Chapter 36: Joint Assault on Ziyang

Sun Lie looked at Meng Chong with a scowl and said, “Your grandfather has given the order for me to help you disperse all your cultivation as soon as possible.”

“With my method, you’ll lose all your abilities in a single night. What, are you afraid?”

Meng Chong immediately raised his eyebrows and straightened his chest. “Why would I be afraid?!”

Sun Lie burst out laughing. “Good, I haven’t misjudged you.”

Then, changing his tone, he continued, “Actually, cultivating with the help of a pill furnace is an old practice.”

“You must have heard of the Divine Fire-Eye Golden Sight.”

“To master this art, one must first have the innate talent for fire-eyes or golden sight, then enter an old alchemy furnace.”

“Once inside, the cultivator must endure forty-nine days and nights without closing their eyes, only blinking occasionally, suffering the smoke and flames and enduring excruciating pain.”

“This time, as you enter the furnace, be mentally prepared.”

Meng Chong nodded gravely.

Sun Lie opened his storage pouch and took out a large bowl and a small glass bottle.

The bowl was filled with a viscous, amber-colored substance, clear and bright. The small bottle contained granules of red and yellow powder.

Sun Lie instructed, “Come, take off all your clothes.”

“First, apply what’s in the bowl all over yourself, then sprinkle the powder from the bottle over your whole body.”

Meng Chong grunted an acknowledgment, stripped himself bare, and took the bowl and bottle.

He spread the contents of the bowl on himself first, then dusted the powder evenly over his body.

Something began to feel off. Sniffing, he asked, “Elder Sun, why does this smell like honey—and cumin?”

Sun Lie threw back his head and took a large swig of wine from his gourd, then laughed. “You’re only just noticing? Your grandfather said you were hopeless in all aspects of cultivation, and he wasn’t wrong!”

A shadow crossed Meng Chong’s face. “I may not be good at alchemy, but I’ve eaten my share. Spiritual foods, even more.”

Sun Lie nodded. “Since ancient times, medicine and food have never been separate.”

“The best nourishment is food itself.”

“There’s really no difference between spiritual cuisine, spiritual chefs, elixirs, and alchemists, is there?”

He winked at Meng Chong. “You’re not afraid I’ll roast you until you’re crisp and fragrant, are you?”

Though he hadn’t met Meng Chong many times, Sun Lie had the measure of his character.

Meng Chong was younger than Ning Zhuo, only fourteen, though he looked eighteen or nineteen. He was brash, fiercely competitive, and proud of his family name.

“Don’t underestimate me,” Meng Chong shot Sun Lie a glare and climbed straight into the Ziyang Furnace.

Sun Lie hiccupped from his wine and followed, slamming the furnace door shut.

The clang of the closing door made Meng Chong’s heart skip a beat.

Inside the sealed furnace, a dim light prevailed.

Meng Chong stood by the door and glanced around, immediately noticing that the floor was covered with various medicinal herbs.

This put him somewhat at ease—it meant Sun Lie had come prepared.

Just smearing himself with honey and cumin seemed dubious, but given Sun Lie’s reputation as a master alchemist, there must be some purpose behind these arrangements.

At once, Meng Chong walked to the center of the furnace and sat cross-legged.

Outside, Sun Lie lifted his gourd and took a deep draft, then spat out a mouthful.

Whoosh.

A jet of fire burst forth, igniting the Ziyang Furnace.

Within a few breaths, the temperature soared. The crimson flames painted Sun Lie’s face a fiery red.

“It’s begun,” thought Meng Chong, feeling the heat surge.

The dim interior of the furnace suddenly blazed with scarlet light.

Meng Chong’s body temperature shot up; the honey on his skin began to melt, cumin seeds erupted in fragrance, and great waves of spiritual power streamed from his pores like clouds of steam.

At that very moment, outside the Ziyang Courtyard, Sun Lingtong’s eyes glimmered with strange light.

His spirit gaze pierced through the walls, catching glimpses of the scene within.

“Excellent. Sun Lie is busy refining pills—this is the perfect time to act,” he exulted inwardly.

Once an alchemist began refining, they could not leave.

That meant Sun Lie, a powerhouse at the peak of Foundation Establishment, was temporarily out of commission!

“Formation-breaking talisman, go!”

Sun Lingtong acted without hesitation, unleashing his strongest tactic.

Sensing the attack, the Ziyang Courtyard’s formation activated in an instant, forming a hemispherical shield.

The talisman, small and seemingly insignificant, struck the shield and instantly dissolved into motes of light that melted away the protective barrier.

The defensive formation of the Ziyang Courtyard was down!

“Go!” Ning Zhuo, who had been waiting, flicked his cloak.

A flock of mechanical Thunderstrike Birds shot out, streaking through the air in arcs of lightning, covering the front yard.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Shrill alarm bells rang out within the Ziyang Courtyard.

Ning Zhuo’s heart sped up. He loosened two storage pouches from his waist, swung them open, and dumped everything out.

One after another, mechanical constructs expanded from small to full size as they hit the ground.

Twenty brass automata and forty copper clockwork beasts lined up in formation, marching toward the Ziyang Courtyard.

Naturally, the courtyard had its own guards.

Four Foundation Establishment cultivators and eighteen at the late stage of Qi Refinement were roused.

The Foundation Establishment cultivators unleashed spells to clear away the Thunderstrike Birds.

The eighteen late-stage Qi Refinement cultivators formed a battle array, unleashing power beyond the mid-Foundation Establishment level to hold their ground.

The mechanical constructs surged like a tide, while the battle array stood firm as a rocky shore, unmoved by the onrushing waves.

“Brother, Sun Lie is in the pill room!” Sun Lingtong’s message came covertly.

Ning Zhuo’s mind sharpened, and he instantly sent a contingent of constructs directly at the pill room.

Attack the enemy’s weak point—they will be forced to defend!

“Damn!” cursed one of the Foundation Establishment cultivators, but made no move.

Suddenly, a mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator appeared from the shadows, wielding a magical mirror. He swept its beam over the mechanical constructs, enveloping them in light.

With a flick, the mirror’s surface revealed Ning Zhuo’s hiding place.

“There he is!” the cultivator cried, pointing out Ning Zhuo’s exact location to his comrades.

A figure shot out like lightning.

“Another mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator in hiding!” Ning Zhuo’s pupils narrowed. All around him, Thunderstrike Birds circled protectively, and his black, noose-like whip poised defensively.

Soon, the alley in which he hid erupted with the sounds of fierce combat.

“Hmph! I hope this one is as skilled as Sun Lingtong claims,” Han Ming muttered, glancing in Ning Zhuo’s direction before springing into action.

Ghostly winds whirled around her as she moved with silent speed, a phantom in the night.

Her shadow flitted toward the pill room, but seeing another Foundation Establishment cultivator appear by the door, she veered decisively toward the medicine storeroom instead.

But midway, a flash of sword light and a flying blade intercepted her, halting Han Ming’s ghostly advance.

A peak Foundation Establishment cultivator emerged from the gloom.

“Tonight I seek only pills, not blood,” Han Ming said, narrowing her eyes.

Her answer came in the form of a swift, lethal arc of sword light.