"

Jiang Baiyu shook his head slightly. "Senior, the Dragon God's era ended long ago. Most people no longer even know who he was. The gods have 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 her spectral head slightly, sorrow passing through her dragon eyes.

"So much time has passed. So much that even the dragon race has disappeared. After we fell in battle, our souls sank into slumber, and the ages changed around us. Perhaps the dead should simply go on sleeping."

"So be it. Since the Dragon God is long gone, we need not cling to these remains. Boy, we are two of the nine ancient Dragon Kings, the nine warlords who served under the Dragon God: the Fire Dragon King and the Ice Dragon King. We have long been nothing but dry bones, with no hope of returning. You carry not a trace of resentment. We will give you our power. In exchange, help the younger dragons when they need it. What do you say?"

Her voice was heavy. As Dragon Kings slain in that divine war, they had no chance of returning. Chance had preserved fragments of their souls and allowed them to awaken briefly; that alone was a blessing. Now, seeing this boy 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 considered it. Among the pure-blooded dragons still alive were the Silver Dragon King, Di Tian, and Zi JI. He was bound to face Tang San someday. Remembering the tragedies awaiting those beasts, he said, "Rest assured. I swear on my Martial Soul that, so long as humanity's safety is not threatened, I will help them when they need it."

The divine flame in the Ice Dragon King's eyes flickered. She could tell Jiang Baiyu was not lying. "That will do," she said. The flame in her eyes blazed as she prepared to give him what remained of her power.

But the Fire Dragon King called out, stopping her. "Wait, Fourth Sister. Look at the child's Martial Soul."

The Ice Dragon King's enormous eyes snapped open again. "That's...!"

The two Dragon Kings held exalted status and had seen more than most could imagine. One glance at Jiang Baiyu's life-filled Martial Soul was enough for them to see its secret. Their divine senses stirred.

"Fourth Sister, do you see it? The Life Origin of this Martial Soul surpasses even the Dragon God's life force." Excitement filled the Fire Dragon King's voice. "And a small world is taking shape inside his cauldron! We may yet have a chance to return!"

The Fire Dragon King was not alone. The Ice Dragon King had been ready to give Jiang Baiyu a little of her origin power, return to her bones, and sink into eternal sleep. But when she sensed the vast vitality within the Shennong Cauldron's small world, she too grew excited and abandoned the thought of sleeping again.

After all, who would wait quietly for death when there was a chance to return?

The Fire Dragon King's vast phantom moved forward, her booming voice echoing through the space. "Young one, we wish to make a new bargain with you."

"Our souls are damaged, and our divine power is nearly spent. If we remain outside, our souls will inevitably disperse. But within your Martial Soul lies a small world that has yet to fully take shape. We wish to dwell inside the cauldron and help your world form, then be reborn in your Cauldron World. In exchange, we will give you every last bit of our origin power."

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 forgo the Ice and Fire Dragon Kings' 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 prosper or perish together. You are the master of this world, and you would become our master. We could do nothing to harm you." Her tone was awkward. Once an overlord, she was now going back on her word and had even made a youngster wary of her.

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

The oath had indeed been acknowledged by heaven and earth. After some thought, Jiang Baiyu did not refuse the two Dragon Kings. Without their help, who knew how long his Cauldron World would take to become complete? Besides, how could he not be tempted by two god-level fighters?

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

"Nothing. Just watch." The Fire Dragon King could barely wait. The chance to return was right before her.

Flames rose in its eyes, and a vast aura erupted from its body. The small realm cracked and dissolved into specks of starlight. Outside, the Yang Spring, formed from extreme yang energy, slowly gathered and swirled before the Fire Dragon King. At the same time, the Ice Dragon King released an aura of extreme cold, its sheer force making Jiang Baiyu struggle to breathe.

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

Jiang Baiyu did as she said. The divine power within the two dragon phantoms blazed as they swept up the springs of extreme cold and extreme yang and plunged into the Shennong Cauldron. The nascent world inside shook violently. Driven by the Dragon Kings' remaining divine power, the yin and yang origins accumulated over countless ages in the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well poured steadily into it.

Crimson fire energy of utmost yang and deep-blue cold energy of utmost yin spread from opposite ends of the void. They collided, then began to merge.

At first, the two vast currents of Yin-Yang Energy faced each other from afar. One rose while the other sank, churning through the chaotic void. At times they crashed together, scattering countless streaks of light; at others they entwined like two great serpents spiraling in a dance.

A soundless roar shook the chaos inside the cauldron, striking directly at the soul.

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

The two currents did not annihilate each other. 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 source of yang fire condensed into the hazy shape of a blazing sun, casting strands of warmth across the emptiness.

The heavy, dense yin energy sank, settling layer by layer until it solidified into earth. Above the land, the source of yin cold formed an icy moon, whose pale light spread in every direction.

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

Yin-Yang Energy continued to circulate and bring forth new forms.

The Dao gave birth to one; one gave birth to two; two gave birth to three; three gave birth to all things.

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

Yin and yang rose and fell without end. Day and night began to alternate in this small world.

At last, the Shennong Cauldron's boundless vitality flowed in. A brilliant light of life burst from the cauldron as Yin-Yang Energy circulated within it. The Cauldron World was complete!

The Fire Dragon King and Ice Dragon King gathered all their dragon power and cast aside their enormous forms, each becoming a colossal dragon egg. One shell was crimson and traced with flame; 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 unceasing Life Essence as nourishment while they waited to hatch.

At almost the same instant the dragon eggs formed,

Two dazzling beams of light burst from the ancient dragon skeletons and flew toward Jiang Baiyu, merging directly into his arms.

Mighty dragon power spread through the bones of his arms, then outward through his body. Finally, two dragon wings, one ice-blue and the other crimson, unfurled from his back and beat steadily.

Jiang Baiyu carefully examined the soul bones the Ice and Fire Dragon Kings had bestowed on him.

His left arm held the Explosive Heaven-Burning Left Arm Bone. It carried the Fire Dragon King's destructive flames; one punch could set the heavens ablaze.

His right arm held the Myriad Calamities Frozen Abyss Right Arm Bone. It carried the Ice Dragon King's extreme cold; a light sweep of his palm could freeze the soul.

And that was not all. The two soul bones extended past his shoulders and into his shoulder blades, granting him the Ice and Fire Dragon Wings.

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

"Hello, Senior Dugu."

Dugu Bo jolted at the figure who had suddenly shot out, radiating an aura that made his Martial Soul tremble. He had been thoroughly startled.