Chapter 157: Pill Toxin

I am suffocating to death! The coffin lid was violently shoved open as a pair of hands first reached out, groping blindly in the darkness until they finally grasped a corner of the coffin and pushed with all their might, revealing a pale face drenched in sweat. It was none other than Pu Shanlin. Thanks to Little Liu's terrible idea, the sealed coffin had allowed no airflow, making it increasingly difficult for him to breathe. Unable to bear the stuffiness any longer, he sat upright, took several deep breaths, and sighed with emotion: "No wonder the Master said: 'Knowing the danger, tread with caution; a gentleman does not stand beneath a tottering wall, how can one take it lightly?' The sages truly spoke wisely! Inside a coffin is indeed a perilous place!"

After shaking his head for a long time and tossing about erudite phrases, he finally felt a lingering sense of satisfaction. Then, noticing the desolate scenery—the moonless and windy night accompanied by mournful ghost wails and howling eerie winds—he suddenly realized his surroundings. To his imagination, it was no less than the netherworld of the underworld, and even more terrifying. In a panic, he quickly lay back down and pulled the coffin lid shut, leaving just a tiny crack for air.

A short while later, consumed by terror and immense mental exhaustion, he drifted into a semi-conscious, half-asleep state. Through the haze, he suddenly heard the weeping of a woman. Peering out through the crack, he saw the misty fog outside the window, where a young maiden was leaning against the wall, wiping away her tears. His mind instantly cleared, and he thought with astonishment, "At the hour of midnight, where on earth did this young lady come from? Could she be a spirit?"

When the woman turned around, Pu Shanlin's eyes widened in sheer disbelief. She was truly a beauty of sixteen, capable of putting the moon to shame and causing flowers to close in modesty: smoky eyebrows, amorous eyes, hands as tender as young reeds, skin like congealed lard, and a figure like a sickly willow. A deep longing stirred within him. A maiden of such exquisite beauty could surely not be some filthy ghost or demon! Hurriedly lifting the coffin lid, he called out in a low voice, "Fair maiden, I am Pu Shanlin, styled Liuxian, a native of Qiantang, currently unmarried. There are spirits and monsters haunting this place, please hurry inside..."

Zhou Qian had been trapped within the alchemy furnace for two day and nights. Ever since the burly man surnamed Hou unleashed the Earth Corpse Demonic Fire three hours ago, he had been desperately holding on solely by the cold radiance transformed by his flying sword. His internal magic power was depleting at an alarming rate. Even with his physique, he could not withstand the extreme heat of the demonic fire; his pores opened and closed, and sweat slowly streamed out, only to be baked dry in less time than it takes to drink a cup of tea. Repeating this dozens of times, a thick layer of salt had already formed upon his skin. It was not that he could not seal his inner vital energy, but rather that the temperature inside the furnace was simply too intense. If he forced the energy to remain within his body, his blood and fluids would likely boil, scalding his internal organs. With this crust of salt acting as a barrier, his body temperature dropped slightly, yet his physical frame had shrunken by a circle, making him look almost inhuman.

Zhou Qian blinked his eyes fiercely, tearing away the dried skin which oozed two or three drops of blood before instantly evaporating into vapor. Seizing this opportunity, he hurriedly raised his gaze, only to see dimly through the blur that the mass of medicinal liquid in midair had long since divided into dozens of small pills, gradually solidifying and emitting a glossy, glass-like luster accompanied by an intoxicating fragrance. Hesitating for a moment, he summoned one of them toward him. Having made up his mind, he swallowed it with his eyes closed, and immediately his body was flooded with a dense, surging demonic aura...

According to Hou Jing's words, this Heavenly Corpse Demonic Fire Pill was indeed a miraculous elixir capable of increasing one's cultivation and Dao attainment, but it was intended for those of the demonic sects. Since he himself practiced orthodox immortal arts—the Innate Grand Clarity Spiritual Breath—swallowing it rashly might well cause his body to burst apart. Yet if he did not consume it, in less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, his dantian would be completely emptied. Without anyone else needing to strike, he would be entirely consumed by the surrounding corpse fire without even a trace of ash remaining. That was certainly not an outcome Zhou Qian desired...

The rolling and pure medicinal potency circulated smoothly through the major and minor heavenly cycles, and the previously depleted magic power within his body was quickly replenished. However, as the demonic aura gradually filled his eight extraordinary meridians, wisps of black Qi frequently leaked out from around Zhou Qian's body, and bloodshot veins surfaced in his eyes. Judging by his appearance, he looked far more like a disciple of the demonic path than one from a major righteous sect. Even his protective immortal radiance had become tainted with a faint black glow.

The Heavenly Corpse Demonic Fire Pill was crafted using a trace of corpse essence from a multitude of corpses as its foundation, supplemented by various immortal herbs and spiritual medicines, and scorched by subterranean fire. It was a technique passed down through Hou Jing's master's sect, perfectly suited for his "Yin Fire Formula". However, what Zhou Qian practiced was the "Qingcheng Heart Classic". Dao and demon are mutually restraining; not only was his innate Grand Clarity immortal breath battered into disarray, but his foundational dantian was also gradually occupied by the demonic aura. If this succeeded, he would likely lose any possibility of ever practicing immortal arts again. Even more terrifying was that all sorts of bizarre illusions flooded his mind: first came seductive sounds, mournful and licentious weeping and music, which then transformed into a chaotic chorus of wind, rain, thunder, and lightning, followed by a dizzying display of countless grotesque figures. This was the backlash of inner demons, taking advantage of the moment to launch an invasion. Even so, Zhou Qian relied on his unyielding willpower to barely guard his spiritual awareness and keep it from shattering. Yet inner demons are treacherous, being the two sides of a person's existence, and they would never resort to merely such superficial means. Instead, they used sharp blades to pierce the softest, deepest recesses of his heart.

