Day and night tour

Chapter 489 Furnace explosion?

"A cauldron demon? This cauldron is the cauldron demon from back then?"

Mr. Yan had obviously heard of this name and asked.

"A cauldron with ten thousand hands, capable of devouring everything, what else could it be but a cauldron demon?"

Qingyangyu clapped his hands and laughed, "Excellent, excellent! If Zhou Xuan can subdue the cauldron demon, and with the two large fish of green and red tails, the precious pill will be perfected, the precious pill will be perfected."

Mr. Yan was also excited when he heard this, after all, Qing Yangyu had promised him that he would also get a share of the benefits if Bai Yujing gave any rewards.

His eyes then turned to the white jade palace.

After the cauldron demon revealed its true form, Bai Yujing seemed to receive a strange resonance as well.

Countless hands emerged from the snow-white wall, swaying like seaweed.
The once-feared Jade Palace was then erupted with a series of terrifying, chilling laughs.

It seemed to be overjoyed at the prospect of the soon-to-be-released elixir...

……

Countless hands were waving incessantly, seemingly grasping at something.
Before Xiejia'ao, Zhou Xuan and the painter were all astonished by the scene before them.

The alchemist Bai Lu, who was skilled in alchemy, was squatting on the ground, his hands supporting his chin, seemingly deep in thought.

Zhou Xuan walked up behind Bai Lu, kicked him in the butt, and asked, "Old Bai Lu, what are you thinking about?"

The White Deer Alchemist quickly stood up and said to Zhou Xuan, "Master, what are those hands grabbing?"

"How should I know? I can't see anything."

Zhou Xuan said.

The White Deer Taoist patted his chest and said, "What they're capturing are the fragrant souls and the fire spirits..."

"The origin of the incense offerings in the Kingdom of Jing?" Zhou Xuan asked.

"Yes Yes."

The White Deer Alchemist said, "Human desires, the seven emotions and six desires, and the incense offerings of the Well Kingdom—if these three ingredients are continuously refined in the furnace, who knows what will eventually be produced?"

"Will the furnace explode?" That was all Zhou Xuan cared about.

His goal tonight was extremely simple—to refine a good elixir, thereby gaining the approval of the Heavenly Vault and successfully becoming a Heavenly Vault Pill Master.

Then, he used this pill to barter with "Heaven and Earth" in exchange for Mu Hua's "resurrection of the dead".

Judging from the current situation, as long as the furnace doesn't explode and it steadily produces pills, the quality of those pills will definitely be good.

"It will definitely not explode. This furnace has its own spirit, and it knows how to refine pills."

Thinking of this, the White Deer Alchemist added, "But I wonder what kind of elixir it will refine."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Xuan became suspicious and said to the White Deer Taoist, "That's not right, Old White Deer, you didn't say that before."

Bai Lu, the alchemist, previously judged that the "Starry Sky Scroll" could indeed automatically refine elixirs, but a problem arose: the scroll's drawback was that it could only refine one specific type of elixir.

Since the medicinal dust refined from the Starry Sky Scroll last time was the "Heaven and Earth Longevity Pill", then the pill refined this time should also be the Heaven and Earth Longevity Pill.

"Alas, sir, this great cauldron is too wondrous. I have never seen anything like it before."

Bai Lu, the alchemist, used to think that the "Starry Sky Scroll" could only be used to refine "human willpower," but it turns out that this thing can devour anything, even the night breeze that drifts by at night.

"Let's see how it's refined."

Zhou Xuan stood with his hands behind his back, waiting quietly.

Heavenly Fire and the Blue and Red Pisces have both been placed in the furnace.
Human desires, emotions, and incense offerings have all been successfully invested. All he has to do is wait until the cauldron is opened and the elixir is released.

Tianqiong and Baiyujing were both focused on this batch of pills, but Zhou Xuan showed no signs of tension. He watched it like a play, as if someone was just waiting to bring him a chair, hand him a teapot, or give him some melon seeds.

He sipped his tea while watching the alchemy process.

Woo~woo~woo~
Inside the alchemy furnace, a series of ghostly wails and howls erupted continuously, the sounds of evil spirits shifting between mournful lamentation, wailing, and the scratching of sharp claws against metal.
These mournful sounds left the painters and musicians in a daze.

As the sound continued, the color of the alchemy furnace gradually changed.

