"It's okay. Don't cry anymore."
Lin Yao gave them another kiss, saying, "I told you it's nothing. Be careful in the future. Although you are helping me find the secret of the cauldron, you must ensure your own safety first. So if you have any ideas, tell the adults first, and then we will try them together. If we succeed, all the credit will be yours."
Lin Yao laughed heartily, "Just tell me what reward you want, and I'll definitely grant it to you this time."
Xiao Guli and Nannan were dumbfounded. They had done something wrong that caused serious consequences, but they never expected that bad things would turn into good things and wrong things would turn into right things. Not only were they not punished, but they also got to perform, and they could even name their own reward. This treatment from hell to heaven left them stunned. They stopped crying and just stared blankly at Lin Yao.
"Dad, I peed on the cauldron and it's ruined. Aren't you angry with me?"
Xiao Guli was still incredulous and worriedly raised his questions.
"Did you pee badly?" Lin Yao was taken aback, wondering what he meant by "pee badly"? What did this have to do with pee?
Knowing the truth, Xiaocao had long since fallen silent. She began to study the strange cauldron. As for the methods and means by which the little ones discovered the cauldron's secret, Xiaocao deliberately didn't tell Lin Yao, waiting to see him make a fool of himself.
"Yes, it's because of peeing."
Nannan added, “Lili wanted to pee, and he was inside the cauldron at the time. I was the one who made him pee in there. It was my fault; it was all my idea that ruined the cauldron.”
Urine...? Did you pee badly?!
Lin Yao stumbled, almost losing his grip on the two little ones in his arms. He even trembled a few times before regaining his balance. He looked at Xiao Guli with a complicated expression, "Did you put water in the cauldron? That's what caused those changes?"
"Hmm..." Xiao Guli's voice was very low, "I was so desperate to pee, I couldn't wait any longer. It has nothing to do with Sister Nannan, I just needed to pee myself."
Lin Yao held the two little ones, both amused and exasperated, unsure how to explain. He thought to himself that the secret of the cauldron was far too difficult to uncover, even requiring the use of human urine for testing. This unbelievable method was beyond the comprehension of an adult. No wonder they hadn't found a new way to test it for so long; it turned out they even needed to use a child's urine! Even if Lin Yao himself were a virgin, he would never have thought of urinating into the cauldron to test it; only unrestrained children would do such a thing.
"You're all great." Lin Yao could only manage a dry, exaggerated compliment, thinking that the little guy in his arms was truly his lucky star. Not only had he modified the function of the cauldron, but now he had created a new situation. He wondered what benefits he would gain this time.
Just as they were about to approach the large cauldron, Xiaocao's voice rang out: "Yaoyao, take Lili and Nannan out. Let's try it ourselves. This time it's more complicated."
After sending the two beaming little ones to the ground to be looked after by Yi Zuojun, Lin Yao returned to the basement. "Little Grass, what's wrong?"
"Look for yourself, this seems to be a bit troublesome."
Xiao Cao's tone was somewhat uncertain, "The grooves on the cauldron are too deep and complex. There are 343 interconnected round holes. According to the 'Seven Killings' pattern, seven are grouped together, seven groups are woven together, and seven woven together are made into one system. The total of 343 round holes fits perfectly."
"But... this layout doesn't seem to be for alchemy, at least not purely for alchemy. The cauldron might also be a magical artifact that can be used for other things. Those seven round holes might have been the hub of its overall control array."
Xiao Cao spoke haltingly, clearly unsure of her own understanding. Her knowledge came from the internet, much of it even from fantasy novels. She had no chance to see any authentic Taoist texts; the few widely circulated so-called Taoist books were mostly philosophical articles, not only obscure and difficult to understand but also written in a mystical style, offering no real help whatsoever.
"Then what should we do?" Lin Yao asked the most direct question, praying in his heart that this change was for the better, and that the cauldron would not suddenly become a great weapon. If the alchemy function was gone, the other functions would be useless to him and Xiao Cao, because they were not cultivators at all, and lacked the legendary true essence and magic power.
"I don't know, but let's give it a try. Anyway, we still have more than four hundred spirit stones, and these round holes should be for putting spirit stones in."
The little grass irresponsibly offered a suggestion to give it a try, then, unsure of herself, added, "What do you think, Yao Yao?"
Lin Yao rolled his eyes and could only nod, "Then let's give it a try, there's no other way."
The little grass instantly tossed 343 spirit stones of varying sizes into 343 round holes. To avoid making a mark on herself, she simply threw them in, never letting her tentacles probe into the holes. Fortunately, the spirit stones were firmly adhered to the holes as soon as they were thrown in, without her needing to use her tentacles to block or secure them.
Hum~~~
A recurring tremor from the depths of Lin Yao's soul shook him, causing even his profound state of mind to falter. He quickly focused his mind to avoid the impact.
