Zhou Xuan snorted and said coldly, "Why would I need to lie to you? It seems like you guys came to me, why would I go to you?"
An Guoqing was startled again, and then he remembered that they were indeed the ones who did it. If they hadn't captured Zhou Xuan and Fu Ying, how would Zhou Xuan have met them?
Zhou Xuan finally understood why An Guoqing and the others were unwilling to reveal the secret of the Nine Dragon Cauldron. They couldn't believe that his ice-energy ability existed in this world. In their minds, the Nine Dragon Cauldron probably required a special energy device to activate it, and that device was likely the most crucial element. Thinking of this, Zhou Xuan's heart skipped a beat, and he suddenly blushed and his heart raced.
If we could obtain that energy device, perhaps we could return to the original time.
Looking at Fu Ying beside him, Zhou Xuan knew that although they were sitting together so close, there was actually a vast distance between them. This wasn't the Fu Ying who couldn't live without him.
Zhou Xuan pondered for a moment and then said, "Mr. An, I don't know what you intend to do with the Nine Dragon Cauldron, or what your purpose is. But if I can use it just once more, and return to my original time, I will never want this thing again. At that time, I guarantee I will give you the Nine Dragon Cauldron without asking for a single penny. However, before that, I think we should make an exchange."
An Guoqing grew increasingly suspicious before hesitantly asking, "I... I still can't believe you can activate the Nine Dragon Cauldron. I want to ask, do you know about 'Sky Window'? Have you been to Poxin River? Have you been to Longevity Village?"
Zhou Xuan was taken aback, then overjoyed. What An Guoqing was talking about must be related to the secret of the Nine Dragon Cauldron, but he had never heard of it before. After thinking for a moment, he replied, "I don't know what Mr. An means, and I haven't been to the place you mentioned. But I think it might be related to the energy body that can activate the Nine Dragon Cauldron. I know Mr. An might not believe it, but there is another kind of energy in this world that can also activate the Nine Dragon Cauldron. However, this energy is not enough to fully activate the Nine Dragon Cauldron, so I want to cooperate with Mr. An. As long as you can make me return to the time I came from, then I can give the Nine Dragon Cauldron to Mr. An without charging a penny. What do you think?"
An Guoqing and Yang Huaiyuan both stared wide-eyed, unable to close their mouths for a long time.
Zhou Xuan made it quite clear: he didn't obtain the energy body as An Guoqing and Yang Huaiyuan suspected. Instead, he used other energy to activate the Nine Dragon Cauldron, but not completely. Therefore, Zhou Xuan didn't truly understand the secrets of the Nine Dragon Cauldron; he only grasped a small part of its functions.
But one thing is undeniable: Zhou Xuan's claim of freezing time and traveling through time is absolutely true. An Guoqing and Yang Huaiyuan knew this secret, but they couldn't believe that Zhou Xuan could truly know it.
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Volume 1, Chapter 377: The Secret of Longevity
Chapter 377 The Secret to Longevity
An Guoqing was stunned for a moment, then suddenly asked, "Mr. Zhou, you said... besides the Eight-Star Bead, there are other energy entities that can activate the Nine Dragon Cauldron? What... what kind of energy entity is that?"
"Eight-Star Beads?" Zhou Xuan murmured, finding the name strange. He couldn't possibly have heard of it before, and he certainly hadn't seen it.
However, he still answered An Guoqing's question: "There is indeed an energy body, which I call the Golden Crystal. I obtained it from a golden ore. It contains an extremely large amount of energy. However, although that energy is enormous, it is still not enough to fully activate the Nine Dragon Cauldron. In fact, it exploded and shattered when it was used. Therefore, I need to cooperate with Mr. An. As long as we can find the energy body you mentioned, we can return to our original time. And I promise to give you the Nine Dragon Cauldron at that time."
An Guoqing and Yang Huaiyuan were both surprised and suspicious, but Zhou Xuan's words made them involuntarily believe him.
Of course, Zhou Xuan didn't tell the whole story. For example, he wouldn't talk about his ice-energy ability; it was his secret, and it had saved his and his family's lives many times. Naturally, he wouldn't tell An Guoqing and Yang Huaiyuan about it either. However, he didn't lie about the crystal.
An Guoqing hesitated for a long time before finally saying, "Alright, let's cooperate this time. But before we cooperate, let's each make a vow."
Zhou Xuan thought to himself, "This An Guoqing has this trick up his sleeve? Will oaths even work? If someone has no integrity, no matter how many oaths they make, it's all for nothing."
