Day and night tour

Chapter 490 The Pill Demon Child
As the mask was gently put on, Zhou Xuan's entire demeanor changed, giving him a sense of "sleeves fluttering in the wind, flowing like clouds and water."

With a flick of his sleeves, the "World Style" from the "True Scripture of the Valley" pressed down heavily.

The "World-Sharing Strategy" harnesses the power of the world, uniting all forces to create a supreme divine power.
It must be said that this furnace originally contained a rich amount of human willpower, and that willpower was generated by Zhou Xuan lecturing and playing the role of "supreme will".

Therefore, his borrowing of the world's essence in the furnace was more natural than fish and dragons swimming in the sea.

Zhou Xuan borrowed the momentum, and the pool of wish power in the furnace, guided by him, rushed towards the terracotta figures of those emotions.

"boom!"

The pool water surged, and with just one wave, it completely smothered the servants.

The stone statues shattered into fragments, and the blue and red fish, seemingly smelling some tempting aroma, changed their previous restlessness and swam in the pool.

The incense offerings from the Kingdom of Well, guided by the twin fish, also entered the pool, igniting a patch of scorching lava.

All the fragments of "seven emotions and six desires" instantly transform into colorful specks of light upon encountering magma. These specks explode, dance, and then settle, leaving the furnace filled with a mesmerizing array of colors.

Incense from the Kingdom of Well, the fire of heaven and earth, human wishes, and the seven emotions and six desires—these things, once thrown into the cauldron, began to blend in tacit harmony.

Zhou Xuan was very gratified. At least, the large alchemy furnace that he had worked so hard to build and the pot of "alchemical materials" that he had collected with great effort were both preserved.

Even happier than Zhou Xuan was the alchemy furnace itself. The furnace walls made a sound like blood flowing through them, rustling and crackling, as if it were celebrating its "survival from the brink of disaster".

This time, the alchemy furnace was overplayed; it almost exploded.

Those countless hands then slipped into the furnace again, enveloping Zhou Xuan once more before slowly sending him out.

With the crisis averted, Zhou Xuan's mood improved considerably, and he began to grumble incessantly. He loudly scolded, "Lu Zi, I thought that wine should be drunk sip by sip, and a road should be walked step by step. Taking too big a step can easily lead to a tangle!"

His reprimand of the "arrogant alchemy furnace" did not shame the furnace. Instead, the arms that were wrapped around Zhou Xuan exerted some hidden force, giving Zhou Xuan a "ten thousand hands massage," making his bones crack and pop.

"Hey, you're still not convinced? Just you wait."

After the pain subsided, Zhou Xuan actually felt the comfort of a massage. He naturally didn't get angry, but he was thinking that once this batch of pills was finished, he would throw the Starry Sky Scroll back into the secret realm and let the Blood Well give it a good beating.

The black water and blood wells in the secret realm have become Zhou Xuan's top henchmen. Anyone who misbehaves in the secret realm will be dealt with by them.

……

"The Master is out! The Master is out!"

The painter met Zhou Xuan, and after the furnace was restored, his heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally settled down.

The White Deer Alchemist carefully observed the changes in the elixir ingredients inside the furnace. After the ingredients were combined, the liquid in the furnace began to thicken.

At first, it was like clear soup mixed with agar; when swirled, it didn't splash.

But gradually, it became as thick as the sesame paste sold by street vendors, and it couldn't be stirred at all.

In the end, it simply solidified and turned into a large puddle of mud.

Ordinary soil is not as beautiful as these—they are colorful, with various exquisite colors outlining each other, like the work of a master sand artist.

"Old White Deer, I've saved both the pot of elixir and the alchemy furnace."

Zhou Xuan walked up to the White Deer Taoist priest and said casually.

"Master's methods are too unorthodox; I, Old White Deer, cannot understand them." White Deer, the sorcerer, looked at Zhou Xuan again, his eyes filled with reverence.

Since ancient times, in alchemy, as long as the furnace is imposing, no one would dare to enter it and resolve the crisis, no matter what problems arise inside.

Zhou Xuan's courage to enter the furnace is extremely rare among alchemists throughout history.

"It doesn't matter if you don't understand me, but do you understand the pills in this furnace?"

Zhou Xuan asked again.

The White Deer Taoist shook his head again and said, "I don't understand."

As soon as he said this, Li Changxun clutched his stomach and laughed wildly, "Oh my, old white deer, you've lived to such an old age, yet you've wasted so many years."

