Don't rush me in the comments! I'm currently identifying a primordial saint.

Chapter 264 The Spirit of the Cauldron Self-Destructs to Suppress Evil!

"Master!" Su Fan was extremely anxious.

"It's alright."

Tang Sanzang's voice was calm, but his eyes grew increasingly resolute.

"This humble monk can hold out for the time it takes for an incense stick to burn. Within that time, you must obtain the Xuzhou Cauldron."

One incense stick's time, about fifteen minutes.

Su Fan gritted his teeth and nodded, a resolute look flashing in his eyes.

He held nothing back, unleashing his full divine power. The runes on his Eight Trigrams Purple Ribbon Immortal Robe shone brightly, and a purple-gold light shot into the sky.

"Get out of my way, all of you!"

He stomped his feet hard on the ground, and his whole body transformed into a streak of purple-gold light, rushing towards the center of the lake.

Wherever he went, the mutated fish were smashed to pieces, and two pythons blocking his way were blasted away by his punch and palm strike.

But all four giant crocodiles moved at the same time.

They abandoned their attack on Chen Zhan and the others, turned around, and blocked Su Fan's path.

A mad light flashed in his crimson eyes, clearly indicating that he had been given a death order by the man in black.

At all costs, prevent anyone from approaching the center of the lake.

"court death!"

Su Fan roared, his hands forming a hand seal, and the two cauldrons within his body trembled violently.

The azure light of the Jizhou Cauldron transformed into the illusory image of a majestic mountain, while the azure light of the Qingzhou Cauldron transformed into the illusory image of a vast ocean. The mountains and the sea converged, forming an earth-shattering divine power—

"Shanhai Town!"

This was a technique he had comprehended from the resonance of the Nine Cauldrons. Although it was only in its rudimentary form, its power already far surpassed that of ordinary supernatural abilities.

As the mountain's illusory shadow pressed down, the four giant crocodiles were as if trapped in a quagmire, their movements slowed down several times over.

The vast, illusory ocean swept over them, knocking them about in all directions.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Su Fan flashed through the gap and continued rushing towards the center of the lake.

But the crocodiles obviously won't give up so easily.

The first giant crocodile to be injured let out a mournful roar, and its scales suddenly exploded, turning into countless cyan blades that shot towards Su Fan like a rainstorm.

Each of these sharp blades contains the full power of an eighth-tier peak strike, enough to pierce through steel.

Su Fan's expression changed drastically; it was too late to dodge.

At the critical moment, with a thought, the Qingzhou Cauldron within his body flew out on its own, rapidly growing larger and transforming into a three-meter-tall bronze cauldron that blocked his way.

Ding Ding Ding Ding!

A dense clang of metal rang out as the blue blades struck the cauldron, sending sparks flying.

The Qingzhou Cauldron trembled violently, several more cracks appeared on its body, and its light dimmed even further.

But Su Fan took this opportunity to rush to the sky above the center of the lake.

The lake below was bottomless and pitch black.

However, the connection between the Jizhou Cauldron and the Qingzhou Cauldron was extremely strong. Both cauldrons emitted a joyful humming sound at the same time, and their blue light pointed directly to the bottom of the lake below.

The Xuzhou Ding is right there!

Without hesitation, Su Fan plunged into the lake.

The lake water was icy cold, but what was even more unsettling was the thick, unyielding malevolent aura emanating from it.

These evil energies, like living things, frantically eroded his protective divine light.

The runes on the Eight Trigrams Purple Ribbon Immortal Robe flickered unpredictably under the corrosive influence of evil energy, and the azure light of the Nine Cauldrons was also rapidly diminishing.

The deeper you go, the greater the pressure and the stronger the evil influence.

When they descended to about fifty meters, the surroundings were pitch black, with only the purple-gold and blue light on Su Fan's body flashing in the darkness.

He had to activate his sharp eyes to barely see his surroundings.

This sight made him gasp in shock.

The lakebed is densely covered with white bones!

