Chapter 328

Words : 2545 Updated : Oct 5th, 2025

Chapter 328In the underground chamber of the Wei Family. After Lu Qing entered meditation, his mind delved into the Li Huo Cauldron. Wei Shanhai remained in a constant state of anxiety. This was because the Li Huo Cauldron had become extremely unstable. The energy within it fluctuated wildly, surging and falling without rest. He was genuinely worried that at any moment, it might explode, sending the entire Wei Mansion skyward. Fortunately, the situation Wei Shanhai feared did not occur. As Lu Qing remained in meditation for a longer period, the energy within the Li Huo Cauldron gradually began to stabilize. In the end, it became completely calm, with no trace of its earlier volatility. "Could it be that the Young Master Lu is about to successfully refine it?" Seeing this, a hint of joy appeared in Wei Shanhai's eyes. The old doctor beside him also showed a similar change in expression. Inside the Li Huo Cauldron, Lu Qing listened to the middle-aged man's two final conditions and shook his head. "'Yan' senior, I cannot agree to your last two conditions." The middle-aged man froze, looking at Lu Qing in disbelief. "What did you say? You won't agree?" "Senior, you're asking me to relax some of the restrictions on the Li Huo Cauldron and to promise that I can only use it three times a year, without disturbing your cultivation during other times. I cannot comply with such demands," Lu Qing said calmly. At the same time, a hint of coldness appeared in his eyes. This Cauldron Spirit was overestimating its importance. He could understand the first condition, but the last two were purely treating him as a subordinate. The numerous restrictions placed on the Li Huo Cauldron were originally designed by the Li Huo Sect to limit the Cauldron Spirit and prevent it from escaping control. There was no way he would willingly weaken this safeguard. As for only being able to use it three times a year, with the rest of the time spent in meditation—that was simply absurd. Lu Qing carried the legacy of the Li Huo Sect, and the Li Huo Cauldron was of great use to him. There was no way he would only use it three times a year. Who did this "Yan" think it was, to negotiate such unreasonable conditions with him? "Boy, think carefully. If you do not agree to these three conditions, I will never relinquish control of the Li Huo Cauldron to you. You could spend a hundred years and still not fully refine it. Why waste so much time over a minor condition, especially in these critical times? The world has just begun to change, and spiritual energy is only now reviving. Everyone is striving to improve and cultivate. The path of cultivation is one where the first step is crucial. The Li Huo Cauldron is a spiritual artifact, a treasure that was extremely rare even in the last Immortal Era. Only powerful sects or grandmasters above the Nascent Soul stage could possibly possess and control it. You are merely at the Qi Refinement stage, yet you have the chance to control a spiritual artifact—this is an incredible opportunity. If you can master it early, it will be a tremendous help in your cultivation. Why forfeit this great chance over a minor issue and hinder your path to cultivation?" The middle-aged man tried to persuade Lu Qing with reason and emotion. However, Lu Qing only smiled faintly. "Senior, there's no need for more words. No matter what, I will only agree to your first condition. The other two are non-negotiable. At most, I can promise that if the Li Huo Cauldron ever reaches the pinnacle of spiritual artifacts, and if your spirit becomes complete and gains the potential to escape this vessel, I will grant you freedom. I will find you a suitable body so you can become a true living being. Aside from that, no other conditions are up for discussion." Seeing Lu Qing's firm stance, the middle-aged man narrowed his eyes. S~eaʀᴄh the NôvelFire.nёt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "So, there's no room for negotiation?" "Indeed," Lu Qing replied. The middle-aged man's aura became silent as he stared intently at Lu Qing. "Senior, don't think you can threaten me by preventing the refinement of the Li Huo Cauldron," Lu Qing said slowly, noticing the hostility in the middle-aged man's aura. "Although the Li Huo Cauldron is precious, I don't necessarily have to obtain it now. There are other spiritual artifacts in the world besides this one." After saying this, Lu Qing's mind moved slightly, and a wisp of energy from the Qi Bag outside his physical body was sent into the Li Huo Cauldron. "Is this...?" The middle-aged man's eyes widened instantly. "The Qi Bag of Heaven and Earth?!" "That's right, it is the Qi Bag of Heaven and Earth," Lu Qing replied calmly. "Senior 'Yan,' although the Qi Bag