Dao Qi Wu Zang Guan Guan: I became a Daoist Master in the 1990s

Chapter 163 The Main Ingredient is Put into the Furnace (A Long Chapter of 3,000 Words!)

At the summit of Zijin Mountain, a sea of ​​clouds rises and falls.

The radiant glow of the sunset spilled across the glazed tiles, and the Purple Gold Temple, perched atop the summit, stood majestically, its eaves and brackets slicing through the wind, silently looking down upon the mortal world.

Deep within the quiet room, all was still.

Fragrant smoke rose gently from a purple bronze dragon-shaped incense burner. Its color was pale gold, and its texture was as fine as silk. It swirled and did not disperse, filling the room with its aroma.

Light streamed through the carved lattice windows, cutting out areas of light and shadow, with dust particles floating and sinking in the beams of light, moving so slowly they were almost still.

A man dressed in a purple robe with the Eight Trigrams on it sat cross-legged on a cloud-shaped futon. The trigrams on his robe subtly corresponded to the celestial cycle and flowed around him.

His face was covered by a golden mask, polished to a mirror-like finish, reflecting the dim light and fragrant smoke in the room, yet it was cold and indifferent, with no visible eyebrows or eyes, only two deep holes behind which his gaze was as deep and cold as an ancient well, indifferently fixed on the rosewood table in front of him.

On the table, a small and exquisite purple-gold alchemical furnace sat quietly.

The furnace was only a foot or so tall, with three legs and two handles. The furnace body was decorated with bas-reliefs of scriptures. At this moment, it was humming slightly, and white mist was escaping from the gaps in the lid. Inside, there seemed to be chaotic churning.

The man slowly raised his hands, his ten fingers long and slender with distinct knuckles, his skin so pale it was almost transparent, with faint blue veins visible beneath the skin.

The fingertips form hand seals, the movements are slow and precise.

As the incantation changed, his fingertips spontaneously drew out countless exquisite golden lines. These lines meandered and moved like living things, weaving together into intricate and ancient runes that disappeared into the alchemy furnace.

The steam inside the furnace suddenly rose and fell violently, accompanied by muffled sounds of wind and thunder, and the radiant light surged, illuminating the quiet room with a bizarre and fantastical glow.

Suddenly, his right index finger, which was forming a hand seal, trembled almost imperceptibly.

A golden thread, finer than a strand of hair yet dazzlingly bright, burst forth from the fingertip and shot into the alchemy furnace like lightning!

"Buzz!"

The alchemy furnace trembled violently, and a sudden burst of wind and thunderous sounds erupted within!
Just then, the man's body jolted violently, and with a "poof," he spat out a mouthful of blood.

The blood was not bright red, but a dark gold color, viscous like molten gold. When it fell to the ground, it did not disperse, but rolled like mercury beads, emitting a strange smell of heat and decay.

Even more horrifying, after he spat out this mouthful of blood, the skin on his right arm, starting from the wrist exposed from the cuff, instantly lost its luster and turned a grayish-white, rock-like color. This petrification visibly spread upwards, past the elbow, and straight towards the shoulder!
However, he paid no attention to this dramatic change. Instead, the eyes behind the mask blazed with an almost fanatical light, fixed on the violently shaking furnace, as if trying to pierce through the furnace wall and see what lay within.

The furnace lid bounced more and more violently.

Through the billowing steam, one could vaguely see that at the core of the furnace, a point of extreme darkness was being formed. That darkness was so pure that it seemed to devour all light and heat, and it seemed to be the final destination of all things.

The man stared at the point of darkness, letting out a low, satisfied chuckle that echoed in the absolutely silent room, carrying a twisted sense of pleasure.

"Finally...the main ingredient is put into the furnace."

The fourth courtyard of Qingwei Temple.

Qi Yun suddenly turned around, his heart sinking.

Behind him, there was no one.