That stove was made by Sister Cui using mountain stones, and the mountains in Mingjiang Prefecture are mostly made of hard bluestone.

The original color of this furnace was naturally blue, and with the celestial fire burning inside, the light shining through the furnace caused the blue bricks to gleam, giving them a greenish-glazed sheen.
But gradually, these mixed green and blue colors began to become somewhat transparent.
First, it appeared as a thick fog, then the thick fog turned into a thin fog, and the thin fog then thinned into a window screen.

Finally, the window screen was gone, and the entire furnace became the color of transparent glass. The scene inside was no longer obstructed and was clearly displayed before everyone's eyes.
Zhou Xuan then saw that inside the furnace was not fire, but a clear, swirling substance, like a stream.
Countless living people struggled in the clear water; some tried to escape, but were caught in the eddies and couldn't get away.

"help me……"

The living people inside the cauldrons frantically waved and shouted at Zhou Xuan and the painter.

Zhou Xuan couldn't actually hear their voices, but he could still discern their cries for help from the shape of their mouths.

Fearing that Zhou Xuan would be soft-hearted, the White Deer Taoist quickly said, "Master, these people are all formed from the seven emotions and six desires; they are not real people. You must not feel pity for them."

Originally, the power of human vows would also take human form, but these vows worshipped Zhou Xuan too much. Tonight, they were determined to refine pills for Zhou Xuan, so they became the water in the furnace, cooperating very well.

But those "seven emotions and six desires" were not so cooperative, unwilling to merge with the elixir, and constantly struggled to break free.

"What kind of weak and yandere things have I done that you all think I'm not heartless?"

First came the advice of the King of Xishan, "A gentleman keeps away from the kitchen," and now the White Deer Alchemist is telling Zhou Xuan not to be moved by "compassion."
Zhou Xuan was somewhat speechless. He even wondered if he was too dignified, causing everyone to think he was a saint in troubled times.

“I am quite kind-hearted, but even when I am extremely compassionate, I know that there is a time and a time to lose.”

Zhou Xuan said firmly.

Upon hearing this, the White Deer Alchemist stopped trying to persuade him.

The alchemy process continued, but soon, it seemed that the method of alchemy had encountered some problems.
The problem is that those who cried for help are floating in the clear water, but there is no sign of them being refined.

These people are products of the seven emotions and six desires. To refine the elixir, they must be torn apart, mixed together, and then their essence extracted.
The essence is extracted and condensed to form an elixir.

"These people can't refine it? This cauldron is overly ambitious."

This was also the first time that the White Deer Alchemist had ever "visualized alchemy." In the past, when he refined pills, the furnace was just a furnace. To know what was going on inside the furnace, he had to judge by the color, direction, and size of the fire.

Therefore, an alchemist needs to undergo many years of honing their skills and accumulating rich experience before they can refine the best elixirs.

As for Zhou Xuan's batch of pills, what kind of master's experience does he need? He can just observe it directly.

This method of alchemy was far too simple for the old white deer.

After listening to the words of the White Deer Alchemist, Zhou Xuan asked, "What do you mean by saying that this elixir cauldron is overrated?"

"Since this alchemy cauldron is a living thing, it possesses human-like intelligence. And with human-like intelligence comes human weaknesses—humans, especially experts, tend to overestimate themselves."
If it succeeds, then it's a testament to skill and daring; if it fails, then it's simply a display of ambition and a desire for quick success.
This towering alchemical cauldron, as tall as a mountain, is probably the latter.

The White Deer Alchemist looked regretful and said, "It absorbed too much of the seven emotions and six desires, and then tried to refine it all at once, but it couldn't."

Zhou Xuan had no time to listen to Bai Lu Fangshi's nonsense; he was only concerned with "what will happen to the furnace if it can't be refined?"

"It will explode."

The White Deer Alchemist said, "The fire in the furnace keeps burning, but the seven emotions and six desires cannot be refined. Over time, the fire will become more and more intense, so intense that it exceeds the furnace's capacity, and the furnace will collapse."

"Should we blow up the oven?" A hint of worry finally appeared in Zhou Xuan's eyes.

He never expected that this furnace cauldron would also have human flaws, adding extra work for itself.

Before he could finish his rant, the White Deer Taoist priest started shouting and yelling.
"Sir, there are signs that the oven is about to explode."

