The Last Sentinel

"Achoo!"

Hua Xiaobai rubbed the tip of her nose and chuckled softly, "Who's thinking about me now?"

He quickly gathered his scattered thoughts and focused intently on the giant 3D projection floating in front of him, no longer paying any attention to it.

At the bottom of the spaceship, the main AI was operating at full speed, with countless fine optical streams scanning the palm-sized bronze fragment layer by layer. The broken and blurred patterns of the ancient cauldron were precisely analyzed by the data, and bronze molten metal of the same proportion gushed out from the spaceship's core furnace, gradually filling in the missing patterns.

The pale golden light woven by the AI ​​repeatedly swept over the body of the cauldron, and the palm-sized fragments stretched and expanded at a speed visible to the naked eye, one foot, two feet, ten feet... their size increasing steadily.

On the spaceship's observation deck, King Liu of Hanzhong stared bloodshot at the rapidly forming bronze cauldron, unable to suppress his astonishment and anticipation: "Little Bai! Can the cauldron you've replicated from these fragments truly be exactly the same as the legendary Nine Provinces Cauldron? This is a matter of great importance concerning the future of our Fusu Great Xia; we can't be careless!"

"It's just a replica; how can it be compared to the real thing?" Hua Xiaobai said without turning his head, his tone indifferent yet full of confidence. "But to determine whether this fragment is a genuine piece of the Yuwang Nine Tripods, there's no other way but to rely on the supercomputer to reconstruct the entire shape of the tripod along the remaining patterns, and then compare it with the form and spirit recorded in ancient books. A single examination will reveal its authenticity!"

As soon as Hua Xiaobai finished speaking, his fingertips slid rapidly across the control panel, issuing several commands. The AI's operating speed increased again, and the formation of the cauldron progressed even faster.

Ayu, who was standing to the side, took two steps forward, his eyes full of eagerness, and raised his eyebrows to ask, "So what if it is really a fragment of the Xuzhou Cauldron? If it is not, what's the explanation? We can't just have wasted our time, can we?" Afei and Dianwei also turned their heads, obviously very concerned about this question. After all, they had heard the legend of the Nine Cauldrons since they were young and never thought that one day they would be able to witness the related secrets with their own eyes.

"An explanation? The secrets involved are so vast they could overturn the entire carbon-based universe!" Hua Xiaobai suddenly turned around, his gaze sweeping over everyone present. His tone abruptly rose, carrying an explosive force. "A while ago, I had a drink with Yu Huatian, the Commander-in-Chief of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. That old fox spilled the beans after drinking, revealing a shocking secret to me—a secret even the Jiajing Emperor wanted to cover up!"

Everyone was startled upon hearing this. Who was Yu Huatian? He was the head of the Ming Dynasty's Embroidered Uniform Guard, ruthless and well-informed. A secret that even he had to keep must be extraordinary. Old Liu leaned forward, urging, "Tell us quickly! What secret is it that's making you so surprised?"

Hua Xiaobai cleared his throat, lowered his voice, and spoke with a hint of mystery: "Everyone thinks that the Ming Dynasty only had the Jiajing Emperor to hold sway, and that he alone made the decisions in the court? Wrong! Utterly wrong! All the emperors in the ancestral temple of the Ming Dynasty, from Zhu Yuanzhang to Zhu Houcong, are alive! It's just that they are locked in the Jade Palace by the dynastic karma, becoming living dead, unable to step out of the Jade Palace even half a step!"

"What?!" Old Liu and A Fei exclaimed in unison, while Dian Wei's eyes widened, his burly body trembling violently as he gruffly said, "Holy crap! This is too unbelievable! Those emperors have been dead for hundreds of years, how can they still be alive?"

"Of course!" Hua Xiaobai said decisively, her tone filled with unwavering certainty. "And what has allowed so many former emperors to survive to this day is not the Imperial Seal of the State, but one of the Nine Tripods of the Nine Provinces! The Ming Dynasty holds one of the Nine Tripods of Yu the Great in its hands, and it is through the power of this tripod that those former emperors have been able to maintain their lives and await the opportunity to awaken!"

Dian Wei's eyes widened, his face filled with shock: "My goodness! Those legendary Nine Cauldrons that suppressed the nine provinces actually exist? I thought they were just mythical stories made up by historians!"

"Of course it exists, and it has existed since ancient times and has never disappeared," Hua Xiaobai said in a deep voice. "The Nine Cauldrons have long been rooted in the surface of Blue Star and are bound to the original will of this planet. They share the same fate, and they suffer the same fate."

"What's even more ruthless is that Grandpa Yu also said that even Yu the Great only recast the Nine Tripods back then. The origin of these things is even older than ancient times, and they couldn't possibly be created by ordinary people!"

"What's most incredible is its power!" A fanatical glint flashed in Hua Xiaobai's eyes, and his voice rose again. "The Nine Cauldrons can suppress the karma of a dynasty and stabilize the nation's destiny! As long as the cauldrons exist in the world, the foundation of a dynasty's destiny will never be broken. From emperors and generals to ordinary people, all the imprints of life belonging to this dynasty will be firmly preserved by the Nine Cauldrons and will never disappear!"

"What's even more terrifying is that once enough immense dynastic destiny is accumulated and the cauldron is ignited, time can be reversed, the entire dynasty can be revived, and it can be pushed back to its peak! At that time, all the civil and military officials, as well as the common people of that dynasty, will reappear in the world, and the glorious scene of the past will be reproduced!"