Yan Chifeng and Songfeng Laodao, along with the moon gate they had just entered, seemed to have been wiped away by an invisible giant hand!
Only a tall, cold wall, thickly painted with vermilion lacquer, stood there perfectly, its surface as smooth as a mirror, reflecting no human image. Only the deathly red remained, blocking all paths, as if it had been so for thousands of years.

A suffocating silence descended, making eardrums buzz.

Only in the center of the courtyard, the huge bronze incense burner continued to silently and stubbornly spew out sweet smoke.

The wisps of liquid, thick and heavy like a milky white liquid, flowed slowly, submerging the knees and continuing to rise, emitting a strange fragrance that made one feel languid and lost in the world.

Master Xuanyin remained standing before the Taiji Bagua screen wall, his gentle smile unchanged, as if the sudden change had nothing to do with him, but was just a minor breeze.

He shook his head gently, his voice carrying a sorrowful sigh, as if looking at a lost child: "Foolish child, foolish child. Beset by delusions, how did you come to this?"

Let the power of these sentient beings' vows cleanse your heart and guide you to the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.

The tone suddenly turned cold, and the sleeves of the robe moved without wind, with a gentle sway.

The thick smoke around them instantly boiled and churned!
Countless plumes of smoke coalesced, conjuring the figures of the kneeling people from before, more solid than before, their faces blank and dazed, muttering chaotic prayers and flattering words, surging towards Qi Yun like a tide.

They stretched out countless illusory arms made of smoke, twisting and dancing, grabbing at Qi Yun, trying to drag him into this abyss of numb and delusion!
"How dare these heretics and demons speak of purity?!"

Qi Yun shouted sharply, his voice booming like thunder. Cheng Yun Sword was not even drawn from its sheath; he simply swept it out from its ancient scabbard!

With a flick of his wrist, the Crimson Hunt Fire erupted, its crimson-gold flames swirling around the scabbard like an angry dragon lashing its tail!

Where the flames passed, the smoke and phantoms ignited upon contact, emitting a shrill and ear-piercing shriek, like living things being scorched, instantly twisting and disintegrating, turning back into wisps of blue smoke, which were then purified and devoured by the raging flames.

The intense, masculine heat of the fire temporarily dispelled the surrounding sticky, sweet fragrance. In the instant the smoke dissipated, Qi Yun, like an arrow released from a bow, swiftly lunged at Xuan Yin, his feet striking with powerful strides that caused the ground to tremble slightly.

The sword sheath gathered sword energy and struck directly at his brow, swift and powerful, without any fancy moves!

A flash of surprise crossed Xuan Yin's eyes; he hadn't expected Qi Yun to break through the incense poison barrier so swiftly and powerfully.

His figure moved like a ghost, seemingly weightless, as he floated backward, while simultaneously pointing downwards with his right hand, fingers joined like a sword!

The ground suddenly cracked, and several jet-black iron chains, engraved with runes, broke through the bricks and stones, coiling like venomous snakes toward Qi Yun's ankles, exuding a chilling aura!
Qi Yun unleashed his full power with the Step of the Divine Stance. In the blink of an eye, his body swayed slightly, like a fish gliding away. The chains brushed past his clothes and shattered the blue bricks on the ground.

His sword strikes continued unabated, still aimed straight at Xuan Yin!
However, at that very moment, a wisp of extremely dense, almost solidified golden smoke, taking advantage of the brief moment when he was rushing forward with all his might and his protective true qi was slightly weakened, pierced into his nose like a poisonous needle!
The scene before Qi Yun's eyes suddenly blurred!
The surrounding area was no longer the Qingwei Temple courtyard, but... a burning ruin!

The charred beams and pillars crackled and popped, flames reaching the sky.

That's the Five Organs Theory!
In the distorted light of the fire, Uncle-Master Xuanqing's Daoist robe was charred and torn, while Master Xuanji was covered in blood and his face was deathly pale.

At this moment, the two were being dragged and struggling by countless black, flame-like ghostly hands, and thrown into a gigantic, terrifying alchemy furnace inscribed with rebellious scriptures!
The lid of the alchemy furnace was slowly closing.