is slightly inferior in rank to the Li Huo Cauldron, it is a spiritual artifact that is completely under my control. It's true that with my current cultivation, refining the Li Huo Cauldron would be difficult. But in another three to five years, with the Qi Bag's assistance, where do you think my cultivation will be? By then, how much longer do you think you can stop me?" The middle-aged man's expression became uncertain. Originally, he thought he could leverage Lu Qing's desire for the Li Huo Cauldron to negotiate terms. But now that Lu Qing had another spiritual artifact, everything was different. More importantly, what Lu Qing had said was irrefutable. Being able to trigger tribulation clouds and survive a heavenly tribulation shortly after the revival of spiritual energy, Lu Qing's talent was unimaginable. He was undoubtedly an unparalleled genius blessed by the heavens. Such a person, with extraordinary fortune, would progress at an unimaginable speed in cultivation. In another three to five years, he couldn't even guess what realm Lu Qing might reach. "It seems Senior has come to an understanding," Lu Qing said with a smile, noticing the change in the middle-aged man's expression. "Let me be clear, Senior. If you do not cooperate this time, there will be no room for negotiation the next time I come. I will forcibly refine the Li Huo Cauldron and enslave your spirit. Perhaps you can gamble on whether you can recover quickly enough to escape with the Cauldron before I reach the level needed to forcefully refine you. But are you willing to take that risk?" The middle-aged man's expression changed at Lu Qing's unyielding threat. He looked steadily at Lu Qing's calm expression, knowing that he was serious. As a Cauldron Spirit, his cultivation was inherently slow. The Li Huo Cauldron had been severely damaged in the last Immortal Era, and recovering on his own was almost impossible. There was no way he could match Lu Qing, a prodigy of heaven and earth. If he didn't compromise this time, the next time Lu Qing returned, it would truly be the end for him. "Is there really no room for negotiation?" the middle-aged man asked after a long silence. Lu Qing did not respond, but his expression said everything. Seeing this, the middle-aged man sighed. "It seems times have indeed changed. Fine, I will abandon the last two conditions, but you must agree to the first one. Otherwise, I would rather self-destruct than be enslaved. You should know what happens to a spiritual artifact that loses its spirit." "Of course. Since I have agreed, I will not go back on my word," Lu Qing said, smiling as the middle-aged man finally relented. "Don't try to sweet-talk me. I trust no promises, only soul oaths," the middle-aged man replied coolly. "Then I will take a soul oath with you right now," Lu Qing said. Immediately, the two of them swore an oath by their souls. As long as the middle-aged man assisted Lu Qing in refining the Li Huo Cauldron, Lu Qing promised never to enslave him. After the oath was sworn, Lu Qing immediately felt a mysterious wave emanate from his soul. He realized at once that this was the sign of a successful soul oath. A soul oath was a vow made by a cultivator with their Dao heart and soul. Once sworn, it would be recognized by the world's Heavenly Dao. If anyone dared to break the vow, the Heavenly Dao would unleash unimaginable punishment. Thus, cultivators rarely swore such oaths, and if they did, they would not dare to break them lightly. Sensing the success of the soul oath, the middle-aged man's expression finally eased. "Now, let me assist you in refining and mastering the Li Huo Cauldron." ... In the underground chamber, Wei Shanhai saw the once-calm Li Huo Cauldron suddenly become restless again, and his heart leaped in alarm. Fortunately, the cauldron soon settled down once more. But he did not dare relax and kept a close watch on the cauldron. After a while, he saw Lu Qing, who had been sitting cross-legged in front of the cauldron, open his eyes and stand up. "Young Master Lu, how did it go?" Wei Shanhai asked quickly. "Thankfully, it was not all in vain," Lu Qing replied, a hint of fatigue in his eyes. Even with the Cauldron Spirit's help, it had been quite challenging for him to fully master the restrictions of a spiritual artifact with his current cultivation. But in the end, he had succeeded. Under Wei Shanhai's delighted gaze, Lu Qing formed a hand seal. In the next moment, the Li Huo Cauldron emitted a powerful suction force, absorbing all the fire energy that had accumulated in the underground chamber. Then, the cauldron began to shrink rapidly, eventually becoming the size of a thumb and falling into Lu Qing's hand. Inside the cauldron, the Cauldron Spirit "Yan" was pleased by the increase in fire