Chapter 1470: Nine Province Great Formation

Though much larger, its shape was essentially the same, and a familiar sensation emanated from it. The Nine Cauldrons were, of course, far more powerful now than when he had possessed them, clearly having reached their true form.

Watching Yu use the Nine Cauldrons to suppress the Nine Provinces, Zu An's heart bled, knowing they would be irretrievable once used for suppression. He knew Yu had forged the Nine Cauldrons, but he was their current owner. Moreover, he had brought them to this world and used them to open Yu's true mausoleum.

From a distance, Yu glanced at him, as if he had heard his silent complaint. Feeling that immense pressure, Zu An's breath hitched. He quickly and submissively said, "Go ahead and use them, great one. It's perfectly fine." These two individuals were on a far higher plane than Xiangliu or the Demon Emperor; even a minor ripple from their battle could reduce them to dust. It was best not to draw their attention.

At this moment, Gonggong's expression turned grave—it was bewildering how a mere skull could convey such vivid emotion. Seeing the water spouts suppressed, he immediately conjured a water blade hundreds of yards long. With a swing, the mountains along its path were sliced through like tofu.

Zu An: "..."

He swiftly activated his Wind-Fire Wheels, sweeping the three women into the air. They had barely ascended when the mountain peak beneath them began to slide, revealing a smooth, freshly-cut surface where the blade had passed. Recalling the instant his hair stood on end, Zu An's expression grew solemn. Such a strike was like divine punishment—could any human truly endure it?

At this point, Yan Xuehen gently pushed him away. "Our injuries have mostly healed," she said. "We can fly on our own now; you don't need to carry us."

Yun Jianyue also cast a sidelong glance at him. This journey to the Unknowable Land had allowed that rascal to take considerable liberties. She decided not to mention it to Honglei when they returned, to avoid any misunderstandings.

"My apologies, I'm just used to holding you," Zu An said awkwardly, his mind, however, elsewhere. If Yu Yanluo felt like a piece of suet jade when held, then Chu Huanzhao was like a cold jade, and Yun Jianyue akin to a fiery Wuyang jade. Truly, each had their unique charm, making it impossible to say which was superior.

The three women exchanged odd glances, finding his words strangely amiss. Their attention, however, was quickly drawn to the battle below. Yu, with both hands, drew a circle above his head, which rapidly formed a transparent barrier, identical in shape to the Nine Cauldrons they had seen earlier. For a fleeting moment, Zu An thought he was watching Xiong Ba perform the "Three Points Return to One Qi" technique.

Just then, Gonggong roared, and his strike landed squarely on the barrier surrounding Yu. It wasn't just one strike; several afterimages of blade light followed, stacking almost instantaneously. With a thunderous crash, a blinding radiance erupted from the impact's center, and water mist exploded everywhere. The powerful shockwave blasted Zu An and his companions, making it impossible for them to stand firm, forcing them to retreat dozens of miles.

Fortunately, their high vantage point offered an unobstructed view, allowing them to witness the events unfolding. As the water mist dispersed, Yu's figure gradually reappeared. The phantom images of the Nine Cauldrons surrounding him remained luminous and pristine, showing no sign of damage. Zu An and his companions were dumbfounded. Gonggong's terrifying attack had utterly failed to breach his opponent's defense? Was this the extent of power an earth-element cultivator could achieve at their peak?

At that moment, Yu slowly spoke. "I gave you your chance," he said. "Now it's my turn." With a wave of his hand, the sky abruptly darkened, as if a colossal meteor was plummeting.

Gonggong cried out in alarm, "Yu, you cheated! You were just using the Nine Cauldrons to draw upon the power of the Nine Provinces to set up a grand formation!"

Only then did Zu An and the others clearly discern it: it was no meteor, but one of the Nine Cauldrons, magnified countless times, descending from the heavens to crush Gonggong. Gonggong attempted to dodge, but the sheer scale of it made evasion impossible. He roared, and a surge of black energy enveloped his body as he swelled to many times his original size. Innumerable arms, formed of water, sprouted from his back. He seemed to transform into a titan, each arm as thick as a small mountain. Roaring defiantly at the sky, he pushed upwards against the descending cauldron.

