Chapter 156: Heavenly Fiend Corpse Fire Pill

Previously, it was mentioned that Zhou Qian had slipped into the domain of the walking corpses and quietly infiltrated the estate of King Li, eventually reaching a vast main hall. To his misfortune, the Ghost King and a burly man in a black robe arrived one after another, leaving him with no choice but to squeeze into the colossal alchemy furnace standing in the center of the hall.

This furnace was as spacious as three or four ordinary houses combined, narrow at the top and wide at the bottom. Its walls gleamed with a brassy hue and appeared immensely sturdy. Corpses were continuously entering like marionettes pulled by strings, packed tightly shoulder to shoulder inside. The suffocating stench of corpse-qi grew progressively denser. While that was tolerable, what worried Zhou Qian most was that the brass floor of the furnace was gradually growing scorching hot. Since this was an alchemy furnace, its purpose was obvious; could it be that these gathered walking corpses were meant to serve as the base ingredients?

Zhou Qian had once heard his senior martial brother, Qin Yu, say that the demonic sect's approach to alchemy differed greatly from that of the orthodox Daoist sects. They used the vital essence and blood of living people as catalysts, the three souls and seven mortal souls as ingredients, and supplemented them with various exotic treasures and rare herbs. Although the pills produced had diverse effects, they all harmed the heavenly harmony and were not the righteous path. Though Zhou Qian did not believe this entirely, witnessing the scene before him matched his senior brother's words precisely. The bearded man was undoubtedly not of the righteous path, yet how did he come to be entangled with Li Sansi, the Ghost King?

Suddenly, a thick, booming voice echoed from outside the furnace: "Xiaosu, Xiazhen, close the gates and begin the alchemy!" Before the words faded, the front and rear gates of the alchemy furnace slammed shut with a thunderous crash. Simultaneously, the surrounding spiritual energy surged in a wave. Black mist slowly billowed from the bodies of the corpses. Zhou Qian felt his physical form grow burning hot, as if scorched by raging flames, and he realized this was the dry heat of the alchemical fire, intended to force the corpse-mist and yin-qi out from the bodies of the deceased mortals. In less than half a moment, all the corpses turned into a soft, boneless mush of melting flesh and sinew, leaving only empty skins dropped upon the floor. Billowing black mist swirled around, forcing him to hold his breath and press his lips together to prevent the malevolent fog from piercing his body and corroding his internal organs.

Before long, the top of the furnace burst with a deafening sound, being shoved open by several cracks like a giant millstone. Dozens of medicinal herbs and immortal roots fell inside: millennial wild ginseng, snake-core grass, heartbreak flower, ancient immortal roots—all of them precious botanicals that floated and sank within the mist. After another half-hour, these herbs were completely rendered into juices, melting together into a single mass.

Outside the furnace, the bearded man was suspended cross-legged in mid-air, eyes wide and bulging, continuously forming hand seals in strange, intricate patterns. Phantoms of mystical incantations descended into the furnace, striking the mass of medicinal juice. The corpse-mist was drawn in thread by thread, churning, expanding, and contracting to evolve into a wondrous state. At the same time, tremors coursed through the furnace walls, and the black mist fluctuated endlessly, rolling like turbulent waves.

Zhou Qian felt an extremely uncomfortable pulling sensation all over his body. Having no other choice, he exhaled a breath of Supreme Purity Immortal Qi, transforming it into a white light to shield his entire body. This consumed nearly half of his already meager magical power. Although this protective immortal radiance could not withstand the sharp edges of flying swords and magical treasures, it proved quite useful at the moment.

He could not let things continue this way. If he waited until his magical power was entirely exhausted, he would be no different than a fish on a chopping board, at the mercy of others. Deciding swiftly, Zhou Qian unleashed his immortal sword and slashed fiercely against the furnace wall, attempting a desperate fight for survival. To his astonishment, the situation took a drastic turn: the flying sword struck the furnace wall, leaving only a faint scratch before rebounding. It utterly failed to breach the defense.

Suddenly, voices drifted from outside the furnace. Recognizing Xiaosu’s voice, Zhou Qian hurriedly stopped and pressed his ear against the furnace wall—

"Just now, I thought I heard a sound coming from inside the furnace. Could that be the sign that the Heavenly Demonic Corpse-Fire Pills are successfully forged?"

"How could that be? We still have to wait three days and nights. Could it be that the magical treasure is gaining sentience?" said Xiazhen, the other young Daoist boy.

"Although the Ghost-Transforming Alchemy Furnace is a magical treasure bearing twenty-seven Heavenly Gang seals, it is still quite far from the realm of spiritual enlightenment. Could something have gone wrong with these corpses?"

"Silence, all of you!" the bearded man growled in a low voice. A flash of red light erupted from his hands as he struck out the final six incantation seals, which drifted slowly down to the ground. Beads of sweat were visible trickling down his forehead.

"The hour has come. I must go patrol the city," Li Sansi said, his expression vacant and his voice hoarse.

"We respectfully send off the King on his patrol!" both Daoist boys shouted in unison, and the bearded man surnamed Hou also bowed slightly.