The White Deer Alchemist was seen hopping mad, slapping his thighs repeatedly, his heart burning with anxiety. Zhou Xuan also looked towards the furnace, and there he saw that the two large fish, one blue and one red, were no longer fish at all.

Those two fish transformed into two dragons, and giant dragons at that, one blue and one red, churning the seas in the cauldron.

The two dragons were still growing larger. Their enormous bodies were already too much for the mountain-like cauldron to bear. If this continued, the blue and red dragons wouldn't even need to cause any trouble; their bodies alone would be enough to shatter the cauldron.

"Old White Deer, is there any way to refine those seven emotions and six desires?"

"If it's another small furnace, there are some ways to do it. It's just a matter of lifting the lid of the furnace and taking out the unrefined materials inside."

"Can those extracted materials still be used?" Zhou Xuan asked.

"It's unusable. Between two evils, choose the lesser: discard a batch of materials and preserve the furnace. This is a common practice among alchemists."

The White Deer Taoist sighed and said, "But this cauldron is too big, taller than a mountain. It contains azure and crimson heavenly fire. If the energy contained within were to erupt, it could cause most of Mingjiang Prefecture to collapse. Anyone who enters this cauldron is doomed."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Xuan made a decision. After only a few thoughts, he suddenly shouted at the furnace, "Starry Sky Scroll, open the lid and let me into the furnace."

“Sir, are you going to remove the excess emotions and desires? You absolutely mustn’t do that.”

The White Deer Taoist hurriedly advised.

His old friends also advised Zhou Xuan to observe the situation further.

“Xuanzi, don’t act rashly. Let the furnace refine them on its own for a while. Maybe it will digest all those people in a little while.”

Yun Ziliang was also afraid that something might happen to Zhou Xuan.

Zhou Xuan shook his head and said, "If we wait any longer, I'm afraid we'll miss the last chance."

He feared that if he waited any longer, the situation with the furnace would take a sharp turn for the worse, and then the whole situation would be beyond repair.

"The two large fish, one blue and one red, are raised in my secret realm. They possess seven emotions and six desires, and are subject to my laws of destiny. The surging human will is the result of the people of Mingjiang Prefecture's trust in me."
They all have deep ties to me, and I believe they won't harm me; that's the main reason I'm going to put them in the furnace.

Zhou Xuan was not a reckless man. Although his thoughts had been racing just now, it did not mean that he had not given it much thought.

"These cauldrons and materials are not easy to obtain. If they are destroyed, it will take a lot of effort to collect them again. They cannot be destroyed."

Zhou Xuan strode towards the furnace.

The White Deer Alchemist seemed to sense something else in Zhou Xuan's words, and he hurriedly reminded him, "Master, if you put it into the furnace, you will bring out all those emotions and desires. Even if you ruin this pot of elixir, you must protect the furnace."

"Nonsense, I want both the furnace and the pills. I'm going to go into the furnace to help that Starry Sky Scroll refine the seven emotions and six desires."

"..." Bai Lu Fangshi wanted to say something, but Yun Ziliang covered his mouth and nose, forcing him to shut up.

Yun Ziliang knew Zhou Xuan all too well. He said to Bai Lu, the Taoist priest, "Old Bai Lu, listen to me carefully. Xuanzi is a flexible person. Just because he does things doesn't mean he's reckless. Just observe and don't give him any more advice."

“If you offer too many suggestions, it will only annoy the Master,” Li Changxun chimed in from the side.

"But Master... Master doesn't understand alchemy..." Bai Lu, the alchemist, broke free from his gag and said hesitantly.

Li Changxun said irritably, "You do know about alchemy, but—did you kill the fish monk? Did you learn the method of human alchemy from him? Did the blue and red fish follow you? Does that giant alchemy furnace obey you?"

This series of questions left the White Deer Taoist speechless, and he kept shaking his head.

"Isn't that right? Even if you understand alchemy, you can't do these important tasks. The Master doesn't understand them, but he still does them smoothly. So, Master, we can't see through them, so we can just watch."

Li Changxun's words enlightened Bai Lu, the sorcerer.

He always considered himself "the most knowledgeable alchemist in the world," so he often regarded Zhou Xuan as a beginner alchemy apprentice.

But now he realized that this so-called apprentice, without even having the incense of alchemy truly lit, had already gone very, very far on the path of alchemy...