But in the next second, the "Black Laws and Decrees of Fengdu in the Northern Yin" deep between his eyebrows suddenly emitted a dark light, and the icy and strict power of the decree was like cold water splashed on his face. The true meaning of the word "rejection" swept through his primordial spirit!

The illusion shattered and vanished instantly, like glass broken by a heavy hammer!
Before me was still that eerie courtyard shrouded in incense smoke.

Everything happened in the blink of an eye.

Xuan Yin had used this brief moment to drift back to the screen wall. The gentle smile that had never changed on his face for thousands of years finally disappeared, replaced by an incredulous look of astonishment and solemnity.

"The poison of incense cannot erode your Daoist heart?"

Fellow Daoist, your obsession is so deep that it has become a barrier to your inner demons.

Why suffer? Let go of it all, take refuge under my teacher, and you will find the smooth path to enlightenment!

"My righteous path is to slay all you wicked villains!" Qi Yun's gaze was as sharp as ever, his heart brimming with killing intent. The Cheng Yun Sword was drawn with a clang, its tip flashing like a pool of autumn water reflecting a cold light, pointing towards Xuan Yin. "Where are my two companions now?!"

Upon hearing this, Xuan Yin burst into laughter, the sound echoing through the empty courtyard, but it carried no warmth, only a chilling mockery.

"He himself is already imprisoned, yet he still has the leisure to worry about others?"

This is the place where you will awaken!

He stomped his foot, and the entire courtyard shook violently!
It was as if some enormous thing underground had been awakened.

The bronze incense burner hummed violently, its lid throbbed, and a massive amount of thick, paste-like smoke billowed out, no longer illusory tentacles, but transformed into countless solid, white jade-like arms shimmering with dark gold runes.

Emerging from every corner of the courtyard, from the ground, walls, and even the void, it seemed to shroud the sky and envelop Qiyun!
Each arm contains immense incense offerings and the mixed thoughts of all living beings; the air explodes as it grasps!

Qi Yun immediately unleashed the Zhenyue Sword, holding the Chengyun Sword upright on his body. The earthen-yellow sword aura enveloped the surroundings, and then the Crimson Hunting Fire erupted from it.

Jiang Shou is a fire without roots, of extremely high rank, and outside the Five Elements, so it can be directly blessed.

dark.

The thick, sweet-smelling darkness pressed down on my eyelids.

Yan Chifeng suddenly opened his eyes, and excruciating pain shot through his body.

He found himself imprisoned in a cage made of black iron, the bars as thick as a child's arm and icy cold.

Outside the cage, smoke billowed, and through the shadows, countless figures could be seen prostrating themselves in worship, their murmured prayers coalescing into a disturbing buzzing whisper, layer upon layer, endless and unending.

"Master Songfeng!" He suppressed his discomfort and growled, his eyes urgently scanning the next room.

Inside another stone cell, the old Taoist priest Songfeng was tightly bound to a cold stone platform, his body wrapped in black, python-like chains, the runes on the chains shimmering with eerie light.

Several Taoist priests dressed in dark black robes, their faces indistinct, were slowly and precisely drawing eerie talismans on his gaunt chest and arms with eerie green daggers!

Where the blade passed, skin was torn and flesh was ripped open, blood gushing out, but it was quickly absorbed by the runes and transformed into a deeper, eerie green.

Matsukaze groaned in pain, his body convulsing uncontrollably, yet he was powerless to struggle.

"You evil Taoist! Stop!" Yan Chifeng's eyes were bloodshot, his blood boiling, and he mustered his remaining strength to slam his shoulder and back against the iron bars!
Boom!
A dull, resounding crash echoed, but the iron bars remained unmoved. The force of the impact, however, caused his blood to surge, his shoulder bones to feel as if they were cracking, and he nearly coughed up blood.

But this only fueled his ferocity and rage. Gritting his teeth, he used his own flesh and blood to frantically ram against the cage!

(End of this chapter)