Refining The World Chapter 74

Some ancient spirit trees had the rare opportunity to grow a soul. The soul didn't perish even if the tree died, as it was still lingering inside the wood. After hundreds of years, a Soul Fungus grew from it, then the wood withered in seven days. If luck would have it and the Soul Fungus pa.s.ses a hundred years, it would become a natural treasure. When consumed—thanks to the wooden soul inside—the user's soul wouldn't dissipate or perish. And if its age surpa.s.sed the thousand years mark, it became a worldly treasure. Refining it, then ingesting it—according to its ill.u.s.trious reputation since antiquity—it could become a Twin Soul!

Rumor had it that there was a ferocious beast in ancient times known as Ji. It had a ruthless temper, slaughtering millions, and forced humanity to send their strongest to suppress it. This battle lasted a day and a night, shaking the heavens and collapsing the earth. This ferocious beast Ji's power was so tyrannical it exceeded imagination, as seventy-two of humanity's experts had to perish to use their blood essence and trigger a secret technique to behead the beast.

Ji's might come from this Twin Soul. After the battle, the world boiled when the information regarding the Twin Soul was revealed for the first time! 

Twin Soul was considered as another soul, nearly identical to the original. It could automatically absorb spiritual energy of heaven and earth, endlessly transforming it at nurturing the main soul. A true soul cultivating accelerator. Yet this is not by far its only effect. Twin Soul could be overlayed with the original soul, empowering the cultivator's soul to be twice as strong. In matters of life and death, it could even take the main soul's place of being destroyed, avoiding total annihilation. For example, at a Nascent Soul's Heavenly Tribulation. When the Soul Annihilation Thunder struck, with the Twin Soul, even if he were to be powerless to resist it, he could survive at a hair's breadth. 

Furthermore, this was the only known information, as even now there was an uncertainty of all of its amazing abilities. Since after the ferocious beast Ji, there were hardly any records regarding the Twin Soul in the ancient texts. The pa.s.sing of this information and even the users of this treasure were few and far in between!

There was a mention of the Soul Fungus in the Art of Medicine, which was also connected to the information regarding the Twin Soul. When he was cultivating below the Radiant Scarlet Tree, Qin Yu did some extensive reading, for this particular situation.

Soul Patterns, Soul Fungus, and Twin Soul. If it were any other person, even if he knew of the Twin Soul, he would still have to give up on it. But Qin Yu was different, he had the Little Blue Lamp to speed up spiritual plant growth. Soul Fungus was a spiritual plant after all, and the Little Blue Lamp has never let him down.

He took a jade hoe from his storage bag. He carefully removed the Soul Fungus from the wooden support and placed it in a jade bottle that he prepared earlier.

Qin Yu left after sticking a sealing talisman to preserve its vitality. Although it was written in The Art of Medicine that the Soul Fungus could survive for a day after it was taken from the wood, he didn't want to take chances. Yet a few steps later, something occurred to him. It was still quite early before the night descended, and even if he was worried, he could only wait patiently. 

It seems my heart is still soft, to panic at such a crucial moment!

Qin Yu arrived at the wooden house entrance while holding the jade bottle and took a deep breath. He pushed it and his eyes sank into darkness, only to be soon replaced with the outside view.

Pill Cauldron's eyes brighten while laughing, "Junior brother, let me see. What treasure did you bring? I told you earlier to choose carefully. If you were hasty and chose one of the first items, your heart will be filled will regret!"

Old geezer winked, but when his eyes landed, his look immediately turned strange, "W-what is this thing? Why haven't I seen it before?" 

Qin Yu cupped his hands, "Senior brother, this item is the one I took from the last wooden support. If I'm not wrong, it should be the rumored Soul Fungus." He swept the area out of the corner of his eyes while speaking.

Pill Cauldron was slack-jawed, then muttered, "Yes, yes, regarding the time, this should be the period in which the Soul Fungus should appear." He suddenly face-palmed, "Why did you take it out? It's useless!"

