Day and night tour

Chapter 488 The Demon Cauldron
"Don't you know what kind of person Bai Yujing is? He doesn't care about worldly affairs and only indulges in his own pleasures."

The Longevity Cult Leader said, "Their sudden appearance must be because they have smelled the scent of good elixirs and come to witness the ceremony."

"I understand. They wouldn't have made such a big show of themselves in the sky if they hadn't smelled something beforehand."

At this point, the crippled monk added, "However, nothing is certain. If Zhou Xuan... Lord Zhou really can't refine a superior elixir..."

"What does that have to do with us?" the Immortal Cult Leader asked in surprise.

"It's quite a connection, isn't it?"

The crippled monk pointed at Zhou Xuan in the distance and said, "Bai Yujing has mobilized a large force; if they don't see that excellent pill, they will definitely kill Lord Zhou to vent their anger."
Who will go and kill Lord Zhou then? Won't this arduous burden fall on our shoulders?

"What are you afraid of? When something big happens, there will always be strong people to take it on."

The leader of the Longevity Cult pointed at the incense-burning Taoist priests and butchers on the mountain and said, "See them? The incense-burning Taoist priests and butchers are here. Do you think we can go up and kill them? Naturally, it should be the people from Baiyujing who will go and kill Lord Zhou!"

"At that time, that will be a matter between the incense-offering deities and Baiyujing; what does it have to do with us two?"

After saying this, the leader of the Longevity Cult added,
"Of course, if we really got into that kind of fight, we'd both be held accountable and suffer when we got back to Sky Dome. But at least we'd be safe, right?"

"Think about it, tonight, how many disciples of temples with nine incense sticks left burning have had their incense extinguished, their lives extinguished, their spiritual essence dissipated? Do you want to end up like them?"

The more the monk listened, the more he felt it made sense. This Longevity Cult Master truly deserves to be one of the "Ancient Gods." Look at his enlightenment. If he doesn't live long, who will?
The Heavenly Crippled Monk admired the Longevity Cult Leader even more.

……

From the stone house in the sky, Mr. Yan's eyes were constantly watching the Xiejia'ao area.
He seemed to have become a live broadcaster, reporting to Qingyangyu every few feet the alchemy furnace built by Sister Cui grew taller.

"Palace Master, that alchemy furnace has grown another ten zhang tall."

"Palace Master, the esteemed figures of Baiyujing have also appeared. All the important figures within the clan are paying close attention to tonight's alchemy transformation."

"The medicinal power of the pills in the sky is gradually weakening, and the pills of those great figures are even less effective. Without the pills, the Heavenly Fire Clan would lose its strong spirit and savage physique. It is only natural that Bai Yujing is also paying attention to the changes in pills."

Qingyangyu grabbed a few worms, stuffed them into his mouth, chewed for a while, and then, with an expectant look, said...

"If that mortal alchemist could continuously provide us with the finest elixirs, not to mention you, even I, the Palace Master of the Longevity Palace, would have to call Zhou Xuan 'Master Zhou' whenever I see him in the future."

The Palace of Longevity is located in the heavens and has some significance, but compared to the Jade Palace, it is insignificant.

If Zhou Xuan wins Bai Yujing's favor, he will become the most popular figure in the entire heavens.

“Zhou Xuan was discovered by me. If he becomes Master Zhou, then I will also have the merit of recommending him. At that time, the rewards from Baiyujing will naturally be plentiful.”

"Then I, Xiao Yan, must congratulate the Palace Master on his promotion once again."

"Of course, of course." Qingyangyu waved his hand and said, "You just keep a close eye on what's going on in the sick village. If I get any benefits in the future, you'll be included."

"Thank you, thank you." Mr. Yan was also overjoyed.

……

Relying on the laws of the earth, Sister Cui swiftly and precisely constructed the alchemy furnace.

Meanwhile, King Xishan was also prepared. At his command, five hundred foxes, as white as snow, surged into Xiejia'ao.