With a deafening crash, the colossal phantom of the Nine Cauldrons collided with the titan that Gonggong had become. The ground beneath Gonggong instantly shattered, as if the very earth could not bear the immense weight. Yet, Gonggong somehow held his ground!

Zu An and his companions were still marveling when strange changes began to unfold. Many of the colossal, water-formed arms around Gonggong's body began to fail, shattering and dissolving into a torrential downpour. Gonggong's own massive body was forced to bend downwards, his legs unable to sustain the weight. One knee dropped to the ground, and he could only manage to resist by leveraging the power of his back.

"Gonggong can't hold on!" Yan Xuehen and Yun Jianyue exclaimed in unison.

The Demon Emperor, lurking in the shadows, reached the same conclusion. He silently rejoiced that he had decisively defected earlier, not joining Gonggong, but instead seizing the chance to completely drain Fuyou's cultivation. As the emperor of the demon race, his imperial treasury naturally contained secret texts on blood-draining techniques that absorbed vital essence and cultivation from others. However, he had always considered these dark arts, believing the absorbed power to be impure and inferior to that gained through legitimate cultivation, so he had rarely used them. Now, however, to recover his injuries and temporarily boost his combat strength, he didn't mind utilizing them. He had initially set out full of confidence, aiming to settle old scores with Gonggong, but witnessing Gonggong's battle with Yu had instantly chilled his resolve. The cultivation realms of these two vastly surpassed his; how could he possibly contend with them?

Soon, however, excitement surged through him. As a peerless expert, he had reached the pinnacle of cultivation in his own realm and had long been unsure of the path forward. Now, witnessing two high-level figures battling firsthand, he felt the flow of Dao principles within him, and new insights emerged ceaselessly. Once he returned to seclusion for a few months to slowly digest these new insights, he would likely break through the bottleneck that had held him back for nearly a century. Human Emperor Zhao Hao would be no match for him; then, he would let the world know who truly reigned supreme.

Gonggong roared, his aura suddenly surging. His muscles bulged, and he forcibly lifted the great cauldron above him by another fraction, even faintly appearing as if he might rise again. A beam of light shot from Yu's eyes, striking directly upon the phantom of the great cauldron. The great cauldron immediately blazed with renewed light and pressed down once more.

Gonggong gritted his teeth, his muscles trembling, but he slowly buckled. First, his knees hit the ground, then his back could no longer straighten, and finally, his entire body was completely submerged beneath the great cauldron, his form no longer visible on the ground.

After a while, the phantom of the great cauldron gradually blurred and vanished. A deep crater appeared on the ground, but there was no sign of Gonggong's body. Beyond the collapsed section of earth, there were no other anomalies to be seen.

"Did Gonggong just manage to escape elsewhere?" Yu Yanluo asked curiously. "Don't Earth Immortals possess the ability to disregard spatial distance to a certain extent?"

Yan Xuehen shook her head slightly. "No," she said. "That phantom cauldron carried its own confining properties; the surrounding space cannot be traversed. Moreover, while this ground appears normal, there's a tremendous, hidden power within it. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, Gonggong has been utterly sealed beneath. It's likely not a physical sealing underground, but rather into a special dimension."

"I hadn't expected someone of your cultivation level to possess such insight," Yu remarked, glancing towards them with a note of appreciation in his voice, clearly endorsing her assessment.

Learning that the mighty Gonggong had met his end so swiftly after emerging, Zu An and his companions, as well as the distant Demon Emperor and his son, were all filled with dismay.

After uttering that casual remark, Yu prepared to depart. He had fulfilled his mission and was on the verge of dissipation, wishing to take one last look at the world in his final moments.

Zu An hastily called out to him, "Wait a moment! You've damaged my property; shouldn't there be some compensation?"