“I’m only assuming you’ve lived for a thousand years, which is nearly twenty cycles of the sexagenary cycle. You should be at an age where you’re well-read and have a strong memory, but since you came to Mingjiang Prefecture, there are only two things you don’t understand—you don’t understand this and you don’t understand that.”

Li Changxun's sarcastic remarks were extremely aggressive, causing the White Deer Taoist priest to blush with embarrassment.

He hesitated for a long time before finally managing to stop his trembling voice and argued, "Li Shanzu, you can't laugh at me for this... It's just that the matters the Great Master has been involved in are far too profound. Take this alchemy furnace, for example. Its outer wall is transparent, and its interior is clear. This is a wonder that has never been seen before..."

In an attempt to save face, the White Deer Alchemist pulled out all the stops, saying, "Anyway, you want me to understand the pills inside the furnace. I can't understand them, but there are parts I can understand."

“Tell me what you understand.”

Zhou Xuan was quite patient with the White Deer Taoist priest and asked him a question.

The White Deer Alchemist said, "Take the matter of alchemy for example—whether it's using 'human willpower' to refine Qi pills, or using 'seven emotions and six desires' to refine human pills..."
Those aspirations and desires, once they enter the alchemical furnace, will condense into a liquid.
Then, the essence is extracted from the juice; this essence is the elixir.

However, the master's batch of pills turned into mud, frozen solid in the furnace, and that's what I can't understand.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Xuan also glanced at the scene inside the alchemy furnace—all the alchemical materials had turned into a large pool of multicolored mud, completely still, while the space inside the furnace not occupied by the mud was filled with wisps of white mist.

He was worried that something might happen inside the alchemy furnace, and feeling a little agitated, he couldn't help but complain—this is supposed to be automated alchemy? It keeps breaking down here and there. I doubt that manual alchemy would be this tiring and laborious.

Zhou Xuan then asked the white deer alchemist, "Old white deer, is there a problem with this pot of elixir again?"

"I don't see any problems at the moment."

The White Deer Taoist said, "Although human desires, emotions, and desires have all been solidified into solid soil, the spiritual energy permeating the furnace is genuine."

"Are you sure there won't be any problems?" Zhou Xuan was a little uneasy, so he added, "If there are any problems, you can tell me. I'm not afraid of getting tired. I'm just afraid that this pill will turn out to be a waste."

"No problem, just wait."

The White Deer Alchemist carefully searched his mind for alchemy experience and said confidently.

"Then I believe you."

Zhou Xuan believed in the principle of "if you doubt someone, don't use them; if you use someone, don't doubt them"—although Old Bailu was ignorant about this and that, he was indeed one of the most knowledgeable alchemists in the Jing Kingdom.

The group relaxed again, whispering among themselves and chatting about trivial matters, only occasionally noticing the unusual changes inside the alchemy furnace.

As time passed, the wispy white vapor in the alchemy furnace was gradually absorbed by the alchemical soil.

And within the cinnabar soil, one pore after another appeared.

The pores kept opening and closing, and the entire piece of cinnabar soil was also contracting and expanding—it no longer looked like soil, but more like a living organ.

"It looks like a liver or spleen magnified countless times?"

Zhou Xuan asked the alchemist Bai Lu.

The White Deer Alchemist couldn't explain it, but the scene inside the alchemy furnace had long surpassed his knowledge.

He really couldn't come up with any meaningful explanation.

The appearance of the furnace was clearly discernible, but his understanding of this batch of elixirs was not much different from that of a blind man touching an elephant.

All he could utter was the platitude, "Wait a little longer, let's see," a phrase that served as a universal remedy. Zhou Xuan, being completely ignorant of alchemy, could only echo "Wait a little longer, let's see," and as he waited, a truly magnificent scene unfolded within the alchemy furnace.

After the white mist in the alchemy furnace was completely absorbed by the alchemical clay, the clay suddenly became transparent.
At the heart of Dantu, there is a little child wearing a long robe.

This long robe is half blue with wide sleeves, in the style of Taoism, and half colorful with patterns of arhats, bodhisattvas, and clouds.
“What a fine little kid, half monk and half Taoist,” Zhou Xuan said.

Yun Ziliang then said, "He should be half monk and half Taoist. Xuanzi, the seven emotions and six desires in that elixir contain both the fear of the Supreme Master of Escape and the anger of the Five Styles of the Buddhist Kingdom."

