However, just as it was about to speed off, an illusory hand appeared out of nowhere and clamped down onto it. Originally, Meng Hao’s presence here had been invisible. However, because of the Eighth Demon Sealing Hex, an illusory phantom image of his body could now be seen.
“Where do you think you’re running off to?!” he said, locking his grip onto the pill furnace. The black pill furnace began to struggle, sending out massive waves of power. As it did, a face appeared on its surface.
It was the face of an evil, vicious youth. It radiated enmity and hatred, and after it appeared, it glared at Meng Hao and let out a threatening howl.
Meng Hao’s eyes glittered with coldness. He lifted up his left hand and slapped the thing right across the face. The slap to the pill furnace’s Spirit rang out with a boom. The face was flung to the side, but then spun back around and let out another roar of rage toward Meng Hao.
The roar rose up to the heavens, as if it contained an incredible might within it. The force of it washed over Meng Hao, shaking his will. However, he did not allow his grip on it to weaken in the slightest. Instead, he gave a cold harrumph.
“Fighting back? Well, fighting back won’t do you any good!” He lifted his left hand, employing the power of the Eighth Demon Sealing Hex as he pressed his finger down onto the youth’s face.
“You consume other pill furnaces? Fine, I don’t care. But you dared to consume MY pill furnace. In doing so, you’ve sown Karma. Now you will reap the Karma, and earn your reward!” His left hand flickered in an incantation as he again employed the power of the Eighth Demon Sealing Hex. Streams of seals flew down onto the pill furnace; it seemed as if it would soon be sealed into complete suppression.
The Spirit of the pill furnace, embodied in the face of the youth, struggled violently. Its will of hatred grew more powerful than ever; in a frenzy, it opened its mouth and let loose a piercing scream.
The sound of it filled the entire illusory world, reaching its every corner. All of the pill furnaces inside heard it, and began to tremble. They immediately began to rush toward Meng Hao.
In the blink of an eye, Meng Hao was surrounded by stream after stream of glowing lights. A thousand, five thousand, ten thousand, fifty thousand, one hundred thousand….
More than one hundred thousand beams of light circulated around Meng Hao. The glow they caused rose up endlessly, and gradually transformed into one hundred thousand pill furnaces. They had Meng Hao completely surrounded. The buzzing noise they emitted echoed out as they spun around him at top speed. It seemed they had Meng Hao in their cross-hairs; if he didn’t release the black pill furnace, they would attack him.
The black pill furnace youth, ceased its attempts to flee. A proud look appeared on its face, then aggressive arrogance. It looked at Meng Hao as if it were attempting to provoke him. However, it was at this moment that Meng Hao lifted his hand and once again slapped the face.
Rage covered the face of the black pill furnace youth. A scream rang out, causing the surrounding hundred thousand pill furnaces to suddenly charge in attack. They shot toward Meng Hao, sending out ripples throughout the air. Their glow lifted up to the heavens. Meng Hao merely gave a cold snort, and closed his eyes.
“Time to leave!”
His will sprang into action, immediately beginning to disappear, along with the furnace he gripped in his hands. Its shrill cry slowly dissipated as the hundred thousand pill furnaces charged in attack. Not a single one of them was even able to touch Meng Hao.
Outside of the pill furnace in the Celestial Land, Meng Hao sat cross-legged in meditation. Suddenly, his eyes flashed open. The instant they did, a black glow shot up in front of him, and a pill furnace appeared. Despite the fact that it was here, it appeared to be struggling.
But Meng Hao’s will was still in his body; how could he possibly allow it to flee? He gripped it hard, and his eyes glowed with a fierce cold aura.
“Are you really looking to die?!”
The pill furnace continued to struggle, and as it did, a strand of will entered Meng Hao’s mind. It said… it would rather die than submit!
Meng Hao smiled, although it was a smile filled with coldness.
“Rather die than submit? No, I’m not going to destroy you. Starting today, I don’t care if you want to or not, you’re my pill furnace, no matter how much you resist!” He stood up and looked toward Violet East Mountain, and the only remaining path leading up it.
At the same time, outside of the Celestial Land, on Eastern Emergence Mountain, the onlookers didn’t seem to be very impressed. However, the eight Violet Furnace Lords’ faces all flickered.
“That’s….”
“That black pill furnace contains its own will!”
“I saw that same furnace when I was in there all those years ago…. I wanted to take it, but failed. This Fang Mu seems to have created some kind of connection with it….”
“It’s extremely