However, Zhou Xuan still didn't want to deceive them, so he lowered his voice and said, "Alright, I'll swear an oath first. Today, I, Zhou Xuan, will cooperate with Mr. An Guoqing. If I obtain the Eight-Star Pearl and can return to my original time, I will give the Nine Dragon Cauldron to Mr. An free of charge. If I break this oath, may I be struck by lightning and die a horrible death."
An Guoqing also swore an oath: "Today, I, An Guoqing, will cooperate with Mr. Zhou Xuan to retrieve the Eight-Star Pearl and then send Mr. Zhou back to his original time and space. If I break this oath, may I die a terrible death and never be reincarnated."
After the two finished their oath, they gave each other a high five. Zhou Xuan then laughed and said, "Mr. An, I think you can now explain the origin of the Nine Dragon Cauldron to me, right?"
An Guoqing chuckled at Zhou Xuan and nodded, saying, "Alright, then I'll tell you about the Nine Dragon Cauldron. But before I do, let me tell you a story."
Zhou Xuan smiled faintly and didn't say anything. Since An Guoqing said he wanted to tell a story first, it must be related to the Nine Dragon Cauldron. At this time, he certainly wouldn't talk about anything else unrelated.
"During the Qianlong era of the Qing Dynasty, there was a remarkable man named Liu Zijie. He was a man of both literary and martial talents, capable of governing the country and securing peace through literature. His knowledge was truly all-encompassing, covering everything under the sun. In literature, even the most famous scholar, Ji Xiaolan, could not surpass him, demonstrating the depth of his literary skills. Moreover, his martial arts were astonishing; he could shatter large rocks with his palm and move with the agility of a swallow. His most impressive skill was the ability to hold his breath. It is generally known that an ordinary person can only hold their breath for two or three minutes, and some highly trained masters can hold their breath for seven or eight minutes, but there are limits. However, Liu Zijie could dive at a depth of ten meters for an hour. Despite possessing such extraordinary abilities, he kept a low profile and remained unknown to outsiders."
"When Liu Zijie was thirty-five years old, in the prime of his life, he accidentally obtained a treasure map. He immediately followed the map to find the treasure. The treasure map was not complicated, and he found the place without much effort. However, the place was extremely dangerous. In fact, this treasure map was not unique. Others had also found the place, but most of them gave up when faced with difficulties. A small number of people, driven by profit, risked their lives to try it, but they lost their lives as a result."
Upon hearing this, Zhou Xuan's heart skipped a beat. Could it be like that time at the bottom of the sinkhole in the United States? Could there be some extremely dangerous place? But even if it was dangerous, it probably wouldn't be as ferocious as the monsters at the bottom of the sinkhole in the United States, right?
If that were the case, Zhou Xuan would be in a dilemma. He was lucky that time, encountering the golden stone at the bottom of the cave. Only after absorbing its energy was he able to evolve his abilities, transforming and devouring gold, which allowed him to deal with those enormous and numerous monsters. But if he encountered such a situation again, it would be difficult. Although he had regained his ice-qi ability, he only possessed its weakest form. If he encountered danger, he wouldn't be able to withstand it, and luck wouldn't last forever. He believed that the place An Guoqing described couldn't possibly contain the golden stone.
An Guoqing continued recounting his story: "This Liu Zijie was highly skilled and daring. He went to that dangerous place alone, and after making thorough preparations, he entered the dangerous entrance marked on the treasure map. Because of his thorough preparation, Liu Zijie held out for an hour and a half after entering, and obtained the Nine Dragon Cauldron inside."
Zhou Xuan was stunned. Was the Nine Dragon Cauldron obtained in this way? And what secrets did it hold?
Unable to resist asking, "Mr. An, how did Liu Zijie, who obtained the Nine Dragon Cauldron, know its secrets?"
An Guoqing waved his hand and said, "Let me explain slowly. Inside the Nine Dragon Cauldron, there's a round stone, something that looks like a bead. It's actually an energy converter, but Liu Zijie only obtained one in the treasure trove. There are nine beads in total, but Liu Zijie no longer has the ability to go any deeper. That treasure trove is actually a deep underground current, a network of interconnected and extremely dangerous currents. Many people who are excellent swimmers have been swept away by the currents and died without a burial place. It's just that Liu Zijie is a genius and was lucky enough to obtain the Nine Dragon Cauldron, but..."