energy but also felt a tinge of sadness. Such was the fate of Cauldron Spirits. Bound by the restrictions within the spiritual artifact, he couldn't control the Li Huo Cauldron as he wished. Despite being in this underground chamber for so long, the accumulated fire energy was less than what Lu Qing had absorbed in a single thought. But fortunately, he and Lu Qing had sworn a soul oath. In the days to come, with Lu Qing's assistance, it was only a matter of time before he could return to his peak state. Thinking this way, he felt that his compromise might not have been a mistake after all. "Congratulations, Young Master Lu, on obtaining a supreme treasure." Wei Shanhai, seeing the cauldron shrink and fall into Lu Qing's hand, first widened his eyes in surprise, then quickly congratulated him. "Senior Wei, are you regretting it now?" Lu Qing asked playfully. "What are you saying, Young Master? I know my own limits. This great cauldron was never something our Wei Family could control. I have a feeling that if we had kept it, it might have brought disaster upon us. You taking it away now might have saved our family once again." Wei Shanhai's tone became serious. Earlier, he had sensed the terrifying power hidden within the Li Huo Cauldron—a power so overwhelming it made him feel suffocated. He knew that this was not a treasure he could handle. If they had kept it, who knew when it might have exploded, bringing catastrophe upon the entire Wei Family. "You're too kind, Senior. Now that I've taken the Li Huo Cauldron, I should mention that it has many mysterious uses in alchemy and artifact crafting. In the future, when I begin refining elixirs, you are welcome to come and observe if you're interested," Lu Qing said. "Excellent! I will certainly be there to witness this immortal art of alchemy," Wei Shanhai replied joyfully. He was thrilled at the thought that Lu Qing, who could casually display such immortal arts, might refine elixirs that were unimaginable treasures. If he could obtain even one, it would be a great fortune. "The danger here has passed; let's leave now." When Lu Qing and the others emerged from the underground chamber, more than an hour had passed. The Wei Family had already instructed the servants to prepare a large table of food and drink. As soon as they came out, they could start the feast. After eating and drinking, everyone began to chat. Wei Zian started enthusiastically recounting their journey to Zhongzhou, describing how they encountered the Silver Moon Sect's wrongdoing right after leaving Cangzhou, how they later killed the Silver Moon Sect's young sect master, and how they then rushed a thousand miles to destroy the Silver Moon Sect. He also described their flight to Azure Dragon City and all the exciting events along the way, which left Madam Wei and the others utterly astonished. Even Wei Shanhai hadn't expected Lu Qing and the others to have experienced so much in just a few months. Especially when he heard that Wang Cangyi had been casually slain by Lu Qing in the Sacred City, he couldn't help but sigh. He had originally thought that after making some progress in his cultivation, he would personally go to the northern border to seek revenge against Wang Cangyi. But he hadn't expected that his old friend, with whom he had a grudge spanning nearly a century, would be so easily killed by Lu Qing. "Thank you, Young Master Lu, for eliminating such an enemy for my Wei Family," Madam Wei said gratefully. She despised Wang Cangyi. That villain had almost wiped out their Wei Family and had gotten away scot-free afterward. Now that Lu Qing had slain him, it was as if a great burden had been lifted from her heart, and she couldn't be happier. "Madam, there's no need to be so polite. Wang Cangyi and I also had a grudge. It was merely a coincidence that I killed him that day. If he hadn't come to me on his own, I wouldn't have known where to find him," Lu Qing said with a smile. "It just goes to show that heaven's net is vast, and justice prevails. Wang Cangyi had committed too many evil deeds, and that's why he ended up in your hands, Young Master," Madam Wei said. Lu Qing smiled and did not refute her. Whether or not it was heaven's net that led Wang Cangyi to him, he couldn't say. But one thing was certain—there was indeed a Heavenly Dao in this world. "Mother, there's more..." Wei Zian was about to continue recounting the events in the Sacred City. Suddenly, a powerful aura erupted from the direction of the mansion's rear courtyard. The burst of energy caused the surrounding spiritual energy to become agitated. "Spiritual energy is converging—has Xinghe broken through?" Wei Shanhai exclaimed, standing up with excitement. Table of content

Chapter 328

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