novelapdf Chapter 15 Alchemy Furnace
Chapter 15 Alchemy Furnace
Outside Daling Village, the morning mist had not yet dissipated.
Shen Gui held the fine iron longsword, which pointed diagonally at the ground. The blade was shimmering with magical light, and its sharp aura cut through the morning wind, emitting a faint hum.
He closed his eyes and concentrated, channeling his magical power into the sword.
The sword's light surged by half a zhang, yet remained fixed on the blade, unable to stray even a fraction from it.
"It still doesn't work..."
Shen Gui opened his eyes, gave a bitter smile, and sheathed his sword.
According to "The Sword Dao Insights of a Disciple of Fengtian Palace", when the sword light is condensed on the sword body, the sword energy can leave the sword and injure people, taking the enemy's head from a distance. This is the second watershed in sword Dao cultivation.
Although mastering the sword aura had already made him stand out in combat at the first level of the Nascent Soul realm, Shen Gui was still not satisfied.
He had been practicing swordsmanship for over a year, and relying on the experience of his predecessors in the manuals, as well as his own understanding of the way of the sword, he had already mastered the use of sword light.
But this sword energy could never quite reach the threshold.
"The way of swordsmanship and killing is difficult to improve if one practices alone."
Shen Gui secretly comforted himself, knowing that the understanding of swordsmanship depended entirely on his own comprehension, and since it couldn't be rushed, he wouldn't force it.
He looked up at the distant mountains and forests, took a deep breath of the crisp morning air, and felt refreshed.
For the past six months, he has been diligently practicing the "Nourish the Origin and Cultivate the Wheel" day and night. The third circulating wheel in his body has become more and more stable, and he is not far from condensing the fourth Chongying wheel at the fourth level of fetal breathing.
"My cultivation is steadily improving, and my swordsmanship is becoming more and more proficient. There's no need to rush things."
As Shen Gui was pondering to himself, a series of steady footsteps came from behind him.
"Immortal Master!"
Xie San strode over, his face dark, his cheekbones prominent, and he was dressed in a tight-fitting outfit.
He walked to Shen Gui's side, respectfully clasped his hands and bowed, lowering his voice to report: "Immortal Master, the Wotu Ditch has been completed."
Shen Gui turned around and nodded slightly: "How is it?"
Xie Sanzhi stood up, and in a calm and steady tone, explained everything in a clear and organized manner:
"The village, fields, and houses have all been registered and the population has been counted. Wotugou originally had 512 people, but now only 380 people remain."
He paused, lowered his voice, and a ruthless glint flashed in his eyes: "Wang Liu's relatives, disciples, and those who worked for him have all been dealt with cleanly according to the immortal's instructions."
"Those villagers who were harmed and died innocently by Wang Liu's family have been laid to rest and have had their tombstones erected."
Shen Gui remained silent for a moment, then sighed softly.
He was not a bloodthirsty person, but the Wang family had ruled for so many generations, and some people, if left alive, would only bring trouble.
As for the more than 380 ordinary villagers, most of them were innocent people who were oppressed and enslaved by Wang Liu. As long as they were properly appeased, they would become the foundation of the sect in the future.
"Well done." Shen Gui said calmly, then changed the subject, "How about that spirit field in Wotugou?"
Upon hearing the mention of the spirit fields, Xie San's eyes lit up instantly, the gloom on his face vanished, and his tone became lighter: "Immortal Master, the quality of those spirit fields is indeed excellent! They are far superior to the spirit fields in our Daling Village, with abundant spiritual energy and soft, fertile soil. Everything grows well there!"
He scratched his head and sighed with some regret: "It's just that the spiritual energy of that field is a bit special. According to Master Xiaohe, it can support the growth of rare spiritual herbs. None of us know the method of planting those spiritual herbs, so planting spiritual rice is a bit of a waste."
A hint of regret flashed in Shen Gui's eyes.
Upon first entering Wotugou that day, he noticed the abnormality of that spiritual field. The spiritual energy was becoming pure and gentle, and its quality far exceeded that of ordinary spiritual fields. It was clearly a treasure that the Wang family had carefully cultivated and transformed with special methods over generations.