These foxes are used to cool down the newly built alchemy furnace.

King Xishan said to Zhou Xuan, "Master, the foxes of the fox clan are ready. As long as you give the order, these young foxes will risk their lives to stabilize the alchemy furnace."

Zhou Xuan nodded and then said softly, "Old Xi, I only know that Sister Cui needs these foxes to sacrifice their lives to build the alchemy furnace, but I don't know what role these foxes' lives will play. Anyway, I'm just idling around, so why don't you tell me?"

King Xishan was somewhat troubled and said, "Master, there is an ancient saying: 'A gentleman, seeing something alive, cannot bear to see it die; hearing its cries, cannot bear to eat its flesh. Therefore, a gentleman keeps away from the kitchen.'"
You are a virtuous and benevolent man. If you were to hear how the foxes would die, I fear you would be unable to bear the thought of the fox clan sacrificing their lives.

"What you need to know, you still need to know. Tell me."

Zhou Xuan said.

King Xishan had no choice but to say, "A-Cui built the alchemy furnace using the laws of the earth, but the furnace is too large. Once the furnace is built using the laws, the temperature of the furnace body will be extremely high."

If A-Cui wanted to enter the furnace and use the laws to solidify its internal structure, she would be burned to death by the intense heat. However, if she waited for the furnace to cool naturally, the power of the laws within would dissipate, and A-Cui would no longer be able to enter and modify its internal structure.

"so……"

"Therefore, some of the five hundred foxes of my fox clan will wrap their fox bodies around A Cui's body when her furnace form is complete, so that A Cui will not be burned to death by the high temperature."

The other group would deliberately sever their own necks, spilling their fox blood to cool the furnace surrounding Ah Cui.
This two-pronged approach ensured that Ah Cui wouldn't die while the furnace's interior was being constructed, and also guaranteed the furnace's rapid completion.

At this point, King Xishan pointed to the white foxes and said, "Our Snow Mountain Fox Clan has extremely cold blood, which is the best thing to cool the furnace."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Xuan asked curiously, "If the purpose is to cool the furnace, then the method isn't just sprinkling fox blood,..."

"You are a deity among men, and so are the musician and Brother Peng. My plan is to organize you all to bring a downpour to Xiejia'ao to cool the furnace. Isn't that a good strategy?"

"Master, you may not know this, but that rainwater not only lacks any spiritual power, but if it falls onto the furnace, it will turn the blue bricks red, causing the furnace to lose its spiritual power, which is detrimental to your alchemy plans."
But we foxes are different. We are born with spirituality, intelligent and clever. Soaking our bodies in blood at the furnace will even enhance our spirituality.

Hearing this, Zhou Xuan understood. He sighed and said, "That's a pity for the five hundred fox warriors. Of all the ways to die in this world, burning at the stake is the most miserable and tragic."

"The fox clan will follow one after another in their efforts to refine elixirs for the Great Master, and will never refuse."

King Himalaya said this.

Before this, the leader of the Longevity Cult and the Crippled Monk only wanted to select a few foxes as blood offerings, but the King of Xishan did not comply.

Now, for Zhou Xuan's sake, five hundred foxes are destined to die tragically, yet King Xishan doesn't even blink an eye.

King Xishan knows perfectly well who truly cares for the fox clan.

Zhou Xuan sighed and said, "Old Xi, after this is done, go to the Bureau of Wandering Gods and get some rare mountain delicacies to make up for those fox clan family members."

"No need for that. I had already arranged the benefits for those brave foxes when they were selected."

"That's your sentiment, and the mountain produce is my sentiment; the two don't conflict."

Zhou Xuan said.

King Xishan felt a warmth in his heart again and said, "On behalf of the brave foxes, I thank you, Master."

Zhou Xuan didn't speak again, but looked at the alchemy furnace that had already towered into the clouds.

At this time, the alchemy furnace had been repaired to the rim, and it looked like a huge, red-hot fireball, lying across the mountains of Xiejia'ao.