An Guoqing sighed and said slowly, "However, this journey through the undercurrents has caused irreparable damage to his body, rendering him unable to re-enter that place. Without the other eight energy beads gathered together, the Nine Dragon Cauldron cannot be fully activated. Therefore, Mr. Zhou, if you want to return to the original time, we must go to that place and retrieve the remaining eight beads to activate the Nine Dragon Cauldron."
Zhou Xuan was stunned for a moment, then suddenly asked, "Mr. An, how did you learn the secret of the Nine Dragon Cauldron? Where did Liu Zijie put the Nine Dragon Cauldron after he got it? Besides, how could he know the secret of the Nine Dragon Cauldron?"
An Guoqing paused for a moment before saying, "The Nine Dragon Cauldron that Liu Zijie obtained contained a single bead, which held immense energy. However, this energy was non-renewable; it only became effective when all eight beads were combined, automatically absorbing energy from the sun, moon, and stars in an inexhaustible cycle. But that single bead was like a battery; once its power was depleted, it was useless. If all nine beads were combined, it would be like forming a hydroelectric power station, generating electricity indefinitely as long as there was water. Liu Zijie ultimately obtained the secret of the Nine Dragon Cauldron because of the energy in that bead. However, due to an accident, the Nine Dragon Cauldron was lost, and that loss has persisted until now."
An Guoqing paused for a moment and then said, "My great-grandfather was once Liu Zijie's apprentice. Before Liu Zijie died, he obtained this secret, and our An family embarked on a journey to find the Nine Dragon Cauldron. However, in the past two hundred years, we have never seen the Nine Dragon Cauldron again."
According to An Guoqing, neither he nor Yang Huaiyuan had ever actually seen the Nine Dragon Cauldron. Yang Huaiyuan only saw it for the first time when Zhou Xuan took it out for him to appraise.
Zhou Xuan thought for a moment, then took out the Nine Dragons Cauldron from his backpack and handed it to An Guoqing, saying, "Mr. An, take a look, is this the Nine Dragons Cauldron?"
An Guoqing took it with trembling hands, rubbing his eyes as he looked at it. His hands trembled even more, and his face became even more excited. Towards the end, he was not looking at the Nine Dragon Cauldron, but touching it with his face.
From that expression, Zhou Xuan could almost sense that An Guoqing had seen the Nine Dragon Cauldron before. It was like a reunion with a long-lost relative after decades. An Guoqing definitely had some secrets he hadn't told him. However, Zhou Xuan didn't ask. If An Guoqing wouldn't tell him, asking wouldn't make a difference. Besides, An Guoqing probably wasn't so kind as to cooperate with him. There might be some conspiracy involved. For now, Zhou Xuan could only cooperate with him. But one should always be wary and be more careful in the future.
That's for sure. Although both of them swore an oath, it was just a facade. Once they find the remaining eight beads, their true colors will likely be revealed.
An Guoqing held the Nine Dragon Cauldron, lost in its beauty for a long time, before finally coming to his senses. He didn't say anything, but still returned it to Zhou Xuan.
At this moment, Zhou Xuan could no longer find the same look of ecstasy in An Guoqing's expression, which made him believe that An Guoqing was definitely not such a simple person.
After carefully putting the Nine Dragon Cauldron into his backpack, Zhou Xuan asked, "Mr. An, where exactly is that treasure location?"
An Guoqing smiled, not directly answering Zhou Xuan's question, but said, "Mr. Zhou, first of all, I've finished telling my story. Then I'll introduce you to a tourist destination, the Fengshan National Geopark in Guangxi. Have you ever been there?"
Zhou Xuan smiled, shook his head, and said, "No, I've never even been to Guangxi."
Could it be that An Guoqing deliberately changed the subject because he didn't want to reveal the location of the treasure? But that's understandable. In a collaboration, the most important things are only revealed when absolutely necessary. Since it's only the initial stage of cooperation, it's natural that he wouldn't say anything.
In fact, Zhou Xuan misjudged the situation. An Guoqing wasn't refusing to talk about it; he was going to tell another story about the Nine Dragon Cauldron. Moreover, the danger of that treasure location was beyond the imagination of ordinary people. As An Guoqing had mentioned before, Liu Zijie wasn't the only one to obtain the treasure map. Of all the people who went in, only Liu Zijie managed to enter and come out alive. Everyone else who went in never returned. So, no matter how good the treasure was, no one was willing to go down there again. No matter how much money you had, it was all for nothing if you didn't live to enjoy it.