……

Zhou Xuan had already approached the cauldron, but there was no sign that the lid of the cauldron had been opened.
However, the arms on the cauldron, which resembled seaweed, all grew longer and slowly stretched out towards Zhou Xuan.

Zhou Xuan did not avoid those hands; he heard rapid breathing sounds.

These breathing sounds seemed to be the cauldron's cry for help.

After those hands, one after another, had completely bound Zhou Xuan, they withdrew.

Zhou Xuan, like a fleshy embryo, drew closer and closer to the cauldron. The scene looked terrifying, but from Zhou Xuan's perspective, he felt that the cauldron was the one trapped in a swamp, and its hand wrapped around Zhou Xuan as if it had grasped a lifeline.

As his hand retracted, Zhou Xuan's figure, like a wisp of light, slowly pierced through the extremely thick furnace wall.

The process of penetration was very slow, so slow that the painter, Yun Ziliang, and Mr. Bailu felt as if time had frozen.
Every one of them was worried for Zhou Xuan.

Meanwhile, Zhou Xuan's heartstrings were also tied to the incense-burning Taoist priest, the butcher, as well as Bai Yujing and Qingyang Yu.

The White Jade Capital seemed to be closer to Mingjiang Prefecture, and its majestic city silhouette was several times more magnificent than before.

Inside the Sky Dome Stone House, the fat worm that Qing Yangyu had stuffed into his mouth was wriggling on its own—he was so worried about Zhou Xuan that he forgot to chew.

Only after he saw Zhou Xuan's figure had completely passed through the cauldron wall did his tense nerves relax slightly.

He said to Mr. Yan, “Inside the sick village, there are disgusting patients everywhere, but Zhou Xuan is not a patient. He is a warrior, a warrior who dares to be the first in the world. He dared to go into the furnace alone. In our Heavenly Fire Clan, such a powerful warrior is rare, very rare.”

Mr. Yan clapped his hands and said, "Palace Master, tonight, the Heavenly Vault will be receiving some talented people."

"He's not just talented, he's incredibly talented, a genius. Only someone like him can solve our Heavenly Dome's elixir crisis."
Only someone like him could make the cauldron demon submit and make the blue and red fish acknowledge him as its master.

Qingyangyu said this.

Mr. Yan, however, showed a worried expression and said, "Palace Master, the more outstanding Zhou Xuan is, the more worried I become. The doctors in the mortal realm would absolutely not want such a talent to serve the Heavenly Vault. If they were to kill him, like what happened at Hidden Dragon Mountain back then, I'm afraid..."

"That is indeed a concern."

Qingyangyu sighed and said, "Once Zhou Xuan finishes refining the pill today, I will go to Baiyujing to see if those officials have any good ideas on how to ensure Zhou Xuan's safety."

……

Zhou Xuan had already entered the alchemy furnace.

The heavenly fire in the alchemy furnace rushed towards him, and two large dragons, one blue and one red, were hidden within the heavenly fire.

Zhou Xuan's perception was extremely sharp; he immediately pointed in the direction of the blue-red fish and shouted, "Do you recognize who I am?"

The blue and red fish transformed into dragons, their ferocity becoming apparent, and their minds no longer clear. However, with Zhou Xuan's shout, the two fish were somewhat awakened and recognized Zhou Xuan as the master of the secret realm.

They immediately stirred up the heavenly fire and swam towards the rest of the furnace.

Zhou Xuan then walked toward the green waves inside the furnace.

Those emerald pools were formed from Zhou Xuan's earthly vows. These vows were originally formed by the people of Mingjiang Prefecture recognizing Zhou Xuan as the god of Mingjiang.

At this time, these people still regarded Zhou Xuan as a deity.

As soon as Zhou Xuan entered the azure waves, the water of vows obediently split into two sides.

Those living beings, transformed from the seven desires and six passions, all fell to the bottom of the furnace.

Zhou Xuan sat down and activated the laws of destiny.

His laws of destiny can materialize those emotions and desires; these living people are actually no different from the ethereal bodies of the dead.

Driven by the laws of Zhou Xuan, one after another, those living people turned into stone statues and puppets, their bodies hardened and unable to move.

Once the figures at the bottom of the furnace had become rows and rows of terracotta figures, Zhou Xuan suddenly stood up, took out the Dao Ancestor Mask from his waist, and gently put it on his face...

(End of this chapter)