A puff of green smoke materialized, and Li Sansi, the Ghost King, instantly vanished without a trace. Xiazhen curled his lip and said disdainfully, "That brainless fool truly believes the three of us are refining an immortal pill of longevity for him. If not for your ability to summon all the ghosts and zombies of the city, Senior Uncle Hou Jing would have turned around and killed you long ago."

Hearing this, the bearded man named Hou shook his head and said, "This old ghost's cultivation is not inferior to mine; he cannot be dealt with easily. Since he is so easily fooled, why make an enemy of him? Once the pills are refined, we can simply toss him an ordinary pill to fool him, then lure him off to Yangzhou to stir up trouble for those righteous practitioners. Wouldn't that be even better?"

"Thanks to you two little ghosts for managing to find this gloomy, spirit-infested place! It's quite marvelous. Hou is not a stingy person; once the Heavenly Demonic Corpse-Fire Pills are successfully refined, I will reward each of you with one!"

Upon hearing this, the two Daoist boys were wild with joy, bowing deeply and shouting in unison, "Many thanks for the reward, Senior Uncle!"

"Yet, Senior Uncle, since this Li Sansi is so foolish, how could he cultivate such formidable magical power? I heard Xiazhen inquire that this city was destroyed only two years ago, yet the Ghost King looks like an ancient zombie with five centuries of cultivation. That doesn't make sense, does it?" Xiazhen boasted, emboldened by his success.

"I know not either. This old man of the Li family must have encountered some tremendous fortuitous encounter. Another day, I shall probe him with words. My magical power has been heavily depleted, so I must go recuperate. The two of you keep watch over the Ghost-Transforming Alchemy Furnace. Just now, I sensed something foreign within the furnace—perhaps some leftover remnants of medicinal catalysts that have yet to dissolve. Pay attention; if there is any anomaly, notify me immediately." With that, Hou Jing transformed into a blazing fire and escaped into the deep, secluded chamber within the hall.

Having eavesdropped for a long time, Zhou Qian finally understood the whole story. It turned out that the two Daoist boys had discovered this gloomy place teeming with ghosts and monsters, and upon encountering King Li, they had feigned willingness to help him refine "longevity pills" to win his trust. They then sent word to their senior uncle, Hou Jing, who had Li Sansi summon numerous zombies and ghosts to refine these Heavenly Demonic Corpse-Fire Pills.

Though his confusion was resolved, escape remained impossible. He could only sit cross-legged, steady the immortal radiance around his body, and endure bitterly while waiting for a turning point.

Days passed. Hou Jing returned once more, pushing the furnace top open by a crack. Wisps of black vapor drifted out. He cupped some in his hand, brought it to his nose, and sniffed it. Nodding in satisfaction, he said to the two Daoist boys, "The heat is now sufficient; we can intensify the fire. Afterward, there will be no need to open the furnace, lest the medicinal potency dissipate." He remained entirely unaware that the moment he closed the furnace lid, a flash of white light bloomed. Zhou Qian had heard the movement above and hastily dispersed his magical power, letting the black mist wrap around him to evade detection. Only after Hou Jing's mind was put at ease did he drive the immortal radiance once more. However, a wisp of corpse-mist had managed to slip into his body again; after refining it with his Supreme Purity Immortal Qi, less than thirty percent of his magical power remained.

Another day and night passed. Hou Jing returned again and instructed the two Daoist boys, "Hold your magical treasures and weapons in hand, and prepare to defend against enemies at any moment. For the past two days, some brat has constantly tried to break into this estate, refusing to answer when questioned. I fear he has caught wind of our refinement of the immortal pills. This batch of pills is the critical key to a massive leap in my cultivation; caution is paramount. Once everything goes smoothly, we can begin planning for the transformation of spiritual energy into a mortal embryo!" His expression was brimming with excitement.

Hearing this, Zhou Qian's mind raced. He deduced that the intruder must be Xiao Liu. Unable to find him, Xiao Liu would certainly be worried, yet unable to voice the purpose of his search, he could only break into the estate repeatedly to probe. Yet now, trapped within the alchemy furnace, he could not even send out a message. Truly, both ends were thwarted!

"Ignite the fire!" Hou Jing roared, his hands spinning, forming seals and slashing the void as he silently recited an incantation: "Ghosts and spirits of heaven and earth, born of the transformation of yin! Earthly netherworld subterranean fire, take form and emerge! Rise!!!"

As his voice fell, the corpse-mist inside the entire alchemy furnace spun violently, roaring deafeningly with endless wails of ghosts and cries of spirits. At first appearing as mere sparks, green light soon surged everywhere. Emerald-green demonic fire ignited amidst the corpse-mist, causing the entire alchemy furnace to flicker uncertainly between bright and dim.

Zhou Qian seized the moment. No longer caring about exposing his presence, he hastily drove his willow-wood sword to transform into a chilling, frosty glare that shielded his entire body. Pouring his remaining magical power forth as if it were worthless, he fought to withstand the scorching refinement of the demonic fire. In less than the time it takes to burn half an incense stick, he was already drenched in sweat, his limbs aching and numb...