The interior of the Black Cauldron was a world unto itself, like a self-contained cave dwelling. Not only was there a central hall, but there were also several private chambers.
Clearly,
this was a Sect-Suppressing Magical Treasure.
Magical Treasures came in many categories. Some were used for attack, others for defense. For instance, the most common offensive treasures were various flying swords and weapons, while the most common defensive treasures were various mystical robes and armor.
A Sect-Suppressing Magical Treasure, as the name implied, was a treasure used to guard a sect. It could be used for both attack and defense, and could also serve as a cave dwelling for cultivation inside, or as a refuge from disasters and calamities.
Compared to common treasures like flying swords and armor that almost everyone possessed, Sect-Suppressing Magical Treasures were much rarer and far less common. Under normal circumstances, they were hard to come by. At the very least, personal fights wouldn't typically involve the use of a Sect-Suppressing Magical Treasure.
After all, forging a single Sect-Suppressing Magical Treasure was a monumental undertaking. It not only required various rare and precious resources but also demanded a high level of forging expertise. It required immense effort, even the toil of several generations, spanning countless years before it could be completed.
There was another crucial reason: the more profound and powerful a Magical Treasure was, the greater its consumption. A Sect-Suppressing Magical Treasure like this was difficult for one person to sustain alone. It often required several, dozens, or even hundreds of people supporting it simultaneously to operate normally.
Therefore,
such treasures were typically forged jointly by several powerful figures of major sects or families, used to guard their sect or family, take refuge from disasters and calamities, and passed down through generations as their Sect-Suppressing Magical Treasure.
After entering the Black Cauldron, Gu Qingfeng looked around and found the quality of this Sect-Suppressing Magical Treasure to be quite decent. He teased, "Not bad, Da Xing. Your luck is pretty good, picking up such a nice piece in this Chaotic Current Vortex. Pity, though. The treasure's structure is fractured. If we were outside, it could be repaired with some time. But in this Chaotic Current Vortex, I'm afraid it's nine times out of ten doomed."
"You still have the nerve to say that?"
Da Xing the Mad Monk grumbled while inspecting the extent of the Black Cauldron's damage. "This is all your doing!"
"What, you think I don't understand Magical Treasures or something?"
Gu Qingfeng opened a jar of fine wine, took a few gulps, and said, "This broken thing's structure wasn't very sturdy to begin with. It must have suffered a powerful impact earlier. Even if I hadn't intervened, this thing wouldn't have lasted long in the Chaotic Current Vortex."
"You're right, its structure wasn't very sturdy. But after I refined it, it could at least hold out for a while in the Chaotic Current Vortex. Now, after your little intervention, the damn structure is about to fall apart."
Da Xing the Mad Monk initially wanted to try repairing it, but looking at the nearly disintegrated structure, he thought better of it. It was like a person in their twilight years, with only one breath left, about to die of old age. No matter how skilled the healer, they couldn't bring the dead back to life. In other words, the Black Cauldron no longer had any value in repairing; it could only be left to its own fate.
"Kid Gu, this old monk was just about to break out of the Chaotic Current Vortex when you kicked me back in. I finally found a lucky break, thinking I had a place to stay, to avoid being crushed by the currents. Now you've broken it. What do you plan to do about it?"
"What's this?"
Gu Qingfeng showed not a shred of remorse. "Trying to extort me now?"
"What do you mean 'extort'? Isn't what I said the truth? I don't care! It was you who kicked me in here, and you who broke the treasure. When we get out later, you have to protect this old monk!"
"If you, old bald donkey, hadn't lured me in, would I have been swept into this Chaotic Current Vortex?"
"Kid Gu, we have to speak with a conscience! This old monk had no idea things would turn out like this! Can you blame me for that?"
Gu Qingfeng couldn't be bothered to argue these trivialities with Da Xing the Mad Monk. He said, "There's something I need to tell you."
"What is it?"
"Not long ago, I met one of your Zen Sect's Elders. I think his name was Hui Xin."
"Elder Hui Xin?"
Hearing this, Da Xing the Mad Monk's heart jolted. He quickly asked, "You met Elder Hui Xin? Where?"
"Right here in this Chaotic Current Vortex. He even asked me if I'd seen you."
"And then?"
"What 'and then'? There was no 'and then'...
Then your bunch of Zen Sect Elders just drifted away."
"What do you mean? You didn't just see Elder Hui Xin? You saw all our Zen Sect Elders?"
"Not all of them. At the time, I only saw a Buddhist pagoda. There should have been quite a few Buddhas inside."
"A Buddhist pagoda? That should be our Zen Sect's Great Treasury of No Form Tower."
Da Xing the Mad Monk murmured with a complex expression. "So, our Zen Sect Elders were also swept in? Yes, that must be it. It seems this old monk's guess was correct. This Chaotic Current Vortex is most likely the Desolate Ancient Black Hole."
Gu Qingfeng asked curiously, "Desolate Ancient Black Hole?"
"Kid Gu!"
Da Xing the Mad Monk snatched the jar of fine wine from Gu Qingfeng's hand, gulped down several mouthfuls until it was empty, then stared at Gu Qingfeng with a serious expression. "Do you know what this Chaotic Current Vortex really is?"
Gu Qingfeng shook his head, indicating he didn't know.
"If this old monk's guess is correct, this Chaotic Current Vortex should be the legendary Desolate Ancient Black Hole."
"What's a Desolate Ancient Black Hole?"
This was the first time Gu Qingfeng had heard of a Desolate Ancient Black Hole. He had previously heard of a Karmic Black Hole from the Daoless Age, but a black hole from the Desolate Ancient Era was something he had never encountered before.
"There's something I wonder if you've heard."
"What is it?"
"Legend has it that after the end of every era, a black hole appears. No era is an exception. When the Ancient Era ended, an Ancient Black Hole formed. When the Primal Era ended, a Primal Era black hole also formed. This includes the most mysterious Daoless Age; when it ended, a black hole formed as well."
"There's such a saying?"
Gu Qingfeng asked, "Why would the end of an era always form a black hole?"
"This old monk isn't the heavens themselves, how would I know? I've only heard that the root of all this is related to the Daoless Age. Probably a chain reaction caused by the Karmic Black Hole of the Daoless Age. Whether that's exactly it or not, this old monk isn't too sure. I only know that once such a black hole forms, it persists and grows larger and larger."
Hearing this, Gu Qingfeng couldn't help but recall what the Witch had said earlier. The Witch said this Chaotic Current Vortex had formed during the Desolate Ancient Era and had persisted until now. It seemed that was likely true.
"What are the consequences of being swept into such an era black hole?"
Just as Gu Qingfeng asked this, he suddenly noticed Da Xing the Mad Monk's eyes gleaming with a sharp light, looking very excited. "Why are you so excited!"