Although he possessed the "Nourishing Fields and Enriching Spirits Method," which could cultivate ordinary fields into spiritual fields, those were still the most basic spiritual fields, far inferior to the extraordinary fields of Wotugou.
If one can master the method of cultivating those spiritual herbs, the sect's spiritual plant cultivation will take a big step forward, and may even become self-sufficient, no longer having to worry about cultivating spiritual fields.
Unfortunately, Wang Liu is dead, and the planting method has probably been lost.
"Let's plant some spirit rice first. It's a spirit field after all, better than leaving it barren," Shen Gui said calmly, suppressing his regret.
"Yes!" Xie San replied, then, remembering something, lowered his voice and said, "Master, there's something else. I've unearthed a large furnace beneath the earth's veins at a house in Wotugou!"
He gestured, his face beaming with excitement: "That furnace is at least half a person's height, all gray and covered with incomprehensible patterns. Could it be the legendary alchemy furnace?"
Shen Gui's pupils suddenly contracted, and his heart skipped a beat!
Alchemy furnace!
His purpose in going to Wotugou was twofold: to treat Wang Xiaoshi and to retrieve the alchemy furnace for Ahe. He had thought that with Wang Liuyi's death, the whereabouts of the alchemy furnace would become a mystery, but unexpectedly, Xie San had dug it up!
"Which family found it?" Shen Guiqiang suppressed his excitement and asked in a deep voice.
Xie San quickly replied, "There's a Wang family at the foot of the mountain on the east side of the village. They're just an elderly couple who've been farmers for generations. They knew nothing about the underground alchemy furnace. I've investigated, and they're definitely innocent."
Shen Gui nodded slightly, understanding in his heart.
Wang Liu was suspicious and cunning by nature. Such a precious treasure as the alchemy furnace would naturally not be hidden in his own yard to attract attention. Burying it a foot deep in the ground of an innocent farmer in the distance was a good way to cover his tracks.
"From now on, you will be in charge of Wotugou. Pay special attention to that family, keep an eye on them secretly, and do not disturb them." Shen Gui's gaze sharpened, and his tone became solemn. "Be careful in everything, and prioritize your own safety if you encounter any danger."
Xie San felt a warmth in his heart, clasped his hands and bowed, "Your subordinate understands! I will certainly not fail the immortal's trust!"
Shen Gui patted him on the shoulder, said no more, and strode towards the village.
..............................
In the center of the village, in a courtyard specially built for Shen Gui.
With bluestone paving and bamboo fences surrounding it, the place is simple yet neat and elegant, making it the best residence in the whole village.
Little Ahe was squatting in the middle of the courtyard, her little head tilted to the side, her bright eyes fixed on the gray furnace in front of her, her little face full of seriousness and curiosity.
The furnace was about half a person's height, and its entire body was grayish-brown. It was made of neither gold nor stone, and it felt warm to the touch. The outer wall of the furnace was covered with densely packed runes and patterns, which were ancient and mysterious, and faintly emanated a spiritual light.
The furnace has a lid, an ear on each side of the furnace body, and a fist-sized opening on the front. The furnace is hollow inside, and fine patterns can be vaguely seen on the inner wall.
"So this is the alchemy furnace..."
Ahe circled the furnace twice, her small steps light and quick. Her mind was filled with the records about alchemy furnaces in "Tianyan Tongdan". She carefully examined every pattern and inscription on the furnace body.
She crouched down, stretched out her small hand, and gently stroked a tiny inscription on the bottom of the furnace with her fingertips. The inscription was so delicate that it was almost invisible unless you looked closely.
Ahe gently pressed her fingertip against the flame inscription, attempting to inject a trace of magic power into it.
Suddenly, the furnace was brightly lit!
A faint red light shot out from the furnace opening, illuminating Ahe's delicate face. A warm wave of heat swept over her, causing her stray hairs to flutter slightly.
"what!"
Ahe was startled, her little body suddenly shrank back, and she sat down on the ground with a thud. Then she giggled and her eyes curved into crescent moons.