There were human figures and animal figures, layer upon layer, piled up in countless layers.

Amidst the bones, a strange black aquatic plant grows, its leaves wriggling slowly like tentacles, emanating an aura shared with the black-robed man.

In the center of this pile of bones stands a stone platform.

The stone platform is three zhang high, completely black, and its surface is covered with twisted runes.

At the top of the stone platform, a bronze tripod sits quietly.

The body of the tripod is engraved with a topographical map of the Jianghuai River basin, and two ancient characters emit a faint bluish light in the darkness—

Xuzhou!

found it!

Su Fan was overjoyed, but then a warning sign immediately arose.

Nine coffins float in the lake surrounding the stone platform.

The coffin was also black, made of neither gold nor wood, and its surface was also covered with runes.

The coffin lid was half open, and inside lay nine mummified corpses.

These mummified corpses, dressed in clothing from different eras, were all corrupted by evil spirits and transformed into tomb guardians.

When Su Fan approached within a hundred feet of the stone platform, all nine coffins shook simultaneously, and their lids were violently flung open.

The nine dried corpses opened their empty eye sockets and turned their heads in unison to look at Su Fan.

In their eyes burned eerie blue flames.

"Intruder...die..."

A cold voice rang directly in Su Fan's mind, filled with endless resentment and madness.

The nine mummified corpses moved simultaneously.

Their movements were stiff, yet their speed was as fast as a ghost, and they surrounded Su Fan in an instant.

Withered claws extended, their nails black and sharp, carrying a strong stench of corpse poison and malevolent energy.

Su Fan's expression was solemn. Each of these nine dry corpses possessed the strength of the eighth rank, and they cooperated seamlessly, clearly forming some kind of battle formation.

What makes them even more troublesome is that they are located at the bottom of the lake, giving them a geographical advantage, while Su Fan has little experience in naval warfare.

We must act swiftly and decisively.

Without further hesitation, he formed hand seals and activated the two cauldrons within his body with all his might.

"The Jizhou Cauldron—to guard the mountains!"

"The Qingzhou Cauldron—To Calm the Storm!"

The illusory image of the mountains reappeared, causing the surrounding lake water to freeze.

The commotion subsided, and the movements of the nine mummified corpses all froze.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Su Fan moved like lightning, rushing straight towards the stone platform.

But the dried-up corpses clearly wouldn't let him have his way.

The leading dried corpse let out a shriek, and all nine dried corpses simultaneously burst into a ghostly blue flame.

The will-o'-the-wisps merged together, forming a fiery barrier that firmly protected the stone platform.

The flames were extremely cold, freezing the lake water wherever they passed, creating a bizarre scene of ice and fire intertwined.

Su Fan crashed into the flame barrier, and the protective divine light around him flickered violently, showing signs of collapse.

He groaned and was thrown back several feet by the recoil.

Trouble.

The battle formation composed of these nine dried corpses is already close to the ninth level in power.

Furthermore, with the suppression of the evil energy at the bottom of the lake, he would have to pay the price of serious injury if he wanted to force a breakthrough.

But time is running out.

On the lake, the Buddhist light emanating from Tang Sanzang was rapidly dimming, and Zhan and the others were in grave danger under the siege of the mutated creatures.

Every second of delay increases the danger to our comrades outside.

What should I do?

Su Fan's brain was working at lightning speed. His gaze swept over the nine dried corpses, over the stone platform, and over the Xuzhou Cauldron.

Suddenly, his eyes lit up.

Although the Xuzhou Ding was corrupted by evil energy, its body still emitted a faint blue light.

This shows that the spirit of the cauldron has not been extinguished and is still resisting stubbornly.

If we could communicate with the spirit of the cauldron, perhaps...

Thinking of this, Su Fan stopped attacking, instead concealing his aura and sitting cross-legged at the bottom of the lake.

He formed hand seals and chanted the communication incantation taught by Yu the Great. His divine consciousness transformed into a wisp of breeze and drifted toward the Xuzhou Cauldron.

