Chapter 1367: Chapter 540: The Struggle for the Furnace, Part 2

He proceeded with the recommendations.

There is the guest elder Qing Baizi from Danxia Peak, a cultivator at the Nascent Soul stage, originally a loose cultivator, who traveled far and wide, especially skilled in elixirs for ’soul nourishing’ and ’calming the mind’.

There is Qin Ke, a Pill Master of the main peak of Danxia Peak. Having been at Danxia Peak for ninety years, he studied under Elder Sun of Danxia Peak, and is a Pill Master nurtured by the main peak of Danxia Peak. Known for "fire-roasted chestnuts," he once, at the moment when a pill furnace was about to explode, skillfully used precise spiritual power manipulation to forcibly separate the pill liquid inside the furnace, saving sixty percent of the elixir pills.

Then there is Gu Lianjie. Originating as an outer disciple, he was exceptionally talented in alchemy, which led to his unusual promotion into the Alchemy Hall. His pill refining speed is extraordinarily fast, having set a record of refining forty-nine furnaces of elixir pills in a single day, averaging less than half a two-hour period per furnace, with a success rate of more than sixty percent.

There is Zhong Limei, the former hall master of the Alchemy Hall, one of the Supreme Elders of Danxia Peak, and one of the most senior renowned Pill Masters presently. He once refined the Water and Fire Two Elements Pill, which shook the Flying Cloud Country.

...

Except for the first person, every one of the others has been debated upon, even caught in spirals of contention.

The noise in the great hall grew increasingly chaotic.

After the old Pill Master’s recommendations concluded, Wang Yu did not immediately deliver a verdict, instead, he continued to inquire other cultivators whether there were other suggestions for candidates.

For a time, cultivators in the hall eagerly presented their opinions.

Wang Yu sat solidly at the main seat, his expression remaining calm and collected.

No matter who was recommended, Jiang Ping was always placed in the first position. Even if not, Jiang Ping was mentioned with no objections in the first statement.

Wang Yu noted everyone’s performance and every speech, continuously analyzing.

He understood clearly: On the surface, this was about recommending talent and safeguarding the Nanming Fire Furnace, but underneath it was about the political changes at Danxia Peak and the Artifact Refining Hall!

After the explosion of the Nanming Fire Furnace, several old Pill Masters responsible for alchemy bore significant blame, which inevitably required them to cede much political power. The space left behind allowed many cultivators to scent opportunity, and now they were strenuously arguing, which was essentially a "bloody struggle."

Wang Yu observed quietly for a moment, gradually calming down.

No matter who endorses anyone, they would recommend Jiang Ping, indicating that he still held firm control over Danxia Peak and the Alchemy Hall, without any issues.

Wang Yu’s thoughts scattered slightly, his eyes flashed subtly, holding a trace of concern.

"This furnace explosion stemmed from the Heavenly Cloud Cover being overturned. We are all involved, and it has implicated the Qi Fortune of various main peaks and halls as well."

Wang Yu knew the truth and understood these old Pill Masters were quite wronged. But he would never intervene to reverse the situation.

"One must follow the people’s will, act according to circumstances."

The initiative was firmly in Wang Yu’s grasp.

Once he finalized the selection of each person, he could effortlessly steer the political shift towards his desired direction.

"The sect leader managed this excellently, bringing nearly all cores and high-ranking individuals to share the reduction and tumult of Qi Fortune. By treating everyone equally, the balance is maintained."

What he worried about wasn’t himself, nor was it Danxia Peak or even the politics of the Myriad Images Sect, but rather the Nanming Fire Furnace.

"The explosion of the Nanming Fire Furnace was due to the influence of Qi Fortune. Even if our peak encompasses the power of the Alchemy Hall with abundant talent, striving wholeheartedly to preserve the Nanming Fire Furnace, in the end, it might be futile."

Although Wang Yu hadn’t studied deeply the hidden skill of Qi Fortune cultivation, as an elder with rich experience and high standing, he had some understanding.

His personal lifespan, the Qi Fortune of Danxia Peak, had strong correlations, all affected by the Heavenly Cloud Cover incident. The Qi Fortune had fallen significantly, already at the bottom.

Lacking sufficient lifespan, he couldn’t save the Vermilion Bird Artifact Spirit; even if he could, retaining the Nanming Fire Furnace would likely be futile as well.

"Our peak is like this, so are the other main peaks and even the halls."

"Only Purple Thunder Peak, Flowing Cloud Peak, and Evil Slaying Hall have been minimally affected."

"But ultimately, the means to rescue the Vermilion Bird Artifact Spirit and retain the Nanming Fire Furnace may still be on the periphery."

Upon realizing this, he immediately made up his mind.

