Chapter 00205: Soul Refining Cauldron
# Soul Refining Cauldron
Chapter 205
Novel: Abandon The Universe
Chapter 205: Soul Refining Cauldron
Days passed as Lan Xiaobu searched the bottom of the cauldron.
After some time, he confirmed that Luo Caisi was not there.
He sighed, realizing that perhaps his own worries should take precedence over those of Luo Caisi.
Countless lives had perished at the bottom of this cauldron.
In some areas, bones piled up like mountains.
Lan Xiaobu was certain that some of the individuals here possessed extraordinary strength, perhaps even beyond the realm of true immortals, as evidenced by the bones he observed.
Among all the deceased cultivators, not a single ring or crystal could be found.
This observation confirmed his suspicion that this place was, indeed, a prison.
The stench was unbearable, forcing Lan Xiaobu to set up a shielding array before he could begin his cultivation.
He didn’t even need to take out spirit stones or crystals; the Taichuan Formula effortlessly absorbed the spiritual energy around him, converting it into true essence.
On Planet Yi Eleven, Lan Xiaobu had struggled to reach the perfect state of True Deity Realm.
Here, however, he easily broke through to that pinnacle.
Upon achieving the Perfect True Deity Realm, Lan Xiaobu hesitated to continue his cultivation, fearing that his advancement might attract a calamity.
If this place were indeed a prison or a site for disposing of corpses, summoning tribulations would be a death sentence—there would be no escape regardless of his abilities.
In the following days, Lan Xiaobu could only wander around the bottom of the cauldron.
Occasionally practicing the Spirit Refining Technique, most of his time was spent studying formations, looking for a method to escape.
Half a month later, Lan Xiaobu successfully advanced to the rank of a Level Seven Array Master.
However, he was still far from being capable of breaking the seals that would allow his departure from this place.
One day, as he pressed against the cauldron wall, studying the seals, he felt a rush of fresh air seeping in, followed by a faint light appearing at the top of the cauldron.
Had the cauldron been opened? Lan Xiaobu quickly entered the Cosmic Dimension Matrix.
Though the matrix formed a seven-sided figure, it was illusory, more likely to evade ordinary spiritual senses.
Sure enough, a divine sense scanned the Cosmic Dimension Matrix.
Being the owner of the matrix, Lan Xiaobu sensed the presence immediately.
Grateful for having entered the matrix, he realized otherwise he would have been discovered.
After a while, his divine sense ventured out from the matrix, cautiously observing the situation outside.
The faint glow above the cauldron persisted, indicating that the lid had not been replaced yet.
Lan Xiaobu contemplated how he could escape through the opening.
He needed to elevate his array skills to the level of an immortal formation master, but his current status was still too weak.
He longed to project his divine sense outward to gain insight into the external circumstances but ultimately refrained.
The chances of being detected if he did so were over eighty percent.
As long as no one entered, he would remain safe in his current location.
Given the overwhelming stench, it was unlikely that those who built this prison would come back.
Just as this thought crossed his mind, countless shadows suddenly fell into the cauldron.
Had someone entered? A shock surged through Lan Xiaobu, and he quickly withdrew his divine sense.
Soon, he realized something was off—these were not visitors but countless corpses being discarded, as if they were mere garbage.
After the pile of corpses dropped down, the cauldron lid slammed shut once more.
A swarm of vultures poured out like it was New Year’s, diving toward the heap of bodies.
A chill rushed down Lan Xiaobu’s spine.
Back then, merely being pecked by a single vulture had left him injured.
Had there been so many vultures then, he would have surely perished.
Just a few pecks to his eyes, and it would have been over.
These vultures were likely at least third-tier magical beasts, with the strongest among them possibly at the Void Refinement Realm.
Emerging from the Cosmic Dimension Matrix, Lan Xiaobu approached the heap of bodies.
Scanning with his divine sense, he soon felt a prickling unease: there were still signs of life among the corpses.
The remaining souls seemed tethered to their physical forms, suggesting they had been deliberately preserved; otherwise, they wouldn't have all remained within their bodies.
Summoning a hand seal of true essence, he peeled back the stack of bodies, pulling out a man whose flesh was almost entirely mutilated.
The man appeared relatively young, yet his aura was unstable, his bones broken into pieces, and his spirit channels visibly ruptured, with cracks forming in his sea of consciousness.
Unlike the surrounding corpses, this man still had a breath of life in him, which meant he wasn’t fully dead.
Furthermore, there was a faint vitality radiating from his primordial spirit.
Lan Xiaobu took out several healing pills and fed them to the man, also providing him with some Five-Spirit Liquid.
After a while, the man opened his eyes, grunting, “Your Yan family has committed many atrocities. Killing my Grandfather Ji will eventually lead to your downfall….”
As he spoke, the man noticed something was wrong; his injuries seemed to be healing at an unexpected pace.
It was clear he was receiving herbs and treasures right now.
This didn’t make sense.
When had the Yan family ever shown such mercy? They were preparing to refine his soul; how could they waste such resources?
He murmured in confusion, “Am I thrown into the Soul Refining Cauldron?”
The nauseating stink wafted over, and he now confirmed he indeed had been thrown into the cauldron.