"The spirit of the Xuzhou Cauldron... This junior, Su Fan, has come to retrieve the cauldron on the dying wish of the Holy King..."

The divine sense entered the cauldron, but at first it sank without a trace.

But Su Fan did not give up, chanting the incantation again and again, while releasing the aura of the Jizhou Cauldron and the Qingzhou Cauldron.

Finally, the Xuzhou Ding trembled slightly.

A faint thought entered Su Fan's mind:

"The Holy King... a token..."

Su Fan immediately took out the tortoise shell left by Yu the Great, a fragment of the Hetu Luoshu.

This is not only a powerful tool for breaking through enemy lines, but also a token of Yu the Great's trust.

The tortoise shell lit up, emitting a warm white light.

In the white light, the faint silhouette of Yu the Great could be seen, holding a plow and hoe, controlling the floods and bringing peace to the people.

The Xuzhou Cauldron trembled violently, its body radiating a burst of blue light that dispersed some of the surrounding evil energy.

The thought became clear and excited: "The Holy King...it really is the Holy King..."

"Senior Dingling, please help me," Su Fan pleaded. "Our comrades are still fighting fiercely outside; we must leave as soon as possible."

After a moment of silence, the Xuzhou Ding emitted a resolute thought:

"I have been suppressed by an evil formation for a thousand years, and my spirit is about to perish. But now that the Holy King has arrived, I shall give my life for him."

"Please take me out and place me in the center of the stone platform. I will use my last bit of spiritual power to detonate this formation and clear a path for you."

Su Fan's heart tightened: "Then you..."

"No need for further words." Xu Zhouding's will was calm and resolute. "To die for the Holy King's legacy is my honor. Hurry!"

Without further hesitation, Su Fan flashed past the dry corpse's obstruction and arrived in front of the stone platform.

He grasped the Xuzhou Ding with both hands and lifted it forcefully—

Surprisingly easy.

The moment the Xuzhou Ding left the platform, the entire stone platform trembled violently, and the runes shattered one by one.

The nine desiccated corpses let out mournful screams as their bodies turned to ashes in the explosion.

But what's even more terrifying is yet to come.

At the bottom of the stone platform, a bottomless crack was exposed.

From the crack, endless evil energy surged out like a volcanic eruption, instantly filling the entire lake bottom.

These evil energies were more than ten times denser than before, and Su Fan's protective divine light melted away at a visible speed under their erosion.

"Hurry up!" Xu Zhou Ding urged urgently.

"A malevolent vein was suppressed at the bottom of this lake, and the stone platform was the seal. The seal has been broken, and the malevolent vein is about to erupt!"

Su Fan's expression changed drastically. He grabbed the Xuzhou Cauldron and charged upwards with all his might.

Behind them, the crack widened rapidly, and black evil energy chased after them like an angry dragon.

Wherever it passed, the lake water evaporated, and the white bones turned to powder.

The entire Hongze Lake was shaking, and waves hundreds of meters high rose on the lake surface.

On the lake shore, Chen Zhan and others were struggling to hold on.

Tang Sanzang's Buddha light had dimmed to the point of being almost invisible. He sat cross-legged on the ground, golden blood seeping from his seven orifices, clearly having reached his limit.

The mutated creatures seemed to sense something, suddenly stopped attacking, and all looked towards the center of the lake, their eyes filled with fear.

The next second, the center of the lake exploded!

A column of water shot into the sky, reaching straight up into the clouds.

Su Fan emerged from the water column, clutching the Xuzhou Cauldron, looking disheveled. His purple-gold light had dimmed, and blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, clearly indicating that he was seriously injured.

But he succeeded!

Almost at the same moment he burst out of the lake, a deafening roar came from the bottom of the lake.

The water of the entire Hongze Lake turned black and boiled at a visible speed, and countless mutated creatures turned into pus and blood amidst screams.

"Retreat!" Su Fan roared hoarsely.

Chen Zhan and the others reacted quickly, helped the exhausted Tang Sanzang up, and ran wildly away from the lake shore.

