Zhang Kui Asks the Way in Investiture of the Gods

Chapter 201 of this book contains a surprise: "Medicine Should Not Be Taken Randomly." Click here to unlock it now.

Stepping out of the palace gate, Zhang Kui finally let out a long breath, feeling that his back was soaked with sweat.

"How is it?" Xuan Du asked with a smile.

"My grandmaster is... not quite what I imagined," Zhang Kui said truthfully.

"To use things without being used by things, to think without thinking. Don't you think your grandmaster... isn't like a saint?"

Zhang Kui hadn't expected his master to be so blunt, and he nodded subconsciously.

Xuandu sighed and said, "My master attained the Primordial Dao and has long transcended worldly joys and sorrows. He returned to simplicity and authenticity naturally. The way of the sage is profound and precious; you must carefully understand it."

Zhang Kui nodded thoughtfully.

Xuan Du had to leave temporarily because he had some business to attend to.

Before leaving, he summoned two young Taoist disciples and instructed them, "Golden Horn and Silver Horn, take Zhang Kui to explore the various parts of the Eight Views Palace and familiarize him with the way."

"Yes, young master."

The two young Taoist boys responded respectfully.

Zhang Kui sized up the two young Taoist disciples—Golden Horn was slightly older, with a handsome face and a composed demeanor; Silver Horn was younger, with a round face and bright, darting eyes, clearly a clever little devil.

"Fellow Daoist Zhang Kui, this way please." Jin Jiao gestured for him to enter.

The three of them walked along the stone path.

Silver Horn skipped and hopped ahead, his mouth never stopping: "Zhang Kui, when did you become the young master's disciple? How high is your cultivation? Is the mortal world interesting? Have you ever seen the Sage Master?"

Zhang Kui answered each question, secretly amused; this Silver Horn was quite the chatterbox.

Golden Horn, standing nearby, would occasionally remind his younger brother, Silver Horn, "Silver Horn, say less. You talk too much."

"Brother, I'm just curious," Silver Horn pouted. "We've been in this Eight Trigrams Palace for hundreds of years, and it's rare for a newcomer to arrive. Can't we even ask him anything?"

Golden Horn shook his head helplessly.

The three walked and talked, and before long they arrived in front of a magnificent palace.

Above the palace gate hangs a plaque with two large characters: "Danfang" (丹房).

As Zhang Kui reached the door, a rich medicinal fragrance wafted towards him. The scent was delicate and refreshing, invigorating the spirit.

"This is the alchemy room of the Eight Views Palace," Jinjiao introduced. "The purple-gold Eight Trigrams Furnace inside is a primordial spiritual treasure personally controlled by the Sage, used specifically for refining elixirs."

Zhang Kui entered the alchemy room and saw a huge alchemy furnace standing in the center.

This furnace is about ten feet tall, with three legs and two handles. Its entire body is purplish-gold, and it is covered with densely packed runes. The flames inside the furnace are raging, but they are not ordinary fire. Instead, they are the supreme divine fire from the Taoist esoteric arts—the Six Ding Divine Fire.

This Six Ding Divine Fire is a gentle fire, characterized by slow and steady simmering, in contrast to the Bing Fire, which symbolizes fierce fire. This fire is mild and not violent, making it an excellent flame for alchemy and weapon forging.

Silver Horn proudly introduced, "This is our home turf. What's being refined in the furnace is the 'Two Elements Primordial Pill,' which should be ready in the next day or two."

"The Two Elements Primordial Elixir?" Zhang Kui asked curiously.

"That's right." Silver Horn said proudly, "This pill is a good thing. It uses the innate Yin and Yang energies as a guide, combined with eighty-one kinds of rare and precious materials, and is refined by gentle fire for forty-nine days to form a pill. Taking one pill can stabilize the foundation of one's cultivation and improve one's cultivation level."

Zhang Kui was deeply moved.

Jinjiao, being a cautious man, glanced at the furnace fire and said, "This place is not safe to stay any longer. The alchemy room is a sensitive area; we should leave quickly. If it affects the alchemy process, it will be troublesome."

Zhang Kui nodded in agreement and was about to leave.

Just then, a burly figure suddenly appeared at the entrance of the alchemy room.

The newcomer was a burly man in a blue Taoist robe, with thick eyebrows, large eyes, and a rugged face, exuding an aura of barbarity. He entered the alchemy room, saw Golden Horn, Silver Horn, and Zhang Kui, and was taken aback at first, then his face hardened.

