Chapter Fifty-Three: The Divine Dragon Cauldron of the Nine Provinces

Luth was startled by his own rapid advancement. A prince—he had evolved from a viscount straight into a prince. If it had been a natural progression, it might have taken tens of thousands of years, with no guarantee of success. Yet now, it was accomplished in an instant, relying solely on the adorable figure before him—no, goddess. She must be a goddess. With only a single strand of power granted by her, he had risen from viscount to prince!

In this moment, Luth's submission and reverence for Iceflame came from the depths of his soul, an unquestionable awe.

“Well then…”

There was no need for words; Luth knew what to do. Like a meteor, he flashed to the white-robed bishop’s side, unfurling his bat wings, which now shimmered with flecks of gold—a sign of his elevation to prince. With a wailing cry, the bishop was hurled skyward, his face contorted with agony. Luth, invigorated by his newfound power, was swept up in excitement. Old grudges and new hatreds surged forth; the bishop had pursued him relentlessly all along.

“Ah!” Luth unleashed his full wrath upon the now feeble bishop. “Boom!” An explosion shook the ground violently. Luth remained where he stood, one arm extended, gasping for breath. Not far away, Iceflame stood serenely, as if detached from the scene.

“Is it over?” Iceflame asked, though she already knew the answer.

Luth withdrew his hand, folding the large wings back into his body; to display wings before a superior was rude. At her words, he nodded silently.

“Then let us talk,” Iceflame said, gesturing with relaxed ease.

“I heard you mention a prohibition by the Church earlier—what is that?” This was something Iceflame did not understand.

“Yes,” Luth replied respectfully. “Not only does the Church have such a decree, so does the Dark Council. Ah, the Dark Council is a coalition of all western dark beings. The prohibition is this: never set foot in the East.”

Seeing Iceflame’s confusion, Luth explained, “No one knows when it began, but in the West, conflicts between the Church and dark creatures have always ended with the dark side defeated, slaughtered mercilessly. One day, a lost dark kin wandered into the mysterious East; when he returned, he was incredibly powerful. Under his strength, the dark creatures united, eventually forming the Dark Council, a force capable of resisting the Church. That dark kin became the Council’s first president. From then on, the Council issued a decree: never cross into the East!”

“The Church, unable to subdue the Dark Council, turned its sights eastward, launching the Far Eastern Crusade, shocking the entire West. Eight hundred thousand priests took part—what a terrifying force!” Luth marveled. At that time, priests were nothing like those of today; the current white-robed bishop would have been little more than a janitor.

“But they miscalculated. They underestimated the mysterious East—so terrifying!” Luth’s face twisted with fear as he spoke. Iceflame found it amusing. That era must have been the peak of cultivators; even a thousand-year-old demon would be equivalent to a six-winged seraph, a high-ranking angel and rare even among the hosts. For the Church, whose faith centered on angels, such an East was indeed frightening.

“Thirty thousand! Of the eight hundred thousand crusaders, only thirty thousand returned, and none unscathed. The Church’s strength was decimated, forcing a long period of recovery—how satisfying!” Luth laughed heartily, his eyes full of longing.

“Of course, the Church would not accept defeat. Over the next century, they organized two more crusades, both ending in disastrous failure. Eventually, the Church issued its own decree, no longer venturing East.”

When Luth finished, Iceflame had a general understanding.

“It’s not that the Church doesn’t dare return to the East because of defeat!” A clear, pleasant voice rang out in Iceflame’s mind. Iceflame immediately realized—it was Ziling!

“What then?” Iceflame asked in confusion.

“It’s not that they don’t dare—it’s that they simply cannot enter!” Ziling scoffed, then explained, “After the war between the sorcerers and the demons, Nuwa’s brother Fuxi perished in battle, his soul reincarnated as a human, becoming the Celestial Emperor. With the Earth Emperor Shennong and the Human Emperor Xuanyuan, they forged the Nine Provinces Dragon Cauldron. Later, Emperor Yu arranged the nine cauldrons and established a formation, creating the Nine Provinces Barrier, isolating the East from the outside world. All foreign experts are bound by this barrier, unable to enter. The Dragon Cauldron also preserves the ancient land’s dragon veins and spiritual energy.”

“But why does China’s spiritual energy seem so weak now?” Iceflame wondered.

“As I said, it preserves the ancient land. By now, the cauldron’s power is nearly depleted, the barrier shattered, spiritual energy dispersed and unable to gather.”

“Ah?” Iceflame exclaimed, startling Luth beside her. “It’s nothing. Wait for me; I’m thinking,” she said, dismissing Luth with her authority. She quickly asked, “What should I do?”

“Find the Dragon Cauldron, reinfuse it with energy, restore the Nine Provinces Barrier—simple as that!” Ziling replied, as if it were obvious.

Iceflame was left speechless. “But where is the Dragon Cauldron? Am I capable of restoring it?”

“If even you can’t, then no one in this mundane world can,” Ziling said with a mocking look. “Those who ascend to the Immortal Realm rarely return; only through the Reverse Passage can they come back, but few know its location. Immortals below the Golden Immortal level cannot withstand its immense spatial pressure. The deeper one’s cultivation, the stronger the pressure, so only a handful of Immortal Lords or Emperors can pass through. Ordinary immortals cannot descend. So, there will be no immortals in the mundane world; the sole exception might be you—an early-stage Immortal Emperor, you should have the spirit of ‘who else but me!’”

“But there’s still Grandpa Mo!”

“Stand on your own, understand? Independence! How can you always rely on others for help?” Ziling roared in Iceflame’s mind.

Iceflame meekly replied, “Oh,” like an obedient child, and fell silent.

“Well… That’s all, goodbye…” With a flash of violet light, Ziling vanished from Iceflame’s mind.

“Um… Tell me about yourself,” Iceflame said, returning to reality and addressing Luth. Since she’d granted him some power, it was fitting to make him her attendant.

Luth shuddered at the question. Before the girl he considered a goddess, he dared not show the slightest disrespect. He quickly replied, “I… am the son of the Smith family patriarch, vampire bloodline. I was undergoing traditional family training when I encountered this Church hound, who pursued me relentlessly. Driven to desperation, I was forced into the mysterious Eastern domain. Please rest assured, I meant no offense to the East.”

Iceflame nodded, indifferent. “I won’t hold you accountable, but you must swear never to harm my people.”

“To the heavens?” Luth was puzzled.

Iceflame realized her mistake; Luth was from the West, unfamiliar with the Eastern concept of “heaven.” “Then swear by the Demon King Satan, whom your bloodline reveres,” she said, though she cared little for Satan or God.

Luth understood now. He placed a hand on his chest, solemnly swearing, “I, Luth Smith of the vampire bloodline, swear by the great Demon King Satan: henceforth, whenever I meet the people of China, I shall restrain my kind from harboring any harmful intent, and personally ensure their safety. If I break this oath, let me fall into endless light, my body utterly destroyed.”

To fall into light was the greatest punishment for a creature of darkness.

Iceflame had only intended to keep him from harming her people, but Luth’s pledge was far more thorough.