"The real key targets are still newcomers or peripheral figures of the Myriad Images Sect."

"But the timing of absorbing them has to be right!"

Acquiring them too early could cause unforeseen issues due to the decline of Qi Fortune, potentially leading to them being inappropriate candidates, despite initially being suitable for gaining the Vermilion Bird Artifact Spirit’s trust.

But if absorbed too late, it would be too late. More factions would rush in to absorb them. Although Danxia Peak is powerful, its competitiveness is still relatively speaking.

"Even when the internal list is finalized, it’s not the main force."

"We should collect among the periphery or sect’s fringe figures, the person most likely to secure the Nanming Fire Furnace, and aim to recruit at the most appropriate time!"

"Certainly, the investigation and gathering actions must be conducted secretly."

...

Hundred Herbs Elder was watering his spiritual medicines in the herb garden.

From the seed going into the soil to breaking the ground and sprouting, from saplings growing to blooming and bearing fruit, he tended every step personally, never delegating to others.

Working from sunrise to sunset, accompanied by the medicines, neighboring with the soil. He enjoyed such a life.

A child ran in quickly, pushing open the gate of the fence, and burst in.

"In such a hurry, what does that look like?" Hundred Herbs Elder lightly rebuked, his wrist steady, ensuring the flow of water neither too large nor too small, maintained consistently.

The child, panting heavily, informed Hundred Herbs Elder about the news of the Nanming Fire Furnace and the Vermilion Bird Artifact Spirit.

The maintained water flow by Hundred Herbs Elder trembled slightly, his divine sense scattered, forming a split.

However, soon the split disappeared, and the small stream of water returned to its initial state.

"The Nanming Fire Furnace, it is indeed one of Danxia Peak’s foundations! Unexpectedly, it is on the brink of destruction."

"For a pill furnace to produce an artifact spirit is rare in itself. To form a Vermilion Bird shape is even more exceedingly difficult."

Hundred Herbs Elder cast a glance at the child and then tested, "You’ve also read the ’Ancient Text Dragon Tiger Scripture Annotation’. Do you know why the Vermilion Bird shape is extremely rare?"

The child wiped the sweat off his forehead, thought for a moment, and responded crisply, "I know, my lord."

"Within the chamber of mind, golden liquid is born from fire. And the Vermilion Bird is the Fire God, steaming and arising from below..."

The child eloquently recited a lengthy passage, and when he reached parts he was familiar with, he couldn’t help but nod and sway as if in rhythm.

"Hmm." Hundred Herbs Elder waved his hand, "That’s enough."

The child stared with sparkling eyes, "My lord, since the Vermilion Bird Artifact Spirit is so rare, will you go?"

Hundred Herbs Elder put down the water scoop, squatted, pulled out a weed from the herb bed, sniffed it under his nose, then discarded it. He stood up, clapping the dirt from his hands.

"Yes, I will go."

...

Nine types of firelight illuminated the face of the Nine Fire Dragon Lord.

He was a demon cultivator with a Fire Dragon Bloodline, skilled in fire control, and his expertise was Nine Fires in One Furnace, a secret technique he had practiced for over forty years.

Earth fire, wood fire, thunder fire, heart fire, true fire... at this moment, under the control of the Nine Fire Dragon Lord, the nine types of flames burned intensely in a pill furnace, each performing its duty without interference.

A flying message burst in urgently.

The Nine Fire Dragon Lord scanned it with his divine sense, causing his hands to tremble slightly, distorting the finger technique he was holding, which led to a momentary chaos among the nine fires in the furnace.

In just that instant, the leaked fire energy caused the flying message to self-combust.

Within two breaths, the flying message turned into a cloud of fly ash.

The Nine Fire Dragon Lord’s eyes were filled with brilliance: "Nanming Fire Furnace! Vermilion Bird Artifact Spirit!"

"I joined the Myriad Images Sect, became a guest elder of Danxia Peak, for over two hundred years."

"I never had the eligibility to touch the Nanming Fire Furnace. Now, do I have a chance to become its owner?!"

Even with his considerable ability and profound alchemy mastery, being a demon cultivator and having a dragon lineage often led to contempt, and he was persistently marginalized, remaining a fringe figure within the Myriad Images Sect.

"If I gain the trust of the Vermilion Bird Artifact Spirit and control the Nanming Fire Furnace, I can then generate the Nanming Vermilion Bird Fire."

"This fire is a divine fire, also a starfire, with wide applications. It ranks eleventh on the Fire Seed List and holds substantial value."

Though the Nine Fire Dragon Lord could simultaneously control nine types of flame, none compared to the precious fire seed that was the Nanming Vermilion Bird Fire.

The more this demon cultivator thought about it, the more excited he became, unconsciously licking his lips.