What Lin Yao didn't know was that this deep sound was like a shockwave, spreading outwards from the "City Forest" villa. People within a ten-kilometer radius "heard" the sound almost simultaneously, which affected their physical behavior. Traffic accidents occurred frequently, and many people even bumped into trees and lampposts while walking. Some people who deliberately showed off by walking along the edge of ditches suddenly fell headfirst into the ditches and artificial lakes in the park. The number of deaths and injuries was impossible to count.
Only those who have reached a certain level of mastery in ancient martial arts and those who cultivate spiritual power know that this sound originates from the depths of one's soul. It is an invasion that cannot be resisted in the same way as blocking sound wave transmission; unless one is prepared in advance or possesses an automatic defensive item such as the Sun family's "Langya Jade Pendant," one will be affected.
Fortunately, the sound was just a simple monotone and did not cause any substantial damage to the human body. Otherwise, it is unknown how many more people in Beijing would have lost as a result. Because of this, those who understand this kind of attack are even more terrified, terrified of its source and the person who can control it.
"Yaoyao, the cauldron seems to have its own thoughts!"
Little Grass shrieked, reminding Lin Yao, "How do you feel?"
"I think so too, but I don't know how to control it, or even how to communicate with it."
Lin Yao immediately gave his answer. The voice just now was obviously shocking. After the shock, the crisscrossing grooves on the surface of the cauldron were changing rapidly. A milky white light band emanating from the spirit stone quickly ran through these grooves, making the entire cauldron look like it was wrapped in a giant cocoon.
"Never mind! Fortune favors the bold, Yaoyao, let's try again!"
As soon as Xiaocao finished speaking, before Lin Yao could even ask her what she thought, the skin on Lin Yao's wrists split open, and two streams of bright red blood gushed out, as if Lin Yao was holding a water sprayer in both hands and spraying small red jets of water outwards.
"I'm sprinkling... I'm sprinkling... I'll keep sprinkling!"
Xiaocao seemed to be playing a game, but her tone was very resolute, and a fierce emotion arose spontaneously. Lin Yao knew that Xiaocao was getting tough.
Information gathered from various countries indicates that the power of "Morning Mist" has become astonishingly large. Even if each "Poison Man" can only restore a tiny bit of "Morning Mist's" strength, increasing its original power by one millionth, the sheer number of them has already made Xiaocao feel a serious threat. However, Xiaocao and Lin Yao are helpless against this, as their strength is not easily increased. Xiaocao's current actions clearly place her hopes on the Great Cauldron, hoping that it can have some function to deal with "Morning Mist".
The act of sprinkling blood was clearly intended to borrow from the legendary "blood recognition" ritual, allowing Lin Yao to control the mutated cauldron.
Lin Yao remained silent, letting the little grass spill its blood, stream by stream, ladle by ladle, onto the cauldron. Although the rapid blood loss made him slightly dizzy, his longing and hope deepened, gradually turning into a kind of fanaticism.
Suddenly, Lin Yao felt a strange connection between himself and the cauldron, an inexplicable connection. It was as if he was very clear about the rapidly moving streams of light and the changing shapes on the cauldron's body, and all the changes were deeply etched in his mind. But upon closer examination, it was as if he didn't understand anything at all, like looking at flowers through a fog.
After a long while, the cauldron stopped shaking, and its body became smooth and shiny. The dark blue color became even deeper, making it seem as if one's gaze was drawn into it. Intricate and mysterious symbols and patterns covered the entire body and legs of the cauldron. Even the two previously bare handles became extremely complex. One could tell at a glance that it was extraordinary and very different from its ordinary appearance outside the main hall of Emperor Yan's Mausoleum.
"How are you, Yao Yao?" Xiao Cao asked anxiously, momentarily forgetting to stop Lin Yao's bleeding.
"I can feel something about the cauldron, and many symbols have appeared in my mind. I can even control the white light bands to move slightly."
Lin Yao used his healing true qi to stop the bleeding from his wrists and heal the wounds. "By the way, I can still feel these white light bands. Although I can't see them with my eyes, I can feel them with my mind. It's just that they always stop at the mouth of the cauldron and can no longer continue to operate. It seems that there should be a lid on top. Now that the lid is missing, they can't continue to operate. I feel that they should be able to become very powerful. The cauldron may really be a magic artifact."
"Then let's try alchemy."
Xiao Cao sounded somewhat dejected. After going through so many rounds, consuming 343 spirit stones, and even causing Lin Yao to bleed so much, she still hadn't gained anything. This was quite a blow to her. At this moment, she could only hope that her alchemy skills wouldn't be affected, or at least wouldn't become worse than before. Otherwise, without pills, how could she fight against "Morning Mist"?
"Oh, okay." Lin Yao nodded. "I think alchemy should be easier now. I feel like I can see what's inside the cauldron. Let's give it a try."