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Chapter 774: Struggle for the Cauldron
🕑 Added 2024-10-12 06:14:41 +0000 UTCIn Chang'an, as soon as Liu Xie heard the dragon's roar, his legs gave out involuntarily, and he slid from his dragon throne, kneeling toward the east. Even though there was a part of him that struggled to stand, the moment he weakened, he couldn't rise again.
In Chenliu, after hearing the dragon's cry, Xun Yu found himself shedding tears uncontrollably. Even in a future shrouded in darkness, he had continued to strive forward. Now, at last, he realized that the Han Dynasty’s fate was still intact—there was hope yet. The heavens had not forsaken the Han!
In Bingzhou, as Lü Bu clashed in battle at Jiuyuan, he swung his halberd, killing a Hu general in front of him. His warhorse, Red Hare, reared and neighed toward the sky. Wielding his halberd in a wide arc, Lü Bu soared into the air, standing defiantly under an immense pressure.
"Just a mere object, and you think it can make me submit?" Lü Bu sneered. A radiant golden-red aura burst forth from his body. Meanwhile, back in Jiuyuan, Diao Chan, feeling the overwhelming strength transmitted across the distance from Lü Bu, slowly stood from where she had been sitting weakly.
In Yanzhou, Zhao Yun gently patted the neck of his Night Illumination Jade Lion, calming his steed, which had been agitated by the current events. As for the golden clouds that began to form around him, he paid them no mind, his eyes fixed solemnly toward the west—the battlefield where Yan Liang and Tian Feng clashed against Guan Yu and Guo Jia.
In Jizhou, Yuan Shao turned his gaze toward Yanzhou. In that moment, he saw the battlefield unfolding in Yanzhou reflected in his eyes. Though he had not known what the cauldrons were at first, the instant he turned to look, the names of the two cauldrons—Xuan Yuan's Heaven Cauldron and Xuan Yuan's Human Cauldron—were forcibly etched into his mind.
At that moment, countless hidden figures across the land emerged from their reclusive lives, all silently staring at the massive bronze cauldrons hovering over the heart of the Central Plains. Some remained quiet, others grew excited, some even greedy. The myriad faces of humanity were on full display.
"The Heaven and Human Cauldrons have appeared," Wang Yue, standing atop the ruins of Weiyang Palace, murmured. His desire for official rank had never been fulfilled, but his role as the emperor’s secret protector remained. His duty was to ensure the emperor survived; whether the emperor could command him depended on the emperor’s own abilities.
"The Han Emperor…" Wang Yue cast a contemptuous glance at Liu Xie, who was kneeling on the ground. He could withstand this pressure—yet the emperor, the Son of Heaven, had bowed. What did this signify? Liu Xie likely had no idea.
Meanwhile, Tong Yuan squinted toward Yanzhou. He knew exactly what the appearance of the Heaven and Human Cauldrons meant. It was not just about the fate of the empire but also the prime opportunity for so-called immortals to seize fortune.
Silently polishing his spear, he muttered, "Immortals, huh? Beyond the northern borders, any who dare enter the Central Plains at this moment… will face nothing but death!"
Moments earlier, in Yanzhou’s Jiyin, Guo Jia had finally managed to entrap Tian Feng after a series of calculated maneuvers. However, Tian Feng was no easy opponent. The moment he fell into the trap, he activated his own backup plan, and Yan Liang’s army charged in from the rear.
Unfortunately for Tian Feng, Guo Jia had anticipated this move. As soon as Yan Liang arrived, Guan Yu led his forces out to meet him head-on. At that moment, victory seemed assured.
Had it not been for the subsequent unexpected development, either Yan Liang or Tian Feng would have perished here. Yet Guo Jia had not foreseen the impact of their attacks—Guan Yu and Yan Liang’s powerful blows had shattered the earth, unearthing the Heaven and Human Cauldrons buried beneath.
With their near-perfect strikes, the two generals had ripped the ground apart, causing the Heaven and Human Cauldrons to emerge. As if provoked by the challenge to their authority, a dragon's roar echoed in the hearts of all who heard it.
Both Yan Liang and Guan Yu, who had been battling in the sky, were struck by this roar and fell to the ground. The soldiers fighting below also dropped their weapons, all kneeling in the direction of the cauldrons.
At this moment, only Guo Jia and Tian Feng managed to remain standing, though they too were struggling under the immense pressure. Unlike those in other distant parts of the Han Empire, the weight of the pressure here was incomparably greater on Guan Yu, Yan Liang, Guo Jia, and Tian Feng.
"What is this…?" Guan Yu muttered as he forced himself to stand, using the Green Dragon Crescent Blade for support. Behind him, the ethereal image of a green dragon grew more solid. Yet all he could see was Yan Liang standing, though barely, with a nearly solid blood-red dragon behind him.
A hundred paces away, Yan Liang glared at Guan Yu. As Guan Yu staggered to his feet, so did Yan Liang, both men severely injured from their fall. Their internal energy had been heavily suppressed by the cauldrons’ appearance.
"The Heaven and Human Cauldrons, used by Emperor Xuanyuan to sacrifice to the heavens…" Guo Jia said gravely. Even though he had never seen these artifacts before, the sight of their overwhelming presence—emitting golden clouds of imperial fate and floating weightlessly in the sky—was enough to convince him they were real.
Tian Feng, his eyes wild with fervor, heard the continuous dragon roars and saw the golden dragon coiling around the Heaven and Human Cauldrons. He gritted his teeth and began walking slowly toward the cauldrons. He understood now what these cauldrons represented—the imperial fate of the Han Dynasty, six hundred years in the making!
"General Guan, quickly seize the cauldrons! We cannot allow the imperial fate of the Han to fall into Yuan Shao’s hands!" Seeing Tian Feng’s determined advance toward the cauldrons, Guo Jia shouted urgently at Guan Yu.
Guan Yu let out a low grunt in response, acknowledging Guo Jia’s shout. Though both he and Yan Liang had suffered from the cauldrons' backlash, they had also been recognized by the imperial fate.
Upon hearing Guo Jia’s call, Guan Yu opened his eyes, set on the cauldrons shining with golden light in the sky, and took large strides toward them. As for the soldiers under his command, only the absolute elite among them could still struggle to move. The majority remained prostrate on the ground, unable to rise.
"Yun Chang, don’t even think about it!" Yan Liang gritted his teeth, forcing himself to move. The Heaven and Human Cauldrons, six hundred years of imperial fate, and Yuan Shao’s favor all flashed through his mind, compelling him forward step by step.
Guan Yu cast a cold glance at Yan Liang, his face haughty as he continued toward the Xuanyuan Cauldrons. By now, Tian Feng was almost close enough to touch the Heaven Cauldron.
Though Guan Yu had held the advantage before, his hesitation to kill Yan Liang or Tian Feng had allowed Tian Feng to take the lead. Now, that hesitation might just cost Guan Yu this critical opportunity.
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