The surrounding trees and grass were all scorched and withered. Even though Sister Cui, who controlled the laws of the earth, was some distance away from the alchemy furnace, the tips of her white downy fur were also scorched yellow.

She looked in the direction of the King of the Mountains, clearly indicating that it was time to cool down the furnace.

King Xishan raised his hand high. As soon as his right hand fell, the five hundred fox warriors would rush towards the alchemy furnace and Sister Cui.

Meanwhile, Sister Cui was also doing her best to solidify a giant rock. Once this giant rock was wedged into the edge of the furnace, the main body of the furnace would be complete. Then, she would use the "Law of the Earth" to make some repairs to the interior of the furnace, shape the fire channels, and add a spiral base.
However, just as the boulder had floated and soared above the alchemy furnace, Zhou Xuan's Starry Sky Scroll began to vibrate, trying to break free from his grasp.

"What is this 'Starry Sky Scroll' for?"

Zhou Xuan did not forcefully retain the Starry Sky Scroll, but instead released his grip.

As soon as the scroll left my hand, it began to expand, eventually gaining the power to swallow the heavens and the earth.

The scroll, as thin as a sheet of paper, absorbed mountains, rocks, vegetation, the evening breeze, and many other tangible and intangible elements, all of which were swallowed up by it.

Its texture also became heavier, like a huge canopy hanging high above the alchemy furnace.

Puffs of pink mist emerged from the painting, enveloping the alchemy furnace.

The alchemy furnace, which had originally been like a fireball, was no longer scorching hot, and its body now displayed a faint blue color, like old ice.

"The temperature in the furnace just dropped on its own?"

The King of Xishan's face was tinged with worry—the alchemy furnace had changed, and he feared that this change would affect the results of today's alchemy.

The five hundred white foxes also looked bewildered, only able to keep an eye on King Xishan's gestures. Once King Xishan lowered his hand, they would charge as planned.

Sister Cui, not understanding why the temperature inside the furnace had suddenly dropped, followed closely toward the furnace.

Her idea was simple: if there wasn't a scorching high temperature inside the furnace, then the five hundred foxes wouldn't have to die.

Sister Cui was ultimately a kind-hearted cook.

As she drew closer to the pink mist, Zhou Xuan had already reached her in a flash.

"Sister Cui, stop."

"Brother Zhou..." Sister Cui was about to say something when Zhou Xuan called out to her.

Zhou Xuan pointed to the pink mist and said, "That is the Dao energy of the Dream Gods. You must not touch it."

What would happen if that wisp of Dao energy were touched? Zhou Xuan didn't know either, but he thought it wouldn't be a good thing.

"But the fog blocked the way to the furnace, so I couldn't get inside."

If Sister Cui cannot enter the furnace, she will not be able to repair its internal structure.

Without repairing the internal structure of the alchemy furnace, it would be useless; at best, it would just be a rocky mountain that looked remarkably like an alchemy furnace. The alchemy furnace underwent a strange change, and the incense-burning Taoist priest and the butcher gathered around.

"Zhou Housheng, what misfortune have you encountered this time?"

The incense-burning Taoist priest asked.

Zhou Xuan pointed to the alchemy furnace and said, "Old incense burner, the Dao energy of the Dream God suddenly appeared in front of that furnace, blocking Sister Cui's path."

After glancing at it, the butcher said to the incense-burning Taoist priest, "Old incense-burning priest, let's join forces and disperse that annoying Taoist energy in one fell swoop."

"Don't be rash."

After the incense-burning Taoist priest reprimanded the butcher, he said to Zhou Xuan, "Young Master Zhou, your Starry Sky Scroll is extremely wondrous, and it is itself a gluttonous beast that devours everything. Logically speaking, anything that goes into its mouth should not be spat out. But suddenly it spat out the aura of the Dream God, I'm afraid..."

"Could it be some kind of hint?"

