< Chapter 36: Joint Attack on Ziyang >
Sun Lie looked at Meng Chong and said, somewhat annoyed, “Your grandfather has given the order for me to assist you in quickly dispersing your cultivation.”
“With this method of mine, you can lose your cultivation in just one night. What, are you afraid?”
Meng Chong immediately raised his eyebrows, puffed out his chest, and said, “What’s there to be afraid of?!”
Sun Lie laughed heartily, “Good, I didn’t misjudge you.”
Turning the conversation, he continued, “Actually, practicing with a pill furnace has been a known method.”
“You must have heard of the divine ability, Fiery Eyes Golden Pupils.”
“To cultivate this divine ability, one must first have either fiery eyes or golden pupils’ potential, and then enter an old pill furnace.”
“After the furnace is opened, the cultivator must endure severe trials for forty-nine days, never closing their eyes, at most blinking. They must fully endure the smoke and fire, and bear the pain.”
“You should be mentally prepared when entering the pill furnace this time.”
Meng Chong nodded gravely.
Sun Lie opened his storage bag and took out a large bowl and a small glass bottle.
In the bowl was a thick amber-like substance, orange-yellow and translucent. The small bottle contained red and yellow mixed powder granules.
Sun Lie instructed, “Come on, take off all your clothes.”
“First, apply what’s in the bowl, and then sprinkle the powdered herbs from the bottle all over your body.”
Meng Chong acknowledged and stripped himself naked. He took the large bowl and the small bottle.
He first applied the contents of the bowl and then evenly sprinkled the powder from the bottle.
He gradually felt something wasn’t quite right. Sniffing, he said, “Old Sun, why does this smell like honey and cumin?”
Sun Lie tilted his head back, took a large swig from the gourd, then laughed, “Haha, you only just noticed? Your grandfather said your cultivation in various arts is extremely poor, and he wasn’t wrong!”
Meng Chong’s face darkened. “I may not be good at alchemy, but I’ve eaten plenty. I’ve eaten even more spiritual food.”
Sun Lie nodded. “Since ancient times, food and medicine have been closely related.”
“The best medicine is food.”
“The so-called spiritual food and spiritual chefs—what’s the difference between them and spiritual pills and alchemists?”
Saying this, he winked at Meng Chong. “You don’t think I’m trying to harm you, planning to roast you until you’re fragrant and crispy, do you?”
Although he hadn’t met Meng Chong many times, he had a keen grasp of his character.
Meng Chong was younger than Ning Zhuo, only fourteen years old, but he looked eighteen or nineteen. He was youthful, competitive, and proud of his family name.
“Don’t underestimate me.” Meng Chong glared at Sun Lie and directly climbed into the Ziyang Furnace.
Sun Lie burped, following closely behind, and closed the furnace door.
The sound of the furnace door closing made Meng Chong’s heart skip a beat.
The furnace sealed shut, but there was a dim light inside.
Standing in front of the furnace door, Meng Chong surveyed his surroundings and quickly noticed that the bottom of the furnace was already covered with various medicinal herbs.
Seeing this, Meng Chong’s heart settled a bit, as this showed that Sun Lie had prepared in advance.
Applying honey and cumin seemed unreliable at first glance, but remembering Sun Lie’s status as a master alchemist, there was undoubtedly a purpose to this setup.
Immediately, Meng Chong walked to the center of the pill furnace and sat cross-legged.
Outside the Ziyang Furnace, Sun Lie tilted his head back and drank deeply, then exhaled.
Boom.
A burst of flaming alcohol ignited the Ziyang Furnace.
Within a few breaths, the air temperature rapidly soared. The fiery red glow reflected off Sun Lie’s face, making it flush bright red.
“It’s starting,” Meng Chong thought, sensing the sudden temperature increase.
The previously dim interior of the pill furnace instantly brightened, filled with crimson light.