Zhou Xuan nodded. The half-monk, half-Taoist doll, who had been in a meditative state, suddenly opened his eyes and stared at Zhou Xuan.

A baby's gaze is the purest thing in the world, but Zhou Xuan read overly complex thoughts in the baby's eyes.

Fear and joy, sorrow and happiness, pity and pride, worship and hatred.

These originally conflicting emotions now appear simultaneously in one pair of eyes.

Zhou Xuan's thoughts also raced through his mind. Everything he had seen and heard since arriving in Jing Kingdom—the Zhou family troupe in Pingshui Prefecture, the East Market Street in Mingjiang Prefecture, the main hall of Mr. Ye in Jingchuan Prefecture, the water fortress in Huangyuan Prefecture—all the places Zhou Xuan had been to and the people he had met flashed through his mind like a revolving lantern…

"What a creepy doll."

The various fleeting memories pulled Zhou Xuan deeper and deeper into his emotions. Fearing he would be trapped in eternal despair, he steeled himself and severed all his thoughts and images.
His mind cleared again, but the doll's gaze became dull.

"And what is this doll?" Zhou Xuan looked at the White Deer Taoist priest, and seeing the other party hesitate, asked, "Don't you know either?"

"Yes," said the White Deer Taoist with great confidence.

"You really need to brush up on your alchemy knowledge; it's all outdated," Zhou Xuan sighed.

"Sigh... Sir, me too... No... no... I understand now, I understand now."

The White Deer Taoist finally demonstrated his value. After Zhou Xuan was speechless with frustration, he suddenly had a flash of inspiration and pointed at the doll, saying, "Master, he... is the Pill Demon."

"The Pill Demon?" Zhou Xuan asked.

The White Deer Taoist, usually known for his madness, went even further this time. After recognizing the "Elixir Demon," he began frantically flailing his arms against his chest like a drummer, then, as if possessed, he ran wildly around Xiejia'ao.
Zhou Xuan was stunned and asked Yun Ziliang, who was standing next to him, "Old Yun, do you think this white deer bites people?"

"That's hard to say," Yun Ziliang said, his brows furrowed deeply.
Zhou Xuan didn't know what to say either—"This old man is suddenly feeling young again, and this madness is the madness of 'wild spirit,' not the madness of rabies!"
Finally, after the White Deer Alchemist finished his madness, he acted as if nothing had happened, trotted over to Zhou Xuan, and said, "To be able to refine pills into demons is an auspicious omen, an extremely auspicious omen."

Zhou Xuan still couldn't believe what the White Deer Taoist had said, so he asked first, "Old White Deer, is your mental state stable now? If not, you can run around some more. It's windy at night, which will help you wake up."

“Sir, this is when I am most lucid. Just now... I was just expressing my joy.”

"Expressing my feelings? Whatever elegant words you use, just use them on your forehead."

Zhou Xuan said, "I ask you, if it is a pill demon, how can it be called an auspicious omen?"

In his stereotype, auspicious omens are things like flying flowers, strange beasts, and unusual celestial phenomena.
"Yao" means demon or monster, and it's not a good thing.

This was the first time Zhou Xuan had ever heard of auspicious omens being linked to the demon of pills.

The White Deer Alchemist said, "Master, you may not know this, but a pill demon is a refined pill that possesses spiritual power and manifests in human form. It has human thoughts and human intelligence."
This is a sign that the elixir has been refined to an exceptionally high standard. Just think about it, this elixir has even gained sentience; how could it not be the best elixir in the world?

He added, "By the way, sir, I told you before that the alchemists of the Nine Provinces once refined elixirs in the heavens. But one day, a cauldron on earth produced an elixir demon. That elixir demon was extremely powerful and wreaked havoc on the human world for several years."

Therefore, this alchemy attempt was considered a calamity, and henceforth, all alchemists were placed under the unified management of the heavens, and thereafter, there were no more alchemists on earth.

Upon hearing that the "Dan Demon" was so powerful, Zhou Xuan angrily flicked the white deer alchemist on the head and said, "What auspicious omen! If this Dan Demon is so powerful that so many of us can't subdue it, then it's like a duck that escaped from the pot, and all our efforts have been in vain!"

"According to Master Tianqiong's previous deductions, there are many types of elixirs. The elixir demon that caused the calamity last time was a 'Martial Master'—possessing overwhelming supernatural powers, none of the strongmen in the world could withstand him."
However, besides Wu Tongtian, there are other types of Dan Demons, such as "Mountain and Water Encounters" and "Wind Embracing the Moon," etc.