Qin Yu smiled, "Soul Fungus is incredibly mystical, something that I found out by chance, but I haven't lost my reasoning when I saw it today. Senior brother, since you wanted me to go inside the wooden house and choose a treasure, the Soul Fungus shouldn't be against the rules. I hope senior brother will approve of it."

Pill Cauldron repeatedly waved his hand, "How can that be! I wanted to give you a powerful treasure, not this completely useless thing! Quickly return and choose another."

The young lady's figure suddenly appeared, calmly stating, "Pill Cauldron, learn when to quit."

Qin Yu lifted an eyebrow. Someone actually dared to be so informal with senior brother while inside the Ancient Immortal Valley.

Pill Cauldron coughed, "Xiao Ling, you also know that this foolish kid took out a completely useless Soul Fungus. Just let him go and take another pick. An hour, no, a half an hour, and I promise I will no longer come to bother you."

The young lady shook her head, "No."

Pill Cauldron gnashed his teeth, "Thirty percent more spirit stones!"

"No."

"Fifty percent!"

"No."

"Double!" Pill Cauldron's face twitched, "Xiao Ling, he is the only junior brother I have. If it were to be known I gave this Soul Fungus as a first meeting gift, I won't have any face left!" 

The young lady was indifferent, "Even ten times I still won't agree. The rules were already broken when he entered the wooden house and there won't be a second time." After a pause, her eyes swept over, "Furthermore, the Soul Fungus—in a sense—is more precious than all of the treasures inside the wooden house. This choice showed his insight."

Pill Cauldron's old face collapsed in defeat, becoming increasingly long.

Qin Yu was curious. Although he didn't spend a long time with his convenient senior brother, he knew he has a good, solemn expression when facing other people. In front of this girl, he put no pretense and he was apparently even more relaxed. His mind stewed and cupped his hands, "Senior brother, what this young miss said is correct. Soul Fungus is my choice and I am satisfied with it. " 

So far, the young lady stared fixedly at Qin Yu, but her indifferent and dead expression was the same as if she looked at a rock or tree. 

Pill Cauldron wanted to continue when the young lady intervened, "He can't enter the wooden house again, but if you want compensation, there is still an ownerless treasure outside. If he can refine it, then the benefit it will bring will have no bounds."

Pill Cauldron's face was unsightly, "The Eight Furnace?"

"Correct." The young lady took out a circular token, "Take this token if you agree and it will make this an exception for him, giving him the opportunity to refine The Eight Furnace." 

Qin Yu said, "Senior brother, there's no need to say anything else."

Pill Cauldron sighed, "Just don't regret it later!" He took the command token and—with a wide wave of his sleeve—both of them vanished. 

The young lady saw them leaving and frowned at some point, "The Soul Fungus?"

Then she scattered into specks of light.

"Junior brother, why didn't you let me do the talking?" Pill Cauldron showed helplessness, "You wasted such a good opportunity."

Qin Yu smiled, "Finding the Soul Fungus—and even obtaining it—is already hard to come by chance. How can it be a waste? Let it go senior brother."

Pill Cauldron snorted, "And what if I don't? even I can't do anything about it at this point. Forget it, follow me." He then mutters, "The chance might be pitifully small, but we still have the command token. Might as well try it."

Two figures appeared in a towering pavilion. In the air, there was fiery energy lingering with medicinal fragrance. This scene wasn't unfamiliar to Qin Yu, as it was a step in creating pills. The guards immediately saluted, "Greetings Patriarch." Their eyes landed on Qin Yu and after a moment of faked ignorance, said, "Greetings Little Martial Uncle."

Pill Cauldron was uncaring, having a lofty air about him.

Zhao Yan quickly came, giving a greeting to the two of them. Regardless of his opinion, he should have at least keep appearances, "Patriarch and Little Martial Uncle, come. What instructions you might have?" 