Meng Chong’s body temperature quickly rose, the honey on his skin began to melt, and the cumin seeds released an intense fragrance. Simultaneously, a large amount of mana steamed out of his pores like mist.
At this moment, outside Ziyang Courtyard, Sun Lingtong’s eyes sparkled with a strange light.
His spiritual eyes penetrated through multiple walls, seeing a blurred scene.
“Good. Sun Lie is concocting pills. This is an excellent opportunity to strike.” He was thrilled.
Once alchemy began, the alchemist often had to stay by the furnace.
This meant that Sun Lie, a peak Foundation Establishment stage combatant, was temporarily out of commission!
“Formation-Breaking Talisman, go!”
Sun Lingtong acted decisively, directly employing his strongest technique.
Sensing the attack, the formation of Ziyang Courtyard activated instantly, forming a hemispherical light shield.
The Formation-Breaking Talisman looked small and delicate, seemingly insignificant, but when it landed on the light shield, it immediately shattered, and the tiny specks of light it released directly dissolved the hemispherical light shield.
The formation of Ziyang Courtyard had failed!
“Go.” Ning Zhuo had been waiting for a long time, his cloak fluttered.
A large number of Mechanical Thunder Silent Birds flew out.
They traced arcs of lightning in the air, covering the front yard.
Clang, clang, clang!
Ear-piercing alarm bells sounded within Ziyang Courtyard.
Ning Zhuo’s heartbeat quickened slightly. He untied two storage bags from his waist, grabbed the bottom of the bags, opened their mouths wide, and shook out everything inside.
Each mechanical creation enlarged from small to large, returning to their true size as they hit the ground.
Twenty brass mechanical men and forty copper mechanical beasts lined up in formation and charged toward Ziyang Courtyard.
Ziyang Courtyard naturally had its own guards.
Four Foundation Establishment stage cultivators and eighteen Qi Refining late-stage cultivators were alarmed.
The Foundation Establishment cultivators cast spells, clearing out the Mechanical Thunder Silent Birds.
The eighteen late-stage Qi Refining cultivators formed a battle formation, unleashing power surpassing the mid-stage Foundation Establishment, holding their ground.
The mechanical creations surged like waves, while the battle formation stood firm like a coastal rock, unmoved by the crashing waves.
“Brother, that Sun Lie is in the pill refining room!” Sun Lingtong’s voice stealthily passed over.
Ning Zhuo’s heart stirred, and he immediately dispatched a portion of the mechanical creatures to rush towards the pill refining room.
Attack the enemy’s vital spot!
“Damn it!” The four Foundation Establishment early-stage cultivators cursed but didn’t move.
A mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator suddenly appeared from the shadows, holding a magical mirror. He released a beam of light from the mirror, covering all the mechanical creations that were rushing forward.
With another shake of the mirror, the reflection of the young puppet master appeared on its surface.
“He’s there!” The mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator holding the mirror shouted, pointing out Ning Zhuo’s exact position for his companions.
Immediately, a figure shot toward him like lightning.
“Another hidden mid-stage Foundation Establishment!” Ning Zhuo’s pupils narrowed, while the Thunder Silent Birds circled around him. The Chui Tou Hanging Whip raised like a black python, standing ready.
Soon, intense combat erupted in the dark alley where he was hiding.
“Hmph! I hope this person is as skilled as Sun Lingtong said.”
Han Ming glanced in Ning Zhuo’s direction and then took action.
She was surrounded by Yin Wind, moving swiftly and silently, like a ghostly shadow.
The ghostly shadow flew first toward the pill refining room, but seeing another Foundation Establishment cultivator emerging at the door, she decisively turned toward the medicine storage room.
However, midway, sword light flashed, a flying sword shot out, intercepting the ghostly shadow Han Ming.
A peak Foundation Establishment cultivator slowly revealed himself.
“Tonight, I’m only here for the pills, not to harm anyone,” Han Ming narrowed her eyes and said.
She was answered by sharp sword light.