Zhou Xuan countered with a question.

"That's right, if it's a hint... you'll probably have to go inside yourself."

"That's what the incense-burning Taoist priest said."

"The temperature inside that furnace is no less than that of heavenly fire. If you let Zhou Xuan in, he'll be burned to death inside. Who will be responsible?"

The butcher was unwilling for Zhou Xuan to enter the furnace. Although the furnace was like a block of ice, no one knew whether it was scorching hot inside.

He feared that Zhou Xuan might accidentally wander in and be burned to a pile of bones.

"Danger lurks in everything in this world. Zhou Housheng is at the age where he should venture out and take a chance."

"Why don't you go and try? You old bones, you'll just be ashes if you're burned to ashes. Zhou Xuan is the last seedling of our Wuwen Mountain."

The butcher has already regarded Zhou Xuan as his successor. Now that Zhou Xuan is about to die, it will take forever for him to find another successor.
"No one else needs to take responsibility; I will take responsibility for myself."

Amidst the arguing between the butcher and the Taoist priest, Zhou Xuan began to walk.

Although he didn't know what was happening inside the furnace, he knew that this Starry Sky Scroll came from the Blood Well.

Such a magical artifact shouldn't harm him.

The more Zhou Xuan thought about it, the bigger his steps became. In just a few steps, he reached the misty area, then pushed through it and entered, as naturally as if he were opening a curtain to keep the house warm in winter.

Upon entering the fog, he discovered that the alchemy furnace within was neither too hot nor too cold; its thick walls possessed a warmth similar to that of a human body.
Upon closer inspection, Zhou Xuan could also sense a surging "water flow" inside the furnace wall.

He looked up abruptly and discovered that the starry scroll hanging in the sky—with its fiery eye, like a human eye—waving at him.

The starry scroll seemed to come alive.

"Are you alive?"

Zhou Xuanqing couldn't help but ask.

The Starry Sky Scroll didn't make any overly dramatic noises, but the Starry Sky Fire Eye within the scroll blinked even more frequently, and Zhou Xuan could even read some kind of emotion from those blinks.

At that moment, the Dao energy of the dream gods surrounding them turned into a projection.

The projected image showed an extremely large alchemy furnace, and the furnace's walls were covered with hands.

Thousands of hands waved erratically.

Countless ordinary people, carrying gold, silver, food, and bricks, followed the winding mountain path beside the alchemy furnace like worshippers. At the end of the path, they threw their offerings into the furnace.

Some devout people, after offering their sacrifices, did not leave but silently murmured something. After they finished, they leaped into the furnace.
And on the wall of that alchemy furnace, there was now another waving arm.

These changing images undoubtedly explain the origin of the Starry Sky Scroll.

"Sure enough, the Starry Sky Scroll is the lid of this giant cauldron, and it is a living thing."

As Zhou Xuan was filled with emotion, he noticed that some of the Dao energy of the Dream God was flowing into the furnace from the top.

He hurriedly traveled away, and when he stopped, he stepped onto the rim of the alchemy furnace.

He looked down and saw that the Dao energy of the dream gods had transformed into pink streams, meandering within the furnace.

Where the river water touched, it corroded and etched out all the various structures inside the furnace.

"I understand."

Zhou Xuan understood now.

It turns out that building this furnace didn't require Sister Cui to personally carve the internal details. Once the furnace body was constructed, Starry Sky Scroll would take care of the rest.

The Starry Sky Scroll is a living being, and it is the lid of that huge alchemy furnace. It knows its own body too well. The etching it did for the furnace was a true fit.

"The lives of those five hundred foxes have been saved."

Having figured all this out, Zhou Xuan sat down on the edge of the stove and thought to himself,
"This furnace is a living thing, and according to the Taoist priests who used to worship it, the furnace originated from beyond the stars. This means that the alchemy furnace also came to the Jing Kingdom from a civilization in some starry sky."