These extremely unfamiliar words, one after another, came out of the White Deer Taoist's mouth, which stunned everyone. They all looked at the old White Deer, their eyes filled with a thirst for knowledge.

Sensing the crowd's thirst for knowledge, the White Deer Taoist straightened his back slightly and said,

"The 'Mountain and Water Encounters' refers to this demon, which can manifest itself in the mountains and rivers of the Well Kingdom. It gains sentience in water and intelligence from mountains. After resting in the mountains and waters for several years, it becomes a wise demon, knowing the past and future of the Well Kingdom, and its predictions are even more accurate than those of the most powerful diviners in the Well Kingdom."

"As for 'Supporting the Wind and Embracing the Moon,' this Pill Demon is..."

Bai Lu, the sorcerer, was eager to find a pretext, and like a storyteller, he recounted the story of the Pill Demon in a way that shook the heavens and earth. But as he was telling his story, Zhou Xuan interrupted him.

"Stop talking nonsense, Old White Deer, take a look at the pill demon I refined."

Zhou Xuan gestured with his lip towards the alchemy furnace.
When the White Deer Taoist turned around, he saw that the Pill Demon Child suddenly clasped his hands together like knives and stabbed himself in the heart.

With a soft "plop," a bloody hole appeared on the boy's stomach. His hand groped upwards along his abdomen, finally seeming to grasp something.
When he withdrew his right hand, everyone could see clearly that the Dan Demon Child was actually holding a golden heart in his hand.

Immediately afterwards, the demon boy slowly raised his heart, and when it was above his head,
Its body suddenly turned to stone; its hands, feet, and body all turned into green stones from the mountains. Only the "golden heart" in its palm continued to contract and pump rhythmically.

"What kind of being is this Pill Demon Child? Is it 'Martial Heaven', 'Wind-Supporting Moon', or 'Mountain and Water Encounter'?"

Zhou Xuan asked the alchemist Bai Lu.

The White Deer Alchemist looked troubled and said, "Master, you know that the types of those pill demons are all deduced by Master Tianqiong. Deduction, well..."

"So, you don't know anything either?" Zhou Xuan said irritably.

He couldn't stand Bai Lu Fangshi jumping between the identities of "learned alchemist" and "alchemist vagrant," and sometimes he really couldn't help but give Lao Bai a couple of punches!

"It's not that I know nothing."

The White Deer Taoist said, "Master, I know that the Pill Demon has a certain characteristic."

"speak!"

"The demons are intelligent and have a spirit. When they realize that they have no hope of escaping, they will commit suicide."

"This Pill Demon Child must have observed that the Great Master is incredibly powerful, the Mingjiang Prefecture's wandering god is unparalleled, and with your helpers—the incense-offering deities, the butcher—they are all peerless experts."

Furthermore, it is estimated that he deduced that the Great Master's plans were flawless, that he was a divine strategist descended to earth, and thus there was no way out for him, so he committed suicide.

The White Deer Alchemist's flattery was quite something.
Zhou Xuan raised his eyebrows and asked, "Old Bai Lu, in all those years of your life, was all you ever thinking about flattery? You were a master at it."

"Ah, sir, I am a pill refiner, and I used to have... had... a formal position."

"That makes sense."

Zhou Xuan nodded and asked, "So what do I do now?"

"Take the elixir."

The White Deer Taoist pointed to the heart and said, "The so-called suicide of the Pill Demon is merely the suppression of its own spirituality, but the pill itself is still there. That heart is the pill. Master, just go and retrieve it."

"Sure?"

"I'm sure!" The White Deer Taoist almost swore an oath.

Zhou Xuan nodded and walked towards the cauldron. When he reached the cauldron wall, he didn't wait for the cauldron wall to guide him into the furnace. Instead, he used his divine soul to travel around and change his form, appearing ten feet in front of the Pill Boy.

He was always cautious, and even with Bai Lu Fangshi's irrefutable guarantee, he still held onto the "Divine Speed ​​Armor" just in case.

Having made these preparations, Zhou Xuan walked step by step towards the Pill Demon Child, until he reached out to take the golden heart.

The moment the heart was touched, the demon boy suddenly opened his eyes...

Zhou Xuan cursed inwardly: Old White Deer, I'll give you a piece of my mind!
(End of this chapter)