"You two naughty children, what are you doing in this important place called the alchemy room?" the burly man asked, seemingly unfazed.

"Brother Niu!"

Golden Horn and Silver Horn called out at the same time, their tone filled with intimacy and flattery.

Brother Niu? Zhang Kui's heart skipped a beat. Could this be the mount of the Sage Taiqing, the ancient divine beast Qingniu?

The Azure Ox was an ancient and extraordinary creature, possessing immense strength capable of carrying mountains and rivers. Later, it was subdued by the Sage Taiqing and became his mount. It followed the Sage around for many years, and through constant exposure, its cultivation became unfathomable.

"Brother Niu, we're just bringing Master Xuandu's disciple here to familiarize him with the place. We'll be leaving now, we'll be leaving now," Jin Jiao quickly explained, then pulled Yin Jiao and Zhang Kui along, preparing to leave.

Silver Horn pouted somewhat reluctantly, "Brother Niu, we've been to this alchemy room before, why are you making such a fuss?"

Upon seeing this, Zhang Kui realized that these people must have a close personal relationship, so he immediately stepped forward and respectfully bowed to Qingniu as a disciple.

"Junior Zhang Kui pays his respects to senior."

Green Ox was taken aback at first, then burst into laughter, his eyes narrowing into slits: "Of course, of course. The young master's apprentice is one of us. If you ever need anything, just come to Brother Ox, Brother Ox will protect you!"

Zhang Kui quickly expressed his gratitude.

Just as the group was exchanging pleasantries, the Purple Gold Eight Trigrams Furnace in the alchemy room suddenly emitted a series of sounds.

"Strange." The Green Ox calculated the days and wondered, "Old Ox remembers that this batch of 'Two Elements Primordial Elixir' still needs a few more days, so why is the elixir starting to appear now?"

"Dan Yong?" Zhang Kui asked, puzzled.

Jinjiao's expression changed, and he said, "The surge of 'dan yong' is a sign that the pills are about to take shape. The medicinal power of this batch of pills is too strong, and it has begun to resonate with the Six Ding Divine Fire in the furnace. If it is not suppressed in time, the pills may fly away on their own, or even cause the furnace to explode!"

"Everyone, immediately activate the Shangqing Pill Technique; this batch of pills is about to be completed," Jinjiao reminded everyone.

Green Ox and Silver Horn dared not delay and quickly began to perform hand seals. A burst of green light emanated from their bodies, completely enveloping them.

Zhang Kui stared blankly at everything unfolding before him, utterly bewildered: "Seniors, what's going on?"

"Hey, Zhang Kui, hurry up and circulate the Shangqing Danjue. This dan surging is no joke," Silver Horn casually reminded him.

"What is the Shangqing Danjue?" Zhang Kui asked, looking completely bewildered.

"What?"

"Didn't Master Xuandu teach you that?"

"Can't you do it?"

The three men, Green Ox, Golden Horn, and Silver Horn, changed their expressions drastically and asked in unison.

Zhang Kui shook his head.

"We're doomed..." the blue ox howled in despair.

The Golden Horn and Silver Horn also looked as if they had lost their parents.

Before the group could explain further, the Purple Gold Eight Trigrams Furnace underwent another strange change.

The furnace lid flew off, and dozens of faintly visible pills flew out of the furnace, hovering in the air and emitting multicolored light. A powerful vortex of spiritual energy appeared out of nowhere, sweeping through the entire alchemy room.

Zhang Kui immediately felt a strong tearing force pulling him towards the Purple Gold Eight Trigrams Furnace.

He instinctively tried to struggle, attempting to use his flying teleportation technique to escape, but the force was too strong, and he couldn't break free at all. Strangely, this force seemed to resonate with the magical power within his body; the more he struggled, the stronger the suction became.

"Zhang Kui, hang in there!" Qing Niu shouted again.

Golden Horn and Silver Horn turned pale and were at a loss for what to do.

Zhang Kui wanted to try again, but the power of the Purple Gold Eight Trigrams Furnace intensified once more, directly sucking him into the furnace.

Clang!

The furnace lid closed again, and the vortex of spiritual energy disappeared.

It was as if nothing had happened, except... Zhang Kui was gone.

The alchemy room was deathly silent.