Being in the Soul Refining Cauldron meant they weren't going to heal his wounds.
Thankfully, he caught sight of Lan Xiaobu at that moment.
“Is it you who saved me?” the man asked, realizing without needing to ask further that it was Lan Xiaobu who had helped him.
Lan Xiaobu nodded, “Yes, I saved you.”
He had many questions to ask the man, but given that the man had just regained consciousness, he likely needed rest.
“How did you come to possess healing pills? Wait, that’s not right. How could you come out of the Soul Refining Cauldron unscathed?” The man suddenly realized that the Yan family would never send someone untouched into the cauldron.
“How are you feeling? If you’re alright, I have a few questions for you,” Lan Xiaobu asked.
The man chuckled, “Ask away, but it doesn’t really matter. Eventually, we’ll both end up as liquid souls in this cauldron. Hmph, once I’m gone, someone will surely avenge my death and uproot the Yan family.”
The latter part of his statement seemed to be a means of venting his own grievances.
“What do you mean? You keep talking about the Soul Refining Cauldron; is this it?” Lan Xiaobu inquired.
Shu Shaoji was about to speak when he suddenly exclaimed, “What did you feed me? It even affects my spirit channels!”
“Five-Spirit Liquid,” Lan Xiaobu replied, noting that it was a priceless treasure in Yuan Continent, with only he and Liu Li having access to it.
“Do you have Five-Colored Divine Mushrooms?” Shu Shaoji asked eagerly.
“I have Five-Colored Divine Mushrooms, but since you just mentioned we’ll end up as liquid souls in the cauldron sooner or later, what would you need Five-Colored Divine Mushrooms for?” Lan Xiaobu responded.
Shu Shaoji quickly explained, “You don’t understand. The Five-Colored Divine Mushrooms can be used to refine the Five-Colored Soul Pill. The technique I’m practicing is extraordinary; with this pill, I could potentially restore my sea of consciousness. As long as I recover even a part of it, I can send a message out. At least then there will be someone seeking vengeance for me.”
Lan Xiaobu calmly stated, “I do have Five-Colored Divine Mushrooms, but I won’t give them to you.”
“Why not? You will inevitably die anyway. If you give it to me, I’ll have a chance for vengeance. If you keep it to yourself, it will ultimately be useless—or someone else will just take it from you,” Shu Shaoji didn’t understand Lan Xiaobu's line of thought.
Lan Xiaobu replied, “First, I want to live. I’m certain that once you send out a message, the Yan family will know immediately. In that case, I’d have no hope of survival. Secondly, if I give you the Five-Colored Divine Mushroom, would you even be able to make a pill from it?”
Shu Shaoji stared wide-eyed at Lan Xiaobu for a long time before finally saying, “You actually think there’s a chance to survive after entering the Soul Refining Cauldron?”
“Whether or not there's a chance to survive is one thing; wanting to live is another. Even if there’s merely a one in ten thousand chance, I will not give up,” Lan Xiaobu declared without a hint of hesitation.
Shu Shaoji was momentarily taken aback, and then he said, “Alright, you’re truly ambitious, Shu Shaoji. Since that is the case, I also wish to live. Please give me a Five-Colored Divine Mushroom... Wait, how did you end up here? And how are you still intact?”
Lan Xiaobu didn’t hide anything. “I accidentally fell into a void rift and was swept here. Afterward, the rift vanished, and I’ve been searching for a way out until I encountered you.”
Shu Shaoji gasped, taking quite a while to process. “I truly can’t tell if your luck is good or bad. If it’s bad, you got caught in the chaotic rift and still survived; if it’s good, it’s just unfortunate that your survival brings you here to the Soul Refining Cauldron.”
After saying that, Shu Shaoji struggled to his feet, giving Lan Xiaobu a thumbs up, “My friend, the liquid you gave me is truly powerful.”
Lan Xiaobu silently thought this person’s train of thought was remarkably rapid; in just a short time, he had leaped between topics several times.
“I still need to tell you, we are doomed,” Shu Shaoji pointed at the cauldron and then at the pile of vultures feasting on the corpses. “You see those creatures feasting on the bodies? They’re called Soul-Driving Vultures. They devour the flesh, causing the trapped spirits to naturally leave their bodies, then dissolving in the cauldron into soul liquid. You see the cauldron? In the best case, it will be ten days before this begins refining souls. By then, we will suffer endlessly within, dying from the torment of our souls being gradually dissected.”
Lan Xiaobu was taken aback, realizing that the souls of these individuals were indeed trapped by someone on purpose within their bodies.
He turned to Shu Shaoji, wondering why his primordial spirit didn't seem stagnant.
Shu Shaoji replied, “If the primordial spirits are gone, how would they be refined into soul liquid? Moreover, if the soul doesn’t depart the body, the refined soul liquid will be purer. I’m safe because I’ve practiced a technique called Soul Division. While they were suppressing my primordial spirit, I used this technique to separate my true primordial spirit and hide it. I won’t be able to hold out much longer; if they had delayed throwing me in, I surely would have been discovered. You were able to find me here among the pile of corpses because my primordial spirit could no longer conceal itself.”
(End of Chapter)