They had only run a few hundred meters when an even more terrifying explosion came from behind them.

Rumbling--

Hongze Lake was bombed.

It's not an exaggeration, it really exploded.

Endless black evil energy erupted from the bottom of the lake, lifting the entire lake into the sky.

The lake water, mixed with evil energy, transformed into a black rain that covered an area of ​​ten miles.

Where the black rain falls, vegetation withers, the land turns scorched, and all life is stripped away.

Su Fan and the others did their best to support the protective gear and struggled forward in the dark rain.

Everyone was seriously injured, and their divine power was on the verge of being exhausted, but no one dared to stop.

Behind them, in the black curtain of rain, a towering, monstrous phantom was faintly visible.

The phantom let out a silent roar, and even the aftershocks caused everyone's blood to surge.

That is the core of the evil vein that has been suppressed for thousands of years. Now that the seal has been broken, it is about to be born!

"Let's go to Jinling!" Su Fan gritted his teeth. "The Yangzhou Cauldron is in Jinling. Only when all four cauldrons are gathered can this thing be suppressed again!"

Everyone felt a chill run down their spines, knowing that this was the only way out.

They held nothing back, exhausting their divine power, and fled desperately towards Jinling.

Behind them, the phantom of the demon slowly coalesced, and a giant hand covered in black scales emerged from the rain, reaching out to grab their backs.

The giant hand blotted out the sky and the sun; its speed appeared slow, but it was actually as fast as lightning.

He was about to be caught—

The Xuzhou Cauldron suddenly flew out of Su Fan's arms, and its body burst into blue flames.

From within the flames came the final voice of the cauldron spirit: "The Holy King's will is fulfilled; I depart."

boom!

The Xuzhou Ding exploded.

It was not a simple explosion, but rather a release of immense suppressive power, guided by millennia of spiritual energy and mediated by the cauldron itself.

The azure flames transformed into a pillar of light reaching the sky, colliding fiercely with the giant black hand.

Heaven and earth fell silent.

At this moment, the entire Jianghuai region could see that in the direction of Hongze Lake, a streak of blue light and a streak of black light intertwined and collided, unleashing a devastating energy storm.

The storm swept across hundreds of miles, leveling everything in its path.

Su Fan and the others were thrown by the aftershocks of the explosion, falling several miles like kites with broken strings, before crashing heavily to the ground.

When they struggled to their feet and looked back, they saw that the black rain curtain had dissipated in the direction of Hongze Lake, and the demonic phantom had also disappeared.

Instead, a colossal phantom of the Xuzhou Cauldron stands between heaven and earth, radiating magnificent divine power.

Although the cauldron was covered with cracks, it remained as stable as a mountain, suppressing the evil force back into the ground.

Successful.

However, the cost was that the spiritual energy of the Xuzhou Ding completely dissipated, and the ding body was on the verge of breaking, making it temporarily unusable.

Su Fan knelt on the ground, looking at the towering cauldron shadow, his eyes reddening.

Chen Zhan and the others also fell silent.

Only Tang Sanzang, with his hands clasped together, softly chanted: "Amitabha... Benefactor Dingling, your merits are immeasurable."

After a long while, Su Fan slowly got up, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, and his eyes rekindled with fire.

"Let's go to Jinling."

"Xuzhou Ding bought us time, and we can't waste it."

"We must find the Yangzhou Tripod within seven days. Only when all four tripods are gathered will we have any hope of winning."

The group nodded emphatically, helped each other, and continued eastward.

Behind them, the illusory image of the Xuzhou Cauldron gradually faded away, eventually turning into specks of blue light that scattered into the heavens and earth.

This earth-shattering battle was also fully recorded by Western satellites and transmitted to Olympus.

In the west, Mount Olympus.

The seven guardians stared at the scene on the screen, speechless for a long time.

After a long silence, Zeus's charioteer finally spoke: "Inform the man in black robes... the plan is being moved forward."

See you at Midway in five days.

"This battle must completely crush China."