Green Ox, Golden Horn, and Silver Horn looked at each other, unsure of what to say.

"Brother Niu, what should we do?" Silver Horn panicked completely.

Qingniu took a deep breath and gritted his teeth, saying, "I'll go find the two gentlemen. You two try to control the fire. Don't... don't burn Zhang Kui to ashes."

After saying that, he flew directly out of the hall, leaving only a blur.

Golden Horn and Silver Horn looked at each other in bewilderment, then hurriedly took out two banana leaf fans and began to suppress the fire in the alchemy furnace.

"Brother, is this a bit too big a mess?" Silver Horn asked with a worried expression, but he didn't dare stop fanning himself.

Jinjiao rolled his eyes in annoyance and said, "Don't get distracted. If something happens to Zhang Kui, we'll both be guilty beyond redemption, even if we die."

"But……"

"Stop talking nonsense and concentrate."

Golden Horn shouted sternly, and Silver Horn shut up and obediently controlled the fire.

……

Inside the Purple Gold Eight Trigrams Furnace.

Zhang Kui felt as if he were in a world of flames.

All around was the Six Ding Divine Fire, a pale purple flame that, while not fierce, possessed a persistent, intense heat. Unlike ordinary flames that instantly engulf a person, it seeped in bit by bit, as if slowly refining a person's magic power, flesh, and soul.

"What powerful Six Ding Divine Fire!"

Zhang Kui was amazed.

He tried circulating the Golden Core Dao, using the Five Elements Dao Fruit to protect his body. Five-colored light appeared, isolating the Six Ding Divine Fire from the outside. For a short time, it was not a problem.

"This Six Ding Divine Fire is a gentle fire, characterized by slow and steady simmering, and is not violent," Zhang Kui thought to himself. "Although I can feel my magic power being consumed little by little, at this rate, it should last for a year or two without any problem."

This amount of time is enough for Master Xuandu to come and save me. At worst, there's still the Ancestral Master Taiqing Saint.

Thinking of this, Zhang Kui was no longer in a hurry.

He decided to wander around inside the Purple Gold Eight Trigrams Furnace, wanting to see what the inside of this legendary innate spiritual treasure was like.

The interior of the furnace was much larger than it appeared from the outside, spanning several hundred feet in diameter. The furnace walls were covered with densely packed runes, which emitted a faint glow and formed a vast and complex array of restrictions.

Zhang Kui activated his Great Yin-Yang Penetrating True Eye and carefully observed these runes.

These runes are divided into two categories: yin and yang. Yang runes govern the fire, while yin runes govern the medicinal power. The two work together to form a perfect balance.

"I see."

Zhang Kui suddenly realized something.

The refining principle of this Purple Gold Eight Trigrams Furnace is similar to that of his Golden Elixir Dao, both of which use acquired Yin and Yang to stimulate innate Yin and Yang, thereby achieving the effect of refining all things.

Before long, he arrived at the center of the alchemy furnace.

The scene before him left Zhang Kui dazzled.

Dozens of pills, each the size of a broad bean, floated in the air, spinning continuously and emitting a rich medicinal fragrance. These pills were pale gold in color, with yin and yang energies circulating on their surface, making them appear crystal clear, like tiny pearls.

"This is the Yin-Yang Primordial Elixir?"

Zhang Kui took a closer look and saw that each pill was engraved with fine patterns, which were innate Dao patterns containing the Dao of Yin and Yang.

The aroma of the medicine filled Zhang Kui's nostrils, and he felt completely relaxed, his magical energy flowing more smoothly.

"If I eat just one, no one should notice, right?"

The idea that suddenly popped into Zhang Kui's mind surprised even himself.

But once this thought arises, it is difficult to suppress.

After much hesitation, he finally reached out his hand.

"It's just one, it should be fine."

Zhang Kui caught a pill; it was warm to the touch and as translucent as red jade. He took a deep breath and put the pill into his mouth.

As the pill slid into his stomach, before Zhang Kui could even react, a powerful and pure Yin-Yang energy surged within his body.

The power surged forth like a flood bursting its banks, instantly filling his limbs, bones, and internal organs. Zhang Kui felt as if his body was about to explode, every cell frantically absorbing this power.

"not good!"

Zhang Kui's expression changed drastically. He immediately sat cross-legged, circulated the Golden Core Dao, and began to refine the medicinal power.