Thinking of this, Zhou Xuan patted the edge of the furnace and said, "Starry Sky Scroll, work hard. Maybe one day I'll find the furnace body for you, and you can go back to your homeland for a visit?"

Upon hearing this, Starry Sky Scroll remained silent, but the pink river in the furnace was forced to flow much faster.

With the Starry Sky Scroll etching its own interior, the construction of this alchemy furnace was completed much faster than planned.

As the last pink stream disappeared, the entire alchemy furnace began to tremble.

Zhou Xuan knew that the alchemy furnace was now complete, so he left.

The large lid, formed from the starry sky scroll, descended inch by inch until it landed heavily on the furnace body.

"Boom! Boom!"

The alchemy furnace was covered, and the earth trembled. However, although the tremor was powerful, it quickly subsided as the distance increased.

By the time the aftershocks reached Mingjiang Prefecture, the tremors had lost much of their strength.
The people in those prefectural cities, celebrating the completion of their rebuilt homes, did not feel the strong tremors.
On the contrary, Jingchuan Prefecture and Huangyuan Prefecture, which are thousands of miles away from Mingjiang Prefecture, experienced strong tremors.

Some poorly constructed wooden buildings and thatched huts collapsed directly from the earthquake...

……

"Turn on the furnace and add the fuel."

Under the tutelage of the White Deer Hermit, Zhou Xuan first connected his mind with the alchemy furnace.
Then, after he shouted, the lid of the alchemy furnace opened a crack.

It's called a gap, but that's only in comparison to the enormous alchemy furnace. This so-called gap is large enough for a person to swagger in without even bending over.

The alchemy furnace was opened, and Zhou Xuan pointed towards his "Heavenly Book of Will," causing a surge of immense human willpower, as one of the alchemy materials, to continuously flow into the furnace.

All the people in Mingjiang Prefecture saw was the power of human wishes being poured into the furnace like ribbons of white silk.

Meanwhile, the "seven emotions and six desires," another material used in alchemy, transformed into colorful ribbons that intertwined with the white silk and spiraled into the alchemy furnace.

"Alchemy is actually quite simple: put in the ingredients, ignite the heavenly fire, and then just wait for the alchemy to finish."

The White Deer Taoist said.

Of course, proper alchemy is not that simple. Especially after the ingredients are added and the heavenly fire is put into the furnace, one must constantly monitor the fire in the furnace.

However, Zhou Xuan's furnace is quite different—it's an automated alchemy system. The furnace can control the heat itself, so you don't have to worry about it too much.

"Divine Thunder".

Zhou Xuan shouted again.

The King of Xishan, the musician, and Peng Sheng, who had been prepared in advance, simultaneously threw out their divine tokens.

Three divine sparks condensed in the sky above Mingjiang Prefecture, and then the three divine sparks struck each other, generating a golden divine lightning bolt that pierced through the heavens and the earth.

Divine thunder is heavenly fire.

However, Zhou Xuan's furnace was too large; divine lightning alone was not enough to serve as all the fuel for alchemy.
Therefore, Zhou Xuan pointed to the secret realm and brought out the two large fish, one blue and one red.

The two large fish swam in the air, and when they reached the place of the heavenly thunder, they were struck by the lightning and transformed into dragons.

Two small dragons, one blue and one red, covered in lightning, entered the alchemy furnace.

At that moment, tens of thousands of human hands sprouted from the walls of the mountain-like alchemy furnace.

……

Inside the Sky Dome Stone House, Qing Yangyu had been watching the show, but when he saw the densely packed, seaweed-like figures, he suddenly stood up, his eyes wide.

After staring blankly for a moment, he suddenly started clapping enthusiastically.

"Excellent, excellent! I'm afraid Zhou Xuan is truly destined to become Master Zhou. This batch of pills is excellent!"

"Xiao Yan, the cauldron demon has appeared. There must be some movement in Baiyujing. Keep a close eye on it and report back to me."

(End of this chapter)