Even if the Nine Provinces Cauldron cannot unleash its complete power for now.

This cauldron is indestructible, and that small world is equivalent to a safe house you can hide in at any time.

And it's a safe house that can fly around, which can be said to be extremely convenient.

It's just that the cauldron is too big, too conspicuous, and doesn't fly very fast either. For regular travel, riding a horse is still more practical.

You retract the Nine Provinces Cauldron into your body.

The Ten Thousand Souls Banner lets out a shriek.

"Ah! This thing's divine nature is too strong! Keep it away!!"

You laugh mockingly.

"Weren't you all impatient earlier, begging me to find you a companion?"

"Blame it on my current vessel not being up to par! Otherwise, as a dignified Immortal Artifact, I wouldn't be afraid of it either!"

Suddenly, your nose twitches, and you smell the scent of a supreme treasure once again.

"There's another master?"

That's not right.

You remember when the Nine Provinces Cauldron emerged, you only smelled that one supreme treasure. Where did a second one come from?

Is it those Spirit Artifacts that were paying homage flying over?

Even if they were Heaven-Grade Spirit Artifacts, the "Treasure-Sniffing Nose" wouldn't judge them as supreme treasures.

You take out the Ten Thousand Souls Banner and shake it in your hand. A large number of demon souls are released by you, transforming into streaks of black light that fly in all directions.

"Ten Thousand Ghosts Rush to Market!"

This is one of the Ten Thousand Souls Banner's killing moves, though this move has little destructive power. It just scatters the ghost slaves out, turning them into your eyes and ears to scout the surrounding situation.

"Buddy, what's wrong? Suddenly so tense?"

"There seems to be another treasure nearby."

"No way? What kind of dogshit luck is this? Are you going to obtain two Great Dao Immortal Artifacts in one day? You're crazy!"

Just after complaining, the Ten Thousand Souls Banner seems to sense something.

"That's not right... it seems like... an Earth Vein?!"

"Earth Vein?!"

"Don't just repeat what I say! Hurry up and chase it with your dog nose! Earth Veins can run!"

"I'm chasing, I'm chasing!"

Earth Veins indeed can run.

You've been digging here for several days and never smelled the scent of a second supreme treasure.

But just now you smelled it, clearly having come from somewhere else.

You mount Black Wind. Black Wind steps on black flames, running at full speed, transforming into a fiery meteor streaking across the land of the Eastern Wastes, chasing the Earth Vein under your guidance.

"It runs this fast?"

Black Wind has only evolved once. It can serve as your mount, but compared to your full-speed state, it's still quite lacking.

You have Black Wind wait in place, jump off the horse's back, activate your Golden Body state, and step on the Rocket Step technique which has already reached the Transcendent Mastery realm. With a "whoosh," you shoot out like a rocket!

Now you understand why you couldn't find the Earth Vein after searching for so many years last time.

This Earth Vein is just too good at running!

And it runs way too fast!

"That's not right..."

You stop, panting heavily, covered in sweat.

The Ten Thousand Souls Banner urges you on.

"Why are you stopping! Keep chasing! Keep chasing! Defying heaven and changing fate is today!!"

"No, I feel like it's toying with me..."

"What?!"

"When I get close, it speeds up. When I fall behind, it slows down. I've been running for two days and I'm still here! It's leading me in circles!"

"Earth Veins are indeed like that. It's still a 'child'."

"Spit out all the information you have, kid! Don't squeeze it out bit by bit like toothpaste!"

The Ten Thousand Souls Banner's knowledge about Earth Veins comes from its original master.

Although, due to the Artifact Spirit being damaged, much of its original memories have been lost.

But it still remembers some.

The original master was an unprecedented, peerless great evil cultivator, who once provoked a joint pursuit and suppression by both the human and demon tribes.

He ultimately failed in his endeavor, and even the Ten Thousand Souls Banner was implicated, destroyed in the great battle, nearly having its Artifact Spirit scattered.

This great evil cultivator had visited and investigated many places, learning about the miraculous existence of Earth Veins.

Earth Veins have consciousness, like a naive, simple child, even a bit mischievous and troublemaking.

It likes to run around wildly underground, wandering aimlessly.

The original master once wanted to capture an Earth Vein, refine it, and help himself take his cultivation to the next level.

The original master was relatively lucky, encountering an Earth Vein by chance, but couldn't catch it, letting it escape.

"As long as you cultivate within an Earth Vein, even a pig can become stronger!"

"Really?"

"Buddy! I, the Ten Thousand Souls Banner, am famously truthful! Stop wasting time, hurry up and chase!"

"No, chasing like this is too stupid. I feel like the Earth Vein is laughing at me. Use your brain!"

You stop moving.

You sniff and find the Earth Vein has also stopped moving.

"So it really was toying with me. It thinks it's fun watching me chase it until I'm panting and gasping, huh..."

You must figure out why the Earth Vein appeared here, why it appeared now.

"I've got it!"

You release the Nine Provinces Cauldron.

"Boom!!"

With a loud noise, the hundred-meter-tall behemoth lands heavily on the ground.

You sniff carefully. The scent of the Earth Vein is getting closer.

But it's approaching cautiously, very slowly.

"So that's how it is..."

The Ten Thousand Souls Banner is frantic.

"Are we chasing or not?! We finally encountered one!"

"Don't panic. It will come over by itself."

"Why? Because you're handsomer than others?"

"Because of the Nine Provinces Cauldron. The Earth Vein was attracted here by the Nine Provinces Cauldron."

You speculate that in the last simulation, when the Nine Provinces Cauldron emerged, the Earth Vein didn't come.

Because at that time, the Nine Provinces Cauldron, just as the Sword Lord said, was merely a large brick.

But this time, with Da Chun as the incomplete Artifact Spirit, the Nine Provinces Cauldron has recovered a trace of its divine might.

Probably the Earth Vein sensed it, so it came.

After waiting for several hours, you feel that scent of the Earth Vein is already right beneath your feet.

It's right underground!

"Dragon Flame Profound Art!"

Without hesitation, you unleash this High-Grade martial art, punching towards the ground beneath your feet! Flames spew from your arm, rushing straight into the earth, opening up a fissure!

You shrink the Nine Provinces Cauldron, grab it in your palm, and jump down through the fissure!

This time, the Earth Vein doesn't leave.

Inside the underground cavern, you see a white light mass resembling a ghost.

It's enormous, occupying the entire cavern.

Rather than saying you "see" it, it's more accurate to say it envelops you.

"This is the Earth Vein... Ten Thousand Souls Banner, what should I do next to increase my cultivation?"

"Release me, insert me into the center of this light mass, then sit cross-legged, close your eyes, calm your mind, circulate your energy and cultivate. Leave the rest to me!"

You sit down as instructed by the Ten Thousand Souls Banner and begin practicing your cultivation.

"Little Wan, if my cultivation increases from this, you'll deserve the top credit!"

The Ten Thousand Souls Banner's sinister voice comes through.

"Of course..."