Meanwhile, outside of the Violet Fate Celestial Land, atop Eastern Emergence Mountain, ten glowing, richly colored screens suddenly blossomed up out of the pill furnace. Images gradually became clear on the screens, depicting each of the people within the trial by fire.
As they sat there cross-legged, their expressions were clearly visible to all of the alchemists of the East Pill Division who sat on the mountaintop, as well as the representatives from the other Sects and Clans who had come to observe the proceedings.
Each and every action of the ten within the Celestial Land was clearly visible to everyone.
The mountaintop was peaceful, and everyone seemed to be dividing their attention between the ten various screens.
Lin Hailong looked at them and murmured to himself, “Every Violet Furnace Lord trial by fire requires the candidates to proceed through four regions and face four tests. However, before facing the tests, they must acquire their personal Life Furnaces. The Life Furnace is the key… the type of furnace acquired will depend completely on the good fortune of the alchemist….”
Meng Hao lost track of time as he proceeded on through the endless emptiness. All he could see was mist, and the six-colored glow. There was nothing else.
After a very long time had passed, Meng Hao was starting to feel tired. Suddenly, a violet glow flickered up ahead of him. Meng Hao peered forward. His attention was seized by this violet glow that suddenly appeared in a world which lacked violet.
The violet glow didn’t move, but just sat there, flickering. Suddenly, a pill furnace became visible within the glow, about the size of an infant’s fist.
Magical symbols circulated around the pill furnace, which emanated a violet light.
Just as Meng Hao’s will moved forward to touch the pill furnace, it suddenly shot backward, streaming magical symbols. Before Meng Hao could get any closer, it sped off into the distance.
Meng Hao muttered to himself for a moment, then proceeded forward. Not much time passed before he caught sight of another violet glow, within which was another pill furnace. It looked a bit different than the other one, as it had three legs. However, as Meng Hao approached, it too disappeared off into the distance.
“So,” Meng Hao thought to himself, “I have to select a furnace, and the furnace has to select me….” He decided to stop moving, and instead calmed himself and settled his will. “I’ll use my Dao of alchemy to communicate with this world created by the Mother of Furnaces. I will search the emptiness for the Life Furnace that is fated to belong to me….” With that, he figuratively closed his eyes.
Time passed, a very, very long time. Meng Hao gradually grew calmer. Soon, within his mind, he saw nine spheres of will; these nine spheres were the other candidates within the trial by fire.
He could sense them, and they, in turn, could sense him.
It was a strange feeling. They couldn’t see each other, but they could feel each other. Meng Hao and the other nine relied on their Dao of alchemy to sense this world, and to attempt to draw out their own personal Life Furnace.
Gradually, Meng Hao could see one beam of glowing light after another appearing around the other nine people. Chu Yuyan had attracted seven or eight pill furnaces of various colors.
As for Ye Feimu, he had dozens spinning around him; all of them seemed to desire to be selected by him.
The other people had two or three at the minimum.
Meng Hao was the only person who only had one pill furnace in front of him. His heart sank momentarily before he calmed himself.
“In my Dao of alchemy,” he thought, “my body is the pill furnace and my heart is the pill formula. Few people can conform to this philosophy, therefore, it is difficult for me to attract a suitable Life Furnace.” He began to murmur, sending his will out in all directions. “Pill Furnaces, if you follow me, you will reach the pinnacle. Come with me, and become eternal!”
Suddenly an almost countless number of glowing lights appeared throughout the nothingness of the world. More than ten thousand of them flickered in all corners of the world. The pill furnaces trembled, as if they were reacting to Meng Hao’s voice.
“In my Dao of alchemy, my body is the furnace and my heart is the formula. I will refine all the myriads of things in nature; I will refine the transformations of the sun and moon. Such a refining requires a furnace, my Life Furnace. Follow me for a life of transformation….” His will surged out, growing stronger, increasing the number of pill furnaces that reacted to him to over one hundred thousand. Half among them began to quiver violently, seemingly excited, and yet hesitating.
“I vow that whichever pill furnace follows me will never be destroyed. It will never shatter!” His will echoed out, growing even stronger. Among the fifty thousand trembling pill furnaces, ten thousand of them began to emit droning noises.
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