"Master! Master, come quick!"
She dusted herself off and skipped towards the courtyard gate, bumping right into Shen Gui who was walking in quickly.
"What's wrong? Why are you so anxious?" Shen Gui supported his little apprentice's shoulder and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that she was unharmed.
"Master! The alchemy furnace is lit! It's lit!" Ahe tugged at Shen Gui's sleeve, her little face full of excitement. "I just poured my magic power into the inscription at the bottom of the furnace according to the alchemy manual, and it lit up all at once!"
Shen Gui strode to the alchemy furnace and bent down to examine it.
The red light inside the furnace had dissipated, but the inscriptions on the furnace wall still retained faint magical fluctuations, clearly traces of being activated by magic just now.
He reached out and touched the furnace. It was warm to the touch, and he could faintly sense a gentle spiritual energy flowing inside.
"This is the alchemy furnace?" A hint of surprise flashed in Shen Gui's eyes.
Although he came from the Canglan Immortal Sect, the threshold for alchemy is extremely high, and the alchemy furnace is extremely valuable. Ordinary disciples in the Nascent Soul Realm rarely even see it, let alone touch it.
Although the grade of this alchemy furnace is unknown, its numerous inscriptions and ancient materials alone make it clearly extraordinary.
"Yes, yes!" Ahe nodded vigorously, her little mouth chattering away at lightning speed, "The alchemical texts say that you only need to inject magic power into the inscription at the ignition point to activate the foundation of the spiritual fire inside the furnace, but to truly refine pills, you still need the art of fire control!"
She paused, her face falling slightly, and sighed in frustration, "But I haven't learned the art of fire control yet. I can only make the stove glow briefly, but I can't ignite it..."
Shen Gui understood, raised his hand to pat Ahe's head, and said gently, "No rush. The art of fire control requires the cooperation of spiritual consciousness. You need to reach the fifth level of embryonic breathing before you can condense your spiritual consciousness and truly begin refining pills."
"Fifth level of Fetal Breathing..." Ahe counted on her fingers, her little face scrunched up, "I'm only at the first level of Fetal Breathing now, I'm still so far away..."
"The path of cultivation is long and cannot be rushed." Shen Gui chuckled, squatted down, looked directly into his little disciple's eyes, and said solemnly, "You have the Heavenly Flame Elixir manual by your side and a pill furnace in hand. The most important thing right now is to stabilize your cultivation and lay a solid foundation. Take advantage of this time to familiarize yourself with the furnace's properties. Once you have reached the fifth level of the Fetal Breathing stage and your spiritual consciousness has been formed, you can start refining pills."
Ahe blinked, memorizing every word of her master's words, and nodded vigorously: "Ahe remembers! Ahe will definitely cultivate diligently, and spend her free time with the alchemy furnace, getting to know it!"
Shen Gui was amused by her earnest little expression, and stood up to examine the gray alchemy furnace once more.
"Although the grade of this alchemy furnace is unknown, it should be sufficient for a beginner like you."
Ahe replied with a grin, "Don't worry, Master! Ahe will definitely become the most skilled alchemist and refine lots and lots of spiritual pills for you!"
Shen Gui chuckled softly, secretly rejoicing in his heart.
Although the journey to Wotugou was fraught with twists and turns, we finally obtained the alchemy furnace, acquired the spiritual field, and even eliminated evil cultivators like Wang Liu, gaining Dao merits in the process. It was a win-win situation.
The only drawback is that the method of cultivating the spiritual herbs has been lost, and the fertile fields of Wotugou can only grow spiritual rice, which is a waste of resources.
"Never mind, there will always be a way in the future." Shen Gui comforted himself inwardly, then turned to look at Ahe, "Ahe, starting tomorrow, you will go to the courtyard every day to study the alchemy scriptures and familiarize yourself with the alchemy furnace. Do not slack off. But your cultivation must not be neglected either, understand?"
"Understood!" Ah He puffed out her small chest and replied crisply.
Ahe's gaze fell on the alchemy furnace, a hint of anticipation flashing in her eyes.