"Actually, I also have a younger brother about your age!"

"Little master, we are brother and sister after all, you must not disobey..."

"Qian'er, your master will first teach you a set of palm techniques called the Floating Cloud Hands."

"You are going out again, aren't you? Every time you go out, you return covered in injuries..."

"I, Zhou Xun, fear neither heaven nor earth, and have no regrets in this life. The only thing worthy of pride and concern is that I took on such a fine disciple..."

"Zhao'er is leaving, I can no longer wait for you in this lifetime..."

"Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah..." Zhou Qian finally could no longer bear it, clutching his head and roaring in a low voice. The demonic aura roiled and fluctuated violently around him, shaking the alchemy furnace incessantly. Seeing this, the two young boy attendants were completely at a loss. Xiao Su immediately turned around and shouted anxiously, "Quickly go report to the Uncle-Master, something has gone wrong with the Ghost-Transforming Furnace!"

Xiao Zhen hurriedly scurried toward the quiet chamber. Before he could reach it, a streak of fire instantly glided past from the side, shifting into the black-robed figure of Hou Jing. With a solemn expression, Hou Jing gazed at the shaking alchemy furnace, formed a hand seal with both hands, and roared with a thunderous voice, "All-Heaven Blazing Fire! Suppress!"

The demonic fire within the furnace was instantly forced downward, and the Ghost-Transforming Alchemy Furnace stabilized once more. Seeing this, Xiao Zhen hurried to ask, "Uncle-Master, could this be the sign that the Heavenly Corpse Demonic Fire Pill is successfully refined?"

"There should still be several hours left. Besides, even if it were refined, it shouldn't produce a phenomenon like this, right? Did either of you sense any abnormality?" Hou Jing asked with a frown.

"Uncle-Master, I..." Xiao Su hesitated for a moment, just about to say that it seemed like human voices had been heard coming from inside the furnace, when green smoke poured in through the main entrance. The Ghost King Li Sanshu strode in with a swagger, his expression wooden, as he stated word for word, "How is my Longevity Immortal Pill coming along?"

"It still needs several hours, stop coming here to disturb us for no reason," Xiao Su snapped impatiently.

"You dare disobey me!" Li Sanshu let out a low roar and waved his hand. Countless venomous gu insects drifted within the green smoke, surging forward in billowing waves and turning Xiao Su's face pale with fright. Seeing this, Hou Jing hurriedly made an incantation gesture as a wave of fire erupted from thin air to block the green smoke. The human and the corpse clashed fiercely, proving to be evenly matched.

"Pray calm your anger, Your Highness. This attendant of mine is ignorant; please do not hold it against him. The medicinal pills will be ready in three hours. If the condensation of the immortal pill is delayed, it will be detrimental to both of you."

Hearing this, Li Sanshu paused and recalled the green smoke. The gu insects crawled back over his body, transforming into his right arm. This action made Hou Jing narrow his tiger-like eyes in deep contemplation. Although this Ghost King had become dull and sluggish, he still understood the basic stakes involved—or rather, his inherent obsession with alchemy and mercury remained unchanged.

Taking a few steps forward, Li Sanshu sat upon the main seat in the grand hall and stated lifelessly, "Then this king shall wait right here for you."

Hou Jing walked back to the front of the furnace, took a deep breath, and prepared for the final condensation of the pill—

"Heaven and earth ghosts and spirits, born from the transformation of Yin; netherworld subterranean fire, taking form from the void—rise!"

The green fire inside the furnace blazed intensely once again. Zhou Qian, however, had already ceased his movements, sitting cross-legged with his five centers facing the sky. The immortal radiance around his body flickered unpredictably, appearing rather eerie. As it turned out, just moments ago when he was on the verge of entering the demonic state and his divine consciousness was on the brink of annihilation, a strand of Kan-Li true Qi surged from his Shenting acupoint, operating along a wondrous mental cultivation pathway. It was precisely the "Supreme Heart-Calming Formula" imparted by Lu Yurong. The demonic and baleful Qi was continuously absorbed by him, while the Grand Clarity immortal breath was not to be outdone, absorbing a large amount of the medicinal potency and expanding significantly, gradually forcing the demonic aura out of his dantian. The Grand Clarity immortal breath within his body had long since reverted from acquired to innate—stainless, immaculate, and beyond the five elements—sweeping through repeatedly to sever the demonic aura and medicinal potency from each other, expelling the foreign elements to strengthen himself. Relying on his profound foundation, Zhou Qian ultimately seized the upper hand bit by bit...

Pu Shanlin had already spent two days and nights with this nameless beauty of sixteen. The woman called herself Nie, and according to her account, she was the daughter of a wealthy family who had accidentally strayed into this place, become separated from her servants, and was terrified to her core. Fortunately, she had run into this young scholar Liuxian. Sharing the same room, physical contact was inevitable, and mutual affection naturally blossomed. Though they were in a ghostly realm, the scholar Pu spent days happier than any he had ever known before, feeling as though he were living in a dream.

On this particular day, young maiden Nie suddenly blushed with shyness and said timidly, "This humble concubine hasn't changed her clothes for days and wishes to wash her body. My lord, you..."

Pu Shanlin immediately became flustered and panicked, stammering, "This scholar understands, this scholar understands! I shall leave right away and keep guard at the door for you, my lady."

Yet a pair of tender hands gently grabbed his large hand, and lowering her head, she whispered softly, "This humble concubine has also read the *Precepts for Women*. Having spent day and night with my lord, my heart has long since been given to you. Liuxian—you do not need to leave."

Upon hearing these words, Pu Shanlin froze in body and limb, his mind turning completely blank...