Pill Cauldron realized, 'not good'. He was too depressed just now and forgot about this opportunist Zhao Yan. After a thought, he placed the command token in Qin Yu's hand, "I suddenly remembered there is something in need of my attention. I will let Zhao Yan handle the rest so I shall leave early." 

He said he would leave and he left, gone like the wind.

Qin Yu looked at the command token in his hand, sensing Zhao Yan gloomy and dark look. It was pretty clear why this convenient senior brother ran away faster than a rabbit. He shook his head inwardly, then, "Never mind, I have no intention of refining The Eight Furnace. Have someone guide me out."

Zhao Yan straightened his body with an indifferent expression, "Little Martial Uncle exaggerates. Patriarch bringing you here means he has high hopes for you, and The Eight Furnace has been without an owner for many years. How would I dare prevent this? Please follow me Little Martial Uncle!" 

He turned and with his body so did his face turn into a sneer.

'Who is the Patriarch to not know the gravity of things? It's definitely because this lowly person used his status to force this situation and make the Patriarch give his consent. The fact that Patriarch made an excuse to leave is the best proof. You still want to fake interest only to gain everything? How ridiculous!' 

Everyone knew that Zhao Yan—for nearly a hundred years of bitter attempts—has tried to advance but never succeded. Perhaps his sincerity has reached the heavens, finally revealing the opportunity to advance. Close to half of The Eight Furnace has been refined so far. He hid this information intending to shock the others. And when he completed it, he would be known to everyone.

It just so happened that Qin Yu came right now to refine The Eight Furnace. 'I will give you this chance! Based on The Eight Furnace's power and the fact that it already recognized an owner, Qin Yu will absolutely suffer a backlash once he starts refining it. A mere Foundation Establishment cultivation will then have to take at least seven layers of skin off!' (1)

Zhao Yan was already impatient of this so-called Little Martial Uncle, to say nothing of the impertinence he now had of trying to control The Eight Furnace. He was destroying the upstanding foundation of the Ancient Immortal Valley. Who would miss on the chance to humiliate him and bring him down to earth? 

They swiftly moved along the way.

The arrival of Little Martial Uncle and his intention of seizing control of The Eight Furnace swiftly spread inside The Eight Furnace through the mouths of a few guards and disciples; and even faster outside.

Many eyes stared with ridicule and contempt at Qin Yu. 'The Eight Furnace is a great treasure that not even Master/Clan Uncle—with his late Golden Core cultivation—could refine it in a hundred years. And in this hundred of years, dozens of outstanding and talented people have tried it but still failed in the end.' 

How laughable was for a Foundation Establishment cultivator to have such ambitions!

Zhao Yan already took into account the Eight Furnace disciples' attempts when he started his refining. His cold smile grew and could no longer be restrained. He waited for the moment when Little Martial Uncle made a fool of himself.

Zhao Yan stopped and spoke coldly, "Little Martial Uncle, we've arrived."

A thousand zhang mountain laid in front of him.  Barren, completely red and releasing searing heat, as waves after waves of heat constantly raged in the air. It was obvious how terrifying the temperature was without even approaching it. There was a zhang round sealed stone gate at the base of the mountain. The temperature here was even more astonishing, warping the air. 

"The Eight Furnace is called The Ninth Area, residing underground in magma. Little Martial Uncle can walk through the gate and will see it." Zhao Yan's mouth grew into a grin, "I will wait here for Little Martial Uncle return."

Qin Yu was very clear on the hostility exhibited by Zhao Yan and The Eight Furnace disciples, giving him a feeling helplessness. The matter went out of control ever since he became the Ancient Immortal Valley's Little Martial Uncle. He saw this scarlet mountain and went towards it.

The Ancient Immortal Valley has—for many years—never found a new Head for The Eight Furnace. He was aware that even with his shallow knowledge and even with the Little Blue Lamp in the mix, he could barely qualify as an Alchemist. So how could he subdue this important treasure? 

Since it started might as well just finish it!

(1)    Means he will definitely suffer