The moment these words were spoken, the entire hall fell silent! Everyone was so shocked by this heaven-defying power that they were speechless, their minds blank.

A moment later, Old Liu slapped his thigh, his voice cracking: "Holy crap! That's incredible! If the Great Ming Cauldron were restored, all sixteen emperors of the Ming Dynasty would come back to life, and the people of the Ming Dynasty for three hundred years could be brought back to life? Just thinking about that scene makes my blood boil!"

Ayu's eyes lit up, and a breathtaking scene flashed through his mind: "The Nine Cauldrons correspond to the Nine Dynasties. If all nine cauldrons are activated, the nine peak dynasties will be collectively resurrected! The heroes, sages, and famous generals of all dynasties will jump out of the history books, and our Fusu Great Xia will directly launch a trans-dimensional melee, a million times more exciting than the Hundred Schools of Thought of the Spring and Autumn Period! It will be incredibly exhilarating! At that time, a hundred schools of thought will contend, and heroes will vie for supremacy—that will be the true golden age!"

"Stop dreaming!" Hua Xiaobai interrupted coldly, pouring cold water on the situation with tremendous force. "The amount of fortune needed for the Nine Cauldrons to revive is so great that it could crush a planet. It's not something that can be easily gathered! Take the Ming Dynasty for example. That old Taoist Jiajing is launching high-intensity wars against other countries every day. Do you really think he's just bored and enjoys waging war?"

"Wrong! Utterly wrong!" Hua Xiaobai's tone was icy. "War can harvest the essence of other races' civilizations. The beings, culture, and heritage of those races can all be transformed into pure destiny energy and poured into the Great Ming Cauldron, thereby accelerating the resurrection speed of those old immortals in the Jade Capital! Every battle fought by Jiajing was accumulating the capital for the resurrection of those former emperors!"

Old Liu's expression changed, and he instantly grasped the key point. His tone was heavy yet tinged with fervor: "So, the carbon-based universe and all the myriad worlds are mortal enemies! If we want to revive the ancient dynasties, we must crush all otherworldly civilizations and seize all their destiny. This is a war destined to sweep across the heavens!"

Boom—!

Just then, a deafening roar erupted, causing the entire spaceship to shake violently. Everyone stumbled and grabbed the railings for support. They were all jolted awake, turning to look at the scene before them, instantly stunned by what they saw, their breath catching in their throats!

A bronze cauldron, three zhang tall, stood prominently in the center of their field of vision. Although it was just a replica, the dark blue aura around the cauldron surged out like a tide, and its majestic and awe-inspiring aura was overwhelming, making it almost impossible for everyone to breathe!

The patterns on the cauldron flow and are ancient and mysterious, carrying the domineering aura of the ancient times. Each pattern seems to contain endless power. Just one glance is enough to make people feel awe and dare not desecrate it in the slightest.

Hua Xiaobai's eyes narrowed, and she quickly stepped forward, pressing the AI ​​docking button firmly. Her movements were swift and decisive, without the slightest hesitation.

A cold, mechanical voice instantly resounded throughout the observation deck, every word clearly audible, carrying the coldness and rigor of technology, yet making everyone's hearts leap into their throats:

"Connection successful! Supercomputer activated, initiating a comprehensive analysis of the replica cauldron's origins!"

"This analysis draws upon core historical texts such as the *Classic of Mountains and Seas*, *Liezi*, *Commentary on the Waterways Classic*, and *Records of the Grand Historian*, integrating all textual, structural, and symbolic records concerning the Nine Tripods of Yu the Great, and comparing them item by item with the replicas!"

"A total of 95821 items were compared, with only 45 discrepancies, resulting in a 99.6% match! The shape, style, and patterns are all extremely similar to the legendary Xuzhou Ding!"

"The AI ​​has determined that what Young Master Tianyou said is true! Following his clues, we can accurately locate the position of the Xuzhou Cauldron!"

"Source tracing and deduction complete!"

As the mechanical voice faded, there was a three-second silence on the observation deck, followed by a deafening roar of cheers! Old Liu clenched his fists, his face flushed, his eyes filled with fervor, and shouted in a hoarse voice, "It's done! It really is the Xuzhou Ding! We've found a clue to the Xuzhou Ding!"

Dian Wei laughed loudly, his voice rough and deafening, making everyone's eardrums hurt; A Yu was so excited that he jumped up, his whole body trembling, his eyes sparkling with excitement.

Everyone's eyes were fixed on the ancient cyan cauldron, Hua Xiaobai's words echoing in their minds, and the excitement and fervor in their hearts almost burst out of their chests.

Finding the Xuzhou Cauldron means taking a step closer to reviving the ancient dynasty. A grand civilization feast that will sweep across the heavens and shake all worlds is about to officially begin in their hands!

Hua Xiaobai gazed at the giant bronze cauldron before him, a confident smile playing on his lips, his eyes gleaming with an unwavering determination—he was determined to possess the Xuzhou Cauldron!

Similarly, Hua Xiaobai wouldn't let go of An Qing's Qin Shi Huang's ascension to the throne.

Hua Xiaobai has just informed Brother Bashi that they must get the Denglong Map from An Qing at all costs, even if it means selling their body